Does your work get delayed because you cannot access internet while flying? Or does boredom hit you because you are unable to browse your favourite social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat? The Economic Times reported that in a year’s time, you can access internet onboard a plane.
While in-flight connectivity is currently available only for defence personnel, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and International Mobile Satellite Organization (Inmarsat) will make this privilege available to all Indian passengers. This comes amid the fight for being the top service provider by major telecom companies.
However, internet-based calls using WiFi will still not be allowed. Foreign airlines have been offering in-flight WiFi services on both domestic and international destinations.
How will it work?
Flyers will be able to access the internet through a Wi-Fi router, which will be facilitated through antennas that will connect it to the nearest satellite. BSNL has received an approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) and the tariff plans will be rolled out after completion of regulatory approvals.
State-run BSNL’s chairman Anupam Shrivastava told the newspaper: “In about a year’s time, we will open satellite phone services to private companies and persons, as well as offer Internet facility on flights and ships.”
“Inmarsat has already installed their equipment on our premises after being tested for law enforcement,” a top BSNL official told the business daily. The company is the “sole licensee to provide satellite services.”
Security agencies recently gave their approval for in-flight Wi-Fi with safeguards, enabling flyers to access emails and data onboard.
However, would this enable terrorists to hack into the aircraft’s system? Apprehensions of terror attacks have been raised, along with the threat that terrorists can communicate with each other or with their on-ground leaders.
BSNL’s satellite gateway
BSNL and Inmarsat on 24 May officially opened a new Indian GSPS gateway to enable the government and the private sector customers to access satellite phone services through Inmarsat's fourth generation constellation.
This would enable the government to provide secure communications to defence services, commercial entreprises, the maritime industry and India's remotest communities. Now, it will add one for facility through this partnership.
Satellite phones will able to work in any part of the country, even inside flights and ships, as they depend on signals directly from satellites located about 35,700 kms above the earth.
Traditional mobile networks cover around 25-30 kms around towers and can transmit signals to phones placed equal to or below the height of the tower.
The service will cover areas where no networks are present and be provided by INMARSAT, which has 14 satellites.
Call rates on satellite phones are expected to be in the range of Rs 30-35 in the first phase when there are only about 4,600 connections in the country.
Telecom regulator Trai has said there is a possibility that communication through such phones can be monitored by foreign agencies as their gateways are located outside India.
In-flight facilities
The initiative gains popularity as currently, no Indian airline offers internet services due to regulations. Air India may soon provide in-flight Wi-Fi service on its Airbus A-320 planes, reported Medianama.
Prior to this, Jet Airways had rolled out a service — JetScreen — that would enable flyers to watch movies, access games and music on their personal devices through their Wi-Fi. This facility is available on six domestic Boeing 737 flights which includes Delhi-Mumbai routes and is available across its 75 aircrafts, the report added. However, this would not enable users to browse internet on their electronic devices.
Vistara, too, announced a similar service, enabling passengers to access entertainment portals on their smartphones.
How will be different from the Wi-Fi provided by Indian Railways?
Over the past 10 years, Indian Railways has actively endeavoured to provide Wi-Fi services in train stations as well as inside the trains. In 2016, Google partnered with the Railways to provide Wi-Fi across 19 train stations. However, when we talk about internet services, in particular, there has been little- to no progress.