Titan Aerospace has confirmed that its new owner is officially Google, a company that has also been working on aerial technologies. It had been widely reported in March that Facebook was interested in buying the New Mexico-based drone maker, but it seems like the social network’s interest went away or Google had a lot more money to offer.
Both Google and Facebook have plans to provide cheap, wide-spread internet access around the world and both seem as though they will be doing so with the help of aerial vehicles, whether they be drones, or in Google’s case, balloons.
Facebook did purchase Ascenta however, which has also worked on drones and was acquired for $20 million. Maybe buying two drone companies just seemed a little bit repetitive.
Since Google’s Project Loon is still in its early-stages and has only been tested a few times, it is quite possible that with Titan Aerospace, the company will change course and begin down the road of drones.
As we had reported in the past, drones do seem like a more viable option when put up against balloons. This is particularly true when you take into consideration Titan Aerospace’s solar-powered drones, which could be used to provide consistent internet access.
Google has been expanding in numerous ways over the past year and it has done so with a variety of acquisition. Titan Aerospace now joins a list that is filled with companies in the realms of artificial intelligence, robotics, and home automation.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has already explained that he personally thinks that drones make more sense than balloons and considering that Facebook is already working with other companies through internet.org, it looks like Google and Facebook will be fighting each other.
Only a short time after the Wall Street Journal reported on the acquisition, Titan Aerospace confirmed it on its website. Though we still do not know how much Google paid for the drone maker.
Question – Will Google switch to drones and away from balloons?
Summary: Google has acquired Titan Aerospace, a drone company. It will presumably help Google’s Project Loon, which aims to provide internet access to the billions of people without it.
image credit: nbcnews