Could drones solve some of Africa’s infrastructure problems? Afrotech, a Swiss company, seems to think so.

Transporting smaller cargo through the skies via drones, for instance, could be cheaper than investing in railways or roads right away.  So starting next year the company will test cargo drones that can carry small packages across 50 miles.

The idea isn’t that unusual, says Matthew Wall, a technology and business reporter for BBC who’s covering Afrotech. “There are already these quadcopter drones … These are these helicopter-style drones which can carry small packages.”

They can also be programmed to pick up small packages, he added.

But, it would take a while for this to happen over long distances. For one, we don’t have the battery technology to power drones for more than 50 miles. And the drones themselves aren’t strong or light enough to transport most cargo.

“That’s going to take some ten years at least I think before we see these things across the skies,” said Wall.