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Drones to bring DEBT FROM ABOVE in Switzerland

Swiss Post delivery-by drone test will put incoming bills in the air

Swiss Post, the neutral nation's postal service, has confirmed it is testing delivery-by-drone.

Staff at the outfit have confirmed a report in local media to Agence France Presse, detailing collaboration with US drone-maker Matternet and the freight division of Swiss International Air Lines.

Tests of drone-delivered mail are expected in the Swiss summer. The extent of the trials is not known, nor is the carrying capacity of the drones.

But it's not hard to see why the experiment is being made: plenty of Swiss towns and villages can be tough to reach in winter. Getting the post through despite snow, ice or avalanche has obvious benefits. And of course let's not forget the business benefits of automation in any weather: fewer human posties tramping through meatspace is probably a good thing at a time when email is stomping on its paper-based-predecessor.

If Swiss Post is anything like its global brethren, it'll be bleeding as it tries to meet service obligations and revenue targets. Delivery-by-drone might just help it rise above such concerns.

Swiss Post is far from alone with its aerial ambitions: Amazon and DHL are both testing drones as delivery vehicles, and Google's testing odder aircraft too. ®

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