What happens when programmable connectivity becomes essential infrastructure for drones operating beyond visual line of sight? This week on the Dawn of Autonomy podcast, we kick off September’s “Tech for Mission”, sponsored by Teal, with Robby Hamblet, their Co-founder and CEO.
Robby was building some of the world’s earliest SGP.02 eSIM platforms before TEAL existed, delivering white-label connectivity-as-a-service for automotive OEMs including GM and Daimler. Across project after project, he encountered the same challenge: automakers could build the network access needed for their own deployments, but there was no flexible, scalable solution available for everyone else. In 2018, Robby and Michael Johnston Jr. set out to solve that problem by creating TEAL—an orchestration layer designed to give organizations greater choice and control over their connectivity. Rather than relying on eSIM technology that is provisioned once and left unchanged, TEAL enables programmable connectivity that can adapt to operational needs. That same gap is now emerging as BVLOS drone fleets move beyond pilot programs and into real commercial operations. Reliable connectivity is becoming a critical part of safely scaling autonomous systems, particularly when aircraft, operators, and data platforms must remain connected across complex environments. TEAL is helping address that challenge through work with partners including Volatus Aerospace.
Tune in to hear how TEAL is helping build the connectivity foundation for the next generation of autonomous operations, what the shift from automotive to drone fleets reveals about scalable infrastructure, and why choice and control will be central to the future of BVLOS deployment.
