Game of Drones: As US Dithers, Rivals Get a Head Start

Amanda Parker writes Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are a hot ticket in Silicon Valley, but U.S. government dithering over regulations has given overseas companies a head-start in figuring out how best to exploit them. Global spending on drones could add up to close to $100 billion over the next decade, with commercial uses — from farming and filming to pipelines and parcels — accounting for around an eighth of that market, according to BI Intelligence. But for years, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the authority largely responsible for regulation in the United States, has dragged its feet, only last month issuing draft rules on who can fly drones, how and where. It's likely to be a year or more before the regulations are in place — good news for companies operating outside the U.S. and looking to build a business around drones.

Comments

Re:"Good News" is Relative

[Penguinisto]

Agreed.

It's one thing to have some neat-o technology, but another to rush out and shove it into mass production just because OMG Europe and Asia is doing it, guys! Hurry the fsck up!!!11!!

Seriously; drones already create inter-neighbor privacy concerns, a potential hazard as they occasionally crash into stuff, and seriously, there's a potential that it can provide one more step towards a surveillance society that is entirely unwelcome.

Oh, a small tangent: I live in a very rural area expressly for the peace and quiet. Unless I'm running it, a drone buzzing over my property, snooping around and making noise, only means one thing: target practice. Not because of any tinfoil factor, but because it's an annoyance and a trespass. I am very certain that I'm not alone in this. You want drones buzzing about your area, fine... just don't intrude on those of us who have no use or desire for the things.