In-Flight Mobile Services: Telecom Commission Gives Nod For Making Calls, Browsing Internet During Air Travel

You may soon be able to make calls during flights. As per reports, the Telecom Commission is supposed to discuss about the possibility of using mobile phones during flights in a meeting scheduled to be held today, that is, on May 1.

Written by: India.com News Desk

Updated: May 1, 2018, 6:13 PM IST

Share

Share Article

• Facebook
• WhatsApp
• X
• Email
• Telegram
• Linkedin

https://www.india.com/news/india/telecom-commission-gives-nod-for-making-calls-browsing-internet-in-flight-3029560/ Copy

New Delhi, May 1: The Telecom Commission headed by Aruna Sundararajan on Tuesday approved the much-awaited proposal allowing flyers to facilitate both voice and data calls and date surfing in domestic and international aircraft in India.

“Almost all recommendations by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on this have been accepted. We are expediting the process (to start) and within 3-4 months it should be ready. We will be operationalising this decision immediately,” Sundararajan  told reporters after the meeting today.

Furthermore she stated,”We have to create a separate category of licencee, called In-Flight Connectivity Provider. This will also be applicable for ships. Re 1 will be the token licence fee. It is applicable above 3,000 metres.”

Confirming the development, Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu said,”Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) allowed the use of mobile phones for both voice and data services in the Indian airspace in domestic & International flights. They will be notifying the final draft which will take 3 months time.”

Besides, accepting the proposal for in-flight connectivity, the Telecom Commission also approved TRAI’s  recommendations for creation of a telecom ombudsman to deal with telecom grievances.

As per a report of PTI, the ombudsman will be set up under TRAI and will require amendment to the TRAI Act. Nearly 10 million grievances are received per quarter in telecom sector, she said adding the new mechanism of ombudsman will lead to a better and satisfactory consumer grievance redressal system.

The panel also approved the decision on internet telephony.  “It will be operationalising it immediately. We expect that this will give a fillip to voie telephony through the data networks,” the telecom secretary said.

(With agency inputs)