FCC Lifts Ban on Super-Cheap Drones, No Longer Fears Chinese Toys

The FCC has lifted its ban on the sale of new-model foreign-made drones in the US, but only for so-called ‘toy drones’ that meet specific criteria.

These criteria include a take-off weight under 0.3 pounds, 300 feet of controllable range, no GPS, no network connectivity, no cameras, and a maximum 10 minutes of flight time.

The ban, which was implemented in December, was initially intended to address national security concerns, as drones are increasingly being used for nefarious activities.

However, it has been revealed that the true motivation behind the ban was to boost America’s domestic drone production capacity, which lags behind China.

By banning foreign drones, the Pentagon hoped to encourage American dronemakers to enter the market and provide a domestic supply chain for the military.

Since toy drones are not suitable for military use, the ban on them has been lifted, and they will be permitted on American store shelves once again.

The Department of Defense has started whitelisting specific foreign drones for exceptions from the ban, and it is expected that the domestic drone industry will continue to develop with the goal of providing a robust supply chain for the military.