Google to buy drone maker

Google Inc. said Monday it will buy aerial drone maker Titan Aerospace, a startup once considered an acquisition target of Facebook, The Wall Street Journal reports. Financial details weren’t released.

Titan Aerospace makes high-altitude drones that could be part of a system blanketing the globe in cheap Internet connectivity to help bring remote areas online, Tech Crunch says.

“Titan Aerospace and Google share a profound optimism about the potential for technology to improve the world,” Google said in a statement provided to Mashable. “It’s still early days, but atmospheric satellites could help bring internet access to millions of people, and help solve other problems, including disaster relief and environmental damage like deforestation. It’s why we’re so excited to welcome Titan Aerospace to the Google family.”

Facebook in March announced a $20 million deal for Ascenta, a Titan Aerospace competitor.