Matternet has envisioned a drone network (like an Internet for material things) in developing countries, where poor roads seasonally cut off rural villages from needed items. Over the last few years, they’ve worked to show their concept could improve access by testing systems in places like Haiti and Papua New Guinea. What did they find? Matternet cofounder and CEO, Andreas Raptopoulos says some 80% of the almost 180 rural clinics they distributed medicine to in Bhutan—working with the World Health Organization—were within a 30-minute drone flight of a hospital. Challenging terrain or washed out roads might convert an easy trip through the air into a multi-hour (or multi-day) slog over a maze of mud and muck. Whereas road infrastructure is expensive to build and maintain, drones might offer an affordable alternative. Raptopoulos estimates a 150-drone network servicing 140 square miles would cost $900,000.