Amazon Delivery Drone Noise Annoys Some Residents of Texas Town

Some residents of College Station, Texas, are finding noise pollution from Amazon delivery drones disturbing, a problem the giant retailer is seeking to remedy as it plans to expand its Prime Air program.

Amazon has petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration to boost drone delivery flights from 200 to 469 per day, which isn’t welcome news for denizens of the residential area near the facility where the unmanned vehicles take off and land.

“Noise pollution is emerging as a significant challenge to Amazon’s drone delivery programs,” said Mark N. Vena, president and principal analyst at SmartTech Research in Las Vegas.

“The distinct buzzing noise generated by drones during flight has raised concerns among communities, particularly in residential areas,” he told the E-Commerce Times. “The opposition is rooted in the potential for constant noise disruptions, which could adversely affect the quality of life.”

“This resistance poses a serious challenge as it could lead to stricter regulations or even bans on drone operations in certain areas, complicating Amazon’s expansion plans,” he added.

‘Fantastic Technology’

Amazon started making drone deliveries in 2022, with pilot programs in College Station and Lockeford, Calif.

“Amazon has a responsibility to get this right for the communities further down the line as they adopt this technology. And I believe they will,” said College Station City Councilman Bob Yancy.

“I think it’s fantastic technology,” he told the E-Commerce Times. “It just happens to be a little too close to one of our single-family residential neighborhoods. If Amazon adheres to its own policy of locating their drone port a little further away from single-family residential neighborhoods, they’ll be fine.”

“We appreciate the community of College Station and take local feedback into account wherever possible when making operational decisions for Prime Air,” added Amazon Spokesperson Sam Stephenson.

“We’re proud of the thousands of deliveries we’ve made and the hundreds of customers we deliver to,” he told the E-Commerce Times. “As our program evolves, we’re considering a variety of potential paths forward, including the possibility of alternate sites.”

Quieter Drone in Wings

College Station Mayor John Nichols added that the city is working with Amazon to find a location in an industrial zone, which will reduce the impact on residential neighborhoods.

“The best way to address this issue is to encourage and invite the development of the latest Amazon drone model, which is being tested and will be soon certified by the FAA,” he told the E-Commerce Times. “When that is done, we’ll see how much mitigation that provides. Then we will hopefully see some improvement there.”

“Our new MK30 drone is designed to reduce the drone’s perceived noise by almost half,” added Stephenson. “Our intention has always been to reduce the volume of the sound of our drones. Bringing the MK30 to communities as soon as possible is a major step in this effort.”

College Station Councilman William Wright acknowledged that the new lower-noise drones should alleviate some of the concerns of the citizens in the residential areas. “But from my experience, it is not just the sound levels of the drones. It is the frequency,” he told the E-Commerce Times.

“Sure, it is not louder than a lawnmower, but what if that lawnmower was running eight hours a day?” he asked. “That is the reality that some of our citizens are dealing with.”

Successful Program

Yancy noted that aside from the complaints by the neighbors in the immediate vicinity of the drone port, the program has been very successful. “There has not been a single drone crash. There has not been a single injury. There has not been a single incident with any pets or property damage,” he said.

“The program is very innovative and being run very efficiently by Amazon,” he continued. “We consider them to be a community partner. They are very involved in the community. And they’ve bent over backward to try to be responsive to the surrounding neighborhood concerns.”

He added that, to his knowledge, there haven’t been any problems with vandalism or package theft with the program.

“I hope Amazon continues drone delivery in our area,” said College Station Councilwoman Elizabeth Cunha. “It offers a unique solution to traffic congestion, reduces the risk of porch pirates, and provides a convenience many of our residents enjoy.”

“Amazon has demonstrated a willingness to address community concerns, and I have every reason to think that the future of College Station includes a thriving drone delivery service,” she told the E-Commerce Times.

Slow Adoption Despite Gee-Whiz Appeal

Although Prime Air is more than a year old, it doesn’t seem to have lost its gee-whiz factor. “It’s quite the spectacle when you get a delivery,” Yancy said. “I’m a grandfather of four, and when my kids and grandkids are in town, we almost always schedule a drone delivery so the kids can see it. They ooh and aah. They really enjoy it.”

Nevertheless, drone delivery programs will need to surmount more than a few obstacles before they emerge from the experimental stage. “Regulatory hurdles have been a major challenge,” Vena noted, “as governments have been cautious in setting rules for airspace usage, safety and privacy.”

“Technical issues, such as limited battery life, flight range, and the ability to navigate complex urban environments, have also impeded progress,” he continued.

“Furthermore, public concerns about safety, especially the risk of drones malfunctioning or causing accidents, have led to skepticism and slower adoption,” he added. “Weather conditions, like strong winds and rain, also pose operational challenges, making it difficult to ensure reliable delivery services under all circumstances.”

Vena maintained that despite all the media hoopla, drone deliveries in the U.S. are still in their early stages, with limited deployments mainly for experimental and niche use cases.

“While there has been some progress, particularly with companies like Amazon and Wing expanding their pilot programs, widespread adoption remains slow due to regulatory, technical, and logistical challenges,” he said. “It is likely that drone deliveries will become more common over the next decade, but they may remain a supplement to traditional delivery methods rather than completely replacing them.”

“Whether they become mainstream will depend on advancements in technology, regulatory frameworks, and public acceptance,” he added.