Google sees drone deliveries by 2017

Amazon, Google and, most recently, Walmart have all discussed testing drones for deliveries, but Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc., is the first to address when people might be able to see this technology out in the world. According to Reuters, David Vos, head of Google's Project Wing, told the audience at a conference that the company’s “goal is to have commercial business up and running in 2017.”

Vos is also co-chair of the US Federal Aviation Administration task force responsible for coming up with a drone registry system. He said such a system for “identifying drone operators and keeping UAV away from other aircraft” could be set up within a year. The Obama administration hopes to have a drone registry system in place by December 20, Reuters reported.

Google’s projection appears optimistic, but it could signal the speed with which the commercial drone market is developing in the US. The company also wants the government to establish a new “Class G” airspace for low-altitude commercial drone use. If regulations are sorted out as quickly as Google hopes, 2017 could be a good year for the commercial drone market.