Wi-Fi in Indian skies: TRAI norms soon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 13

Telecom regulator TRAI plans to issue recommendations for use of Wi-Fi services during flights by the year-end which would make in-flight connectivity a reality in India like some of the other countries.

The TRAI will set the broad parameters of rules for in-flight connectivity which at the moment is barred within Indian air space and domestic airlines.

“Recommendations on in-flight connectivity will come out by the year-end, which is in next 15 days,” TRAI Chairman RS Sharma said on the sidelines of an industry event.“In-flight connectivity will be allowed, and recommendations will set the broad parameters for that,” he added.

Sharma declined to divulge more, but said “the broad point is that in-flight connectivity shall be allowed”.

Also, the regulator will “soon” provide its inputs to the telecom department on the proposed New Telecom Policy (NTP), which is currently in the works.

TRAI has formed four working groups to discuss various aspects of the NTP, including licensing, infrastructure, and broadband, among others.

On the open sky policy, Sharma said while the policy mandated that the service provider or anyone that wants to provide broadband will be able to contract satellite operators, there were still some “deficiencies” in the system.