In-flight connectivity in a year, says telecom minister

NEW DELHI: In-flight connectivity is expected to be to be had within a 12 months, Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha said lately even as a joint meeting of DoT and civil aviation officials to talk about "operational details" is to be held in about 10 days.

Telecom companies, airlines and in-flight connectivity providers are anticipated to attend the meeting, the date for which is yet to be finalised.

In-flight connectivity objectives to permit calls and internet services and products during flights within the Indian airspace.

"There will a meeting with the Secretary Civil Aviation Ministry, me, and the operators. We are fixing the date...maybe in another 10 days or so, we will meet," Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan told reporters right here.

Earlier, while talking on the convention on four years of the government, Sinha said that 'in-flight services and products' could grow to be operational in twelve months.

"The Telecom Commission has already decided on in-flight connectivity, and in the next one year, we may be in a position to provide in-flight connectivity," he said.

The Telecom Commission -- the highest policy making body of Department of Telecom -- had on May 1 cleared an offer for permitting in-flight connectivity, already to be had in many of the developed markets.

While giving its nod, the Telecom Commission had agreed with many of the suggestions of the field regulator on 'in-flight services and products' apart from one touching on foreign satellites and gateways.

While telecom regulator Trai had advisable permitting use of foreign satellites and foreign gateways for mobile conversation on plane too, the Telecom Commission went through the view of Committee of Secretaries (CoS) that simplest Indian Satellites and Indian gateways be allowed.

Sundararajan said that the operational sides still had to be discussed in detail and the approaching meeting will deliberate at the identical.

"The discussions on the operational model will entail questions like who will be investing in infrastructure, who will be providing the services. There is no standard model...we will have to see what is suitable in the Indian context," Sundararajan said.

Last week, Trai had stuck to its stance that foreign satellites and gateways should be used to offer such services and products.

Sundararajan said that since CoS have favoured simplest Indian Satellites and Indian gateway, any change or overview of the decision must be taken back to CoS.

"We will have to take a view," she said.

Globally, many airlines are already offering wireless for passengers, however they recently have to modify off the facility when they input the Indian airspace. Availability of wireless may be anticipated to offer local airlines an additional source of revenues amid stiff competition within the fast-growing Indian aviation market.

AirAsia, Air France, British Airways, Egypt Air, Emirates, Air New Zealand, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways and Virgin Atlantic are among 30 airlines that already permit cell phone use on plane.

A separate class of licensees - in-flight provider providers - shall be created for offering such services and products, and licence rate for such niche providers shall be pegged at Re 1.