Drones have outgrown the “cool gadget” phase. Over the next ten years they’ll look a lot less like novelty aircraft and a lot more like critical infrastructure—quietly inspecting power lines, moving medical supplies, mapping farms, and helping first responders. The pieces are finally falling into place: clearer rules, digital air traffic services, reliable connectivity, and better autonomy. Here’s what to watch—and how to get ready.

1) BVLOS goes from exception to “the way it’s done”

Most commercial value requires flying beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). For years, that meant collecting exemptions and waivers. In 2025, the FAA released its long-anticipated BVLOS Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), laying out performance-based rules (proposed Part 108) and a framework to approve third-party services that support BVLOS (proposed Part 146). The NPRM’s goal is a predictable pathway for routine package delivery, agriculture, aerial surveying, public safety and more—shifting from “enablement by exemption” to enablement by rule. It also acknowledges TSA’s role to ensure security requirements keep pace with scaled operations. 

What this means: once finalized, BVLOS won’t be a special project; it’ll be the default for many use cases. Expect more one-to-many operations (one pilot supervising multiple drones), broader operating envelopes, and bigger investments in detect-and-avoid and conformance monitoring tech.

2) Digital air traffic services (UTM/U-space) mature

Europe is slightly ahead on U-space—the EU’s framework for highly automated, digital services managing low-altitude drone traffic. The rule set (Reg. (EU) 2021/664 and related material) has consolidated guidance and began rolling into “easy access rules” in 2024. In May 2025, EASA issued the first U-space service provider certificate (to ANRA), a milestone for harmonized services like flight authorization, network ID, geo-awareness, and traffic info. 

What this means: U-space/UTM is moving from slideware to software. Expect more designated airspace where connected services are mandatory and where commercial operators get predictable access—especially in cities and around critical infrastructure.

3) Remote ID is table stakes

In the U.S., Remote ID enforcement began in earnest on March 16, 2024, ending the prior discretion period. If your aircraft isn’t compliant (or flying in a FRIA), you risk fines and certificate action. At the standards level, ASTM F3411 defines performance requirements and helps align with global efforts. 

What this means: Remote ID moves from paperwork to everyday ops—an essential ingredient for BVLOS and UTM. Treat it like ADS-B’s little sibling for the low-altitude layer.

4) Delivery grows up (quietly)

The hype around burrito-by-drone has cooled, but serious logistics work is happening. The FAA uses the Part 135 air carrier framework for small-package delivery, and leading operators already hold certificates: UPS Flight Forward (2019) and Zipline (2022). In 2023, the FAA authorized Zipline to conduct BVLOS deliveries without visual observers around Salt Lake City—data that feeds rulemaking. As BVLOS rules solidify, expect expansion beyond medical and campus routes to regional networks. 

What this means: first the “boring” stuff scales—lab samples, prescriptions, critical spares, and high-value/urgent SKUs. Retail will follow in pockets where airspace, demand density, and economics line up.

5) Always-connected drones: cellular + satcom

Connectivity is the nervous system of scaled operations. 3GPP Release 17 added capabilities tailored to UAS—identification, authorization with UTM, and mechanisms to manage command-and-control over mobile networks. In parallel, L-band satcom products (e.g., Viasat’s Velaris) are proving resilient BVLOS links and “multi-link” setups that blend cellular, Wi-Fi, GNSS, and satellite for assured C2 and telemetry—even in rural or contested RF. 

What this means: the future is hybrid comms. Expect type-approved, compact terminals baked into enterprise drones, with automatic failover between terrestrial and space links—meeting the reliability regulators expect for BVLOS.

6) Autonomy and AI move onboard

Vision-based navigation, onboard path planning, real-time change detection, and automated anomaly flagging will become standard. The near-term winners: linear inspection (power, rail, pipelines), asset inspection (plants, refineries, towers), and public safety. Pair autonomy with multi-link connectivity and you get remote operations centers where a single operator supervises many aircraft and intervenes only when needed.

What this means: your differentiator won’t be the airframe—it’ll be your perception stack, your data pipeline, and how quickly you turn pixels into work orders.

7) Verticals that will drive most value

• Energy & utilities. Routine BVLOS patrols and targeted close-ups after storms. U-space/UTM corridors and satcom C2 unlock remote regions.
• Agriculture. Variable-rate application, stand counts, and stress detection are maturing; flying sprayers and swarm ops will scale where regulations allow.
• Public safety. “Drones as First Responder” programs expand with network ID and consolidated command centers.
• Construction & mining. Progress tracking, volumetrics, and site security move from weekly task to continuous oversight.
• Logistics & healthcare. The first national and regional networks emerge where BVLOS, UTM, and demand align.

Market outlooks vary widely, but most point up and to the right. One respected tracker forecasts the global drone market reaching roughly $58B by 2030, with services as the largest slice and hardware growing fastest. 

8) Airspace security (counter-UAS) tightens

As drones scale, detection and mitigation around airports, mass events, and sensitive facilities is expanding. FAA and TSA are aligning roles; the policy environment (including executive action and reauthorization language) points to continued development of counter-UAS programs and authorities, alongside guidance for airports. Expect more geofencing, alerting, and layered defenses that coexist with compliant operations. 

What this means: operators need strong compliance hygiene (Remote ID broadcasting, plan conformance, responsive ops centers) so their flights are unambiguously friendly in a more instrumented sky.

9) Standards become your superpower

Regulators increasingly point to industry consensus standards as acceptable means of compliance—think ASTM for Remote ID and UTM interoperability. The FAA’s BVLOS NPRM explicitly references leveraging standards like ASTM F3548 (UTM USS interoperability) when approving third-party services. Build to the standards, test to the standards, audit to the standards. 

10) Power, sustainability, and platform diversity

Battery energy density keeps improving incrementally, but the bigger story is mission-fit platforms: long-endurance fixed-wing for corridors, nimble VTOL for point delivery, and micro-drones for indoor inspection. Hydrogen fuel cells will gain share in endurance-critical niches; tethered and “drone-in-a-box” setups will dominate fixed-site surveillance.

What this means: pick aircraft for total mission cost (flight + data + rework avoided), not just specs on a datasheet.

How to prepare (whether you’re an operator, enterprise buyer, or investor)

1. Design for BVLOS from day one. Even if you start VLOS, choose airframes, avionics, and comms that are BVLOS-ready (detect-and-avoid inputs, Remote ID, log/trace, health monitoring). Align docs and safety cases to the FAA’s performance-based approach. 
2. Integrate with UTM. Plan for flight authorization, conformance monitoring, strategic deconfliction, and real-time air/ground risk feeds. In Europe, expect designated U-space zones with mandatory services; in the U.S., anticipate a similar service layer under Part 146. 
3. Build a resilient comms stack. Use cellular where it’s strong; add L-band satcom for assurance; automate failover. Validate command-and-control latency and availability for your safety case. 
4. Harden compliance. Remote ID broadcasting, log retention, incident workflows, ops manuals aligned to ASTM/FAA guidance—these aren’t chores, they’re your ticket to scale. 
5. Prioritize data, not flights. The winners compress the loop from capture → analysis → action. Invest in onboard AI, smart pipelines, and integrations with EAM/CMMS (Maximo, SAP PM, etc.).
6. Pick verticals with repeatable revenue. Energy, utilities, construction, and public safety will carry the market while retail delivery grows in defined pockets. 
7. Plan for airspace security interfaces. Know local detection programs, share operations intent where available, and keep your ops center responsive.