• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechDrones

New Drone Advocacy Group Launches With Cisco and CNN as Members

By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 3, 2016, 4:41 PM ET
493606849
Flying drone with cameraPhotogtaph by Buena Vista Images — Getty Images

There’s a new drone advocacy group in Washington, D.C. and Silicon Valley.

The Commercial Drone Alliance took off on Tuesday with founding board members including the likes of networking giant Cisco, a drone-centric data crunching startup called Data Wing, and drone startup Measure. Measure made news in September when the Federal Aviation Administration gave the business permission to fly more than 300 drones for aerial data-gathering projects.

In March, Cisco’s (CSCO) former CEO and current executive chairman John Chambers invested and took a board seat of a drone startup called Airware, which makes software to help navigate drones to their destinations as well as collect and process aerial data like photographs.

CNN is also a member of the newly-formed advocacy group. The news network received permission last year by the FAA to test drones for news gathering purposes.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Although there are already several drone advocacy and lobbying groups, including the Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), the Small UAV Coalition, and the recently-established Drone Manufacturers Alliance, this new consortium differs by being “laser focused” on the commercial applications of drones, explained Lisa Ellman, co-executive director of the group.

Under current FAA rules, businesses have to apply for federal approval of using drones for business purposes, such as deploying drones to inspect power lines for utility companies or damaged homes for insurance companies.

Ellman explained that there was a need to have a group specifically dedicated to representing the needs of businesses interested in drones because of differing views held by the various parties who advocate the use of drones.

For more on drones, watch:

For example, the creation of the national drone registration system for hobbyists in December divided some drone companies and organizations. Members of the commercial drone industry were encouraged by the system who felt it provided an easier way to register devices online, Ellman said.

Meanwhile, groups like the Small UAV Coalition, who represent hobbyists or companies that sell drone-related products or services to consumers, felt that the mandatory $5 registration fee could deter people from buying drones.

“Some groups had difficulty trying to represent too many different voices,” Ellman said.

About the Author
By Jonathan Vanian
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jonathan Vanian is a former Fortune reporter. He covered business technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data privacy, and other topics.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Success
After decades in the music industry, Pharrell Williams admits he never stops working: ‘If you do what you love everyday, you’ll get paid for free'
By Emma BurleighFebruary 3, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Peter Thiel warns the Antichrist and apocalypse are linked to the ‘end of modernity’ currently happening—and cites Greta Thunberg as a driving example
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 4, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Investing
Ray Dalio warns the world is ‘on the brink’ of a capital war of weaponizing money—and gold is the best way for people to protect themselves
By Sasha RogelbergFebruary 4, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
C-Suite
OpenAI’s Sam Altman says his highly disciplined daily routine has ‘fallen to crap’—and now unwinds on weekends at a ranch with no cell phone service
By Jacqueline MunisFebruary 5, 2026
21 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump is giving the U.S. economy a $65 billion tax-refund shot in the arm, mostly for higher-income people, BofA says
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 5, 2026
22 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Investing
Tech stocks go into free fall as it dawns on traders that AI has the ability to cut revenues across the board
By Jim EdwardsFebruary 4, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Latest in Tech

Image of Moltbook app logo on a smart phone with another image of the Moltbook logo in the background.
NewslettersTerm Sheet
Moltbook is the talk of Silicon Valley. But the furor is eerily reminiscent of a 2017 Facebook research experiment
By Allie GarfinkleFebruary 6, 2026
58 minutes ago
NewslettersFortune Tech
Gemini takes a bite out of ChatGPT share
By Alexei OreskovicFebruary 6, 2026
2 hours ago
Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange monitor the early moves of the market soon after the trading day began in New York 05 August, 1999.
InvestingMarkets
Software selloff giving you deja vu? We’ve been here before, says Deutsche Bank, when the dotcom bubble burst
By Eleanor PringleFebruary 6, 2026
2 hours ago
johnsson
Commentaryvaluations
When the music stops: the unravelling of AI companies’ flawed valuations
By Mikael JohnssonFebruary 6, 2026
3 hours ago
Sam Altman speaking into a mic.
AIOpenAI
OpenAI’s new model leaps ahead in coding capabilities—but raises unprecedented cybersecurity risks
By Sharon GoldmanFebruary 5, 2026
16 hours ago
tiktok
CybersecuritySocial Media
Gen Z is rebelling against TikTok USA by installing another app—founded by an Oracle alum
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 5, 2026
17 hours ago