Report: Google, Amazon want to regulate drone traffic

Mountain View, Calif. – Drone-based delivery may still be far from an everyday reality, but likely players including Google and Amazon are already thinking about traffic control.



According to Bloomberg, Google, Amazon, Verizon and Harris Corp. are among 14 companies that have signed agreements with NASA to help create a drone air traffic control system.



The system, called Unmanned Aerial System Traffic Management, would rely upon a computer network or networks to set routes that prevent mid-air drone collisions. Humans would be involved, but would rely on computers to provide data to make decisions that would avoid collisions.



It is not clear how much involvement the federal government would have, or if there would be a single network or multiple regional networks working together. About 100 other companies and universities have also expressed interest in participating.