Google Drone Project Crashes

Google shuts down Project Titan drone program.

15:53 13 January 2017

Google has confirmed it has shut down its internet drone project Titan in early 2016 due to technical difficulties and funding challenges. The program was designed to bring internet to remote rural areas – a similar initiative using hot air balloons.

 

A statement from X, the Google division responsible for Titan, reads: "Titan was brought into X in late 2015. We ended our exploration of high altitude unmanned aerial vehicles for internet access shortly after.”

 

"By comparison, at this stage the economics and technical feasibility of Project Loon present a much more promising way to connect rural and remote parts of the world."

 

Google acquired Titan Aerospace in 2014, reportedly fending off a bid from Facebook, which hasbeen trialling internet-providing drones.

 

At the time Google said it was "early days", but that "atmospheric satellites could help bring internet access to millions of people, and help solve other problems, including disaster relief and environmental damage like deforestation".

 

In 2015, reports have surfaced that Titan was facing technical difficulties. In the same year, the Titan team also experienced a crash in Arizona desert which was later linked to a wing fault. Many Titan staff were reassigned to different parts of the business including Wing and Project Loon.