Drones could deliver a literal ton of stuff to remote villages

One of China's biggest e-commerce operators is planning to build a logistics network with drones at its backbone, as it seeks to further expand its e-commerce business in rural China. JD.com -- the second largest e-commerce company in China after Alibaba -- said that it will enter a partnership with civil aviation authorities in Shaanxi, northern China to develop a drone that could hold more than a ton of cargo. The drones are expected to be of a 300 km (186 mi) low-altitude network that includes hundreds of routes and drone air-bases for e-commerce shipments, according to the South China Morning Post. JD.com operates its own logistics network across China, much like Amazon, and only works with established businesses, while Alibaba owns marketplaces like Taobao that are open to individuals. It's not the first time JD.com and its rival Alibaba have used drones in deliveries -- in November last year, JD.com launched a drone delivery program serving areas in the outskirts of Beijing, Jiangsu, Shaanxi and Sichuan, while Alibaba has trialled drone deliveries since 2015.