While commercial drone regulations are likely years away from becoming law, a recent survey showed that consumers have already embraced the idea of drone delivery and are willing to pay for it.
More than two-thirds of respondents to a poll indicated they expect to receive a drone-delivered package within the next five years, according to a recently released poll conducted by digital marketing firm Walker Sands of more than 1,400 consumers over the past year.
The survey also showed that four out of five shoppers would choose drone delivery over traditional delivery options if items could be delivered in under an hour while 48 percent said they would pay more than $5 for drone delivery; 23 percent said they would not pay extra.
The poll also delved into the types of products consumers would be open to have delivered by drone, with the highest percentages going to books, clothes, pet items and tools, respectively.
But not everyone is buying into drone delivery yet as 12 percent of respondents indicated they wouldn’t trust drone delivery with any items, citing safety, theft and technology concerns.
Meanwhile, proposed regulations unveiled last month by the Federal Aviation Administration for commercial drones in the United States has some wondering if drone delivery will ever take-off. The proposed regulations, currently undergoing a public commenting period, would restrict commercial drone flights to within the line of sight of an operator while also limiting flights to daylight hours only.
