Google plans to begin delivery of packages by drones in 2017

Internet giant Alphabet Inc, the new holding company for Google, expects to begin delivering packages to consumers via drones sometime in 2017, the executive in charge of its drone effort said on Monday.

David Vos, the leader for Alphabet's Project Wing, said his company is in talks with the US Federal Aviation Administration and other stakeholders about setting up an air traffic control system for drones that would use cellular and Internet technology to coordinate unmanned aerial vehicle flights at altitudes under 152 meters.

"Our goal is to have commercial business up and running in 2017," he said at an air traffic control convention near Washington.