The United States Federal Aviation Administration is allowing drone use in the selected states of Alaska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Texas and Virginia beginning Monday, Reuters reported.
There were a total of 25 applications received from 24 different states for the right to drone testing and use, according to Reuters. Out of the 25, only six were selected.
The U.S aviation reported sites will be developed at the University of Alaska, in the state of Nevada, at Griffiss International Airport in New York state, in the North Dakota Department of Commerce, Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, including their locations in New Jersey, according to Reuters.
The FAA also announced the first test site will be working in up to six months and will stay open until early 2017, Reuters reported.
Drones have already been granted limited use to law enforcement, for surveillance and atmospheric research but the FAA's decision on Monday will allow companies and universities to use drones for crop spraying, delivering packages or for catching-exotic animal poachers, Reuters reported.
Michael Huerta, Administrator for the Federal Aviation Administration, said the drone testing will "provide the platform for this research to be carried out on a very large scale across the country," according to Reuters. Huerta also added that the rules for the use of drones will be released by 2015 but will develop as the program run for longer amounts of time.
Huerta added the FAA would release a statement addressing the civil use of drones and a proposed rule in early 2014, but privacy and safety concerns have already been raised due to drones possible use as spying tools, according to Reuters.
For Amazon.com, the drone use will allow for home delivery, a plan recently unveiled by the company, Reuters reported.
"These test sites will give us valuable information about how best to ensure the safe introduction of this advanced technology into our nation's skies," Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement, according to Reuters.
Research by aviation and aerospace industry company Teal Group expects overall spending on drone testing to double to $11.6 million by 2023, Reuters reported.
The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International also reports the industry has the chance to to contribute $80 billion to the economy and created 100,000 jobs in the span of a decade, according to Reuters.
