Alphabet, which owns Google, is launching a drone delivery service.
The project is being implemented through the company-owned startup Wing. The service will be officially launched in Canberra after receiving clearance from the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority. Wing has been testing the project in the Australian capital for about 18 months, making about 3,000 deliveries.
At the first stage of the service, the list of addresses to which delivery will be carried out will include about 100 households. Wing will deliver items including coffee and ice cream within minutes of placing an order through the app. Over time, the geography of the service will expand. Currently, the discussion of a new service with the participation of the city administration continues. Due to numerous complaints from local residents about drone noise, city officials have banned Wing from flying over the highway and near people, and from making deliveries before 7 am on weekdays and until 8 am on Sunday.
The launch of Wing in Australia actually means that Google ahead of Amazon in the race to create a commercial service model. Previously CEO Amazon Jeff Bezos reported that drone-based delivery would be available to customers until the end of 2018. However, despite lengthy testing, the service has yet to be launched.
From December 2019, Wing also plans to enter the European market and test the new service in Helsinki, promising its customers delivery within the city within ten minutes. AT Alphabet reported that Finland was chosen for the tests because the people of the country are "known for being the first to introduce new technologies."
