But to do this, they must have identification systems.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will update the rules for the operation of drones, according to the organization’s website. In particular, the FAA will allow flights over crowded areas, as well as flights at night, if the devices are equipped with warning lights.
Reuters points out that previously drones could only fly over people who control the devices, which made it difficult to use them for commercial deliveries. Bloomberg also writes that the FAA has “removed a major obstacle to commercial delivery and maintenance.”
Under the new rules, drones must be equipped with a Remote ID system that allows law enforcement agencies to identify the device and establish where it is controlled from. The Verge writes that the system “makes sense” because it will allow you to find out, for example, who is dangerously piloting a drone. Reuters calls Remote ID analogous to car numbers.
The new rules will be published in January 2021, they will come into force 60 days after that. Drone manufacturers will have 18 months to start producing drones with Remote ID, and operators will have another year to start using devices with this system. According to the FAA, more than 1.7 million drones and 203 thousand licensed operators are registered in the United States.