Google to acquire the drone company that Facebook wanted

Google Inc. GOOGL +1.38% on Monday acquired a maker of solar-powered drones—a startup that Facebook Inc. FB +0.62% had also considered acquiring—as the technology giants battle to extend their influence and find new users in the far corners of the earth. Google didn’t disclose the purchase price for New Mexico-based Titan Aerospace, which is developing jet-sized drones that are intended to fly nonstop for years. Google said the technology could be used to collect images and offer online access to remote areas. Facebook had been in talks to buy Titan earlier this year, but Google offered to top any Facebook offer, according to a person familiar with the matter. Facebook later agreed to pay $20 million for Ascenta, a U.K.-based aerospace company that also has been working on solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles.