Amazon Expands Drone Delivery Service to Nearly 500 US Cities

Amazon is expanding its drone delivery service to nearly 500 US cities by the end of this year, aiming to provide faster and more convenient shipping options for customers. The expansion will cover suburban areas in hundreds of new communities, including Chicago, Atlanta, Cleveland, and Boise metro areas.

The drones can carry packages up to 5 pounds and deliver them in as fast as 30 minutes. Amazon Prime members who order over $50 worth of goods will get free drone delivery, while non-members will pay $2.99 for smaller orders and $4.99 for larger ones.

According to retail analyst Sucharita Kodali, drones could prove more useful for urgent deliveries such as prescription medications. However, it's still an experiment in test and learn mode, and Amazon is working out the economics of the service.

The expansion is part of Amazon's ongoing efforts to compete with Walmart and other delivery companies in providing fast and efficient shipping options. Amazon has already delivered hundreds of thousands of packages by drones this year and aims to serve communities with 30 million customers by year-end.