Google today announced the acquisition of Titan Aerospace, the creator of high-altitude drones that could bring Internet access to remote locations, as noted by The Wall Street Journal. The vehicles are expected to reach atmospheric heights, run on solar power, and fly continuously for years at a time.
Earlier reports had suggested that Facebook was interested in buying Titan Aerospace, but it decided to pick up rival drone-maker Ascenta instead.
Google told the Journal that the Titan Aerospace team will collaborate with the balloon-powered Internet access efforts from Project Loon to solve the global connectivity issue. The drones could also assist products like Google Maps by providing images from above.
➤ Google Buys Drone Maker Courted by Facebook [WSJ]