Amazon plans drone delivery expansion to about 500 US locales

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 19 : Amazon said on Wednesday it will expand its drone delivery service to reach hundreds of U.S. cities and towns by year end, up from 11 locations where it currently operates serving multiple surrounding communities. The expansion comes more than a decade after founder Jeff Bezos showed off what he called octocopters, or unmanned drones, in 2013 and predicted the service would be available within four to five years. Amazon currently delivers by drone from 11 locations, including Papillion, Nebraska, and Ruskin, Florida. It is planning to expand to Syracuse, New York, and near Cleveland, among other areas. A single delivery hub can reach multiple towns within a roughly 7.5-mile radius. Amazon said its broad rollout will extend its reach to about 500 locales.Amazon has r