In-flight connectivity set to be reality soon

Girja Shankar Kaura

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 19

In-flight connectivity, net neutrality and regulatory framework for internet telephony would be some of the issues that the Telecom Commission (TC) would discuss when it meets here in early May.

Officials said the TC was expected to meet on the very first day of the month and may also set up some panels to seek views on the various other issues that it may discuss.

The Telecom Commission, headed by the Secretary of the Department of Telecom (DoT), is the highest decision-making body of the Ministry of Telecommunications.

Officials said besides in-flight connectivity, net neutrality and regulatory framework for internet telephony, the TC may also discuss administrative allocation of spectrum bands E and V, ease of doing business, cloud services and machine to machine communication.

In-flight connectivity, as of now, is not allowed in the country, but with the advancement in technology there has been an all round demand for allowing it. Stakeholders like the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Union Home Ministry, External Affairs Ministry and the Air Safety Regulator have all given their approvals to allow in-flight connectivity and once the TC clears this proposal it would become a reality.

Already some of the foreign airlines are allowing in-flight connectivity after the technology was tested successfully over the years.

Telecom regulator TRAI has already barred telecom service providers from charging differential rates for data services.

Reports said setting up of a regulatory framework for internet telephony, a service that already has the nod of the regulator, would also be discussed. If the DoT accepts TRAI’s recommendations, internet calls would be possible to any instrument without the users needing to download any app.

Compensation for delays, cancellations 

• Air travellers could be paid a compensation of up to Rs 20,000 for flight delays and cancellations and Rs 5,000 for being denied boarding, a draft passenger charter has proposed
• The charter, framed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, is expected to be placed in public domain soon following a final round of meeting with the stakeholders, officials said
• The draft proposal includes full refund if the delay is over six hour