Alphabet Shut Titan Internet-Drone Project
January 12 2017 - 12:57PM
Dow Jones News
By Sarah E. Needleman
Alphabet Inc. said it shut an effort to beam internet service
from highflying drones, part of a number of moves by the Google
parent to rein in less-promising initiatives and focus on those
more likely to produce profit.
The drone project, called Titan, was folded in early 2016,
though Google confirmed the move only this week.
A spokeswoman Thursday said X, Alphabet's unit that pursues
moonshot initiatives, is still working on delivering internet
access to remote parts of the world through Project Loon, which
uses high-altitude balloons. Some former members of the Titan team
are involved with its drone-delivery effort, known as Project Wing,
the spokeswoman said.
Other initiatives where Alphabet is scaling back include
delivering high-speed internet via fiber-optic cables, robotics and
modular smartphones. Google also is in talks to sell its satellite
business to startup Planet Labs Inc., according to people familiar
with the matter.
Alphabet determined that folding Titan into other initiatives
such as Project Loon would be a more economically and technically
feasible way to extend internet access, the spokeswoman said.
"Many people from the Titan team are now using their expertise
as part of other highflying projects," she said.
Technology news site 9to5Google reported Wednesday on the
closure of Titan.
Google acquired Titan in 2014. It didn't disclose how much it
paid for the company, which had been developing jet-size drones
intended to fly nonstop for years. The New Mexico-based startup had
roughly 20 employees who worked under technology-industry veteran
Vern Raburn.
Drones are a largely unproven but highly sought-after
technology. Facebook Inc. also bid on Titan and, after losing out,
paid $20 million for Ascenta, a U.K.-based aerospace company. An
Ascenta drone crashed during a test flight in June.
Write to Sarah E. Needleman at sarah.needleman@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 12, 2017 12:42 ET (17:42 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2017 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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