After months of delays and much anticipation, the Federal Aviation Administration finally released its final rule on small drones. The rule represents an important, long-delayed step toward establishing comprehensive regulations for flying small unmanned aerial systems and integrating them into the national airspace. Industry experts have argued for years that the United States risked falling behind in the burgeoning drone market and missing out on countless opportunities for growth. The new rule should expand the growth of the US commercial drone industry, catalyze American innovation in the global marketplace, and maintain the technological superiority of US military drones. But there's work left to do.

WASHINGTON – After years of struggling to write rules that will both protect public safety and free the benefits of a new technology, the Obama administration is on the verge of approving routine commercial use of small drones. The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to announce as early as Tuesday the creation of a new category of rules for drones weighing less than 55 pounds (25 kg). The long-anticipated rules will mean drone operators would be able to fly without special permission. Currently, they have to apply for a waiver from rules that govern manned aircraft, a process that can be time-consuming and expensive. Since 2014 the FAA has granted more than 6,100 waivers and another 7,600 are waiting for approval. Many more small companies have been using drones without FAA permission, say industry officials.

A hexacopter drone is flown during a drone demonstration at a farm and winery on potential use for board members of the National Corn Growers, Thursday, June 11, 2015 in Cordova, Md. Routine commercial use of small drones got a green light from the Obama administration June 21, 2016, after years of struggling to write regulations that would both protect public safety and unleash the economic potential and societal benefits of the new technology.