Google’s holding company Alphabet has shut down its development of solar-powered drones that were intended to bring Internet access to developing countries and rural areas.
The drones were intended to fly at a height of about 12 miles.
However, Alphabet’s moonshot lab X has decided to shut down the project and will instead focus on high-altitude balloons to deliver connectivity to remote regions.
Alphabet got into the aerial drone space through its 2014 purchase of Titan Aerospace, which became part of X.
The team will now shift its efforts to Project Loon, which aims to provide internet access via high-altitude balloons, and Project Wing, which is building delivery drones.