Soon, the United States government might track drones just as it does airplanes and helicopters. CNBC reports the Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a new rule in which the federal government would be able to track almost all drones.
The draft notes a remote ID system gathering data from both personal and commercial drones. With drones on its radar, the federal agency would be able to monitor a network for air traffic safety and potential threats of terrorism. Should the rule take effect, all eligible drones would need to be registered within a three-year period.
Eligible drones include all models weighing more than 0.55 pounds. The signal emitted by them needs to highlight position as well as the operator's identity. Nearby drones need to steer clear and avoid conflict, which is why the FAA would require clear notification. Free-flying drones would issue their notifications on a radio frequency and over the internet, according to Bloomberg.
Several private companies are testing drones in their operations. Back in July, Amazon introduced its latest Prime Air model to experiment with. Similarly, Alphabet's Wing partnered with Walgreens and FedEx to test drone deliveries. Companies with entire fleets of drones might be required to assemble first-party tracking systems that the FAA can closely examine.
Congress instructed the FAA to take action in 2016, and the agency has requested several extensions since. Industry experts, however, aren't satisfied with the three-year period to implement remote ID. Some commercial businesses are prepared to utilize drones today, but the lack of proper legislation has prevented them from doing so. Now, they'll need to see if the rule gets signed into law along with its three-year condition.
Under the FAA's proposal, existing drones would not need to install tracking technology. Still, they're likely to be banned. New, unmanned drones released two years after the rule becomes law, however, will be required to have built-in tracking technology in order to take flight. So commercial businesses might need to wait a few more years for any huge milestone, but safety precautions should be well worth the wait.
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