Remember that 2013 video of a Prime Air drone casually delivering something from a fulfillment center to a home? Well, we’re now much closer to that reality.
For years, the FAA has been (kind of reasonably) concerned about an unhinged swarm of 1.7m+ drones crowding the skies.
To deal with it, the federal agency is embracing an upward trend in commercial drone registrations and issuing new regulations.
… with a digital license plate.
At present, only 3 companies — UPS, Amazon, and Wing — have regulatory approval to operate nationwide drone fleets and do business in the sky.
The FAA’s new rules will allow devices — classified into 4 tiers (from lightweight devices with no exposed propellers to advanced craft that would go through the same vetting as traditional aircraft) — to fly over populated areas.
In a classic case of “a kettle calling a pot black,” Wing argues the new FAA rules invade user privacy (by allowing geo-tracking) and — instead — proposes:
The FAA could change its mind in Wing’s favor, but the rules will take a couple years to go into effect either way.
So we’re telling you now: The buzzing you’ll hear outside in 2023 is drones. You are not going crazy.