Panel to take up telecom issues today

Telecom Commission, the highest decision making body in the Department of Telecommunications, is likely to discuss key issues, including in-flight connectivity and net neutrality, at its meeting on Tuesday.

The panel may also take up for examination the need for an ombudsman to address grievances of consumers. TRAI had submitted its recommendations on the most of the issues to be taken up on Tuesday. The method for allocation spectrum bands, E and V, which are capable of transmitting data at 1000 megabit per second, is expected to be taken up for approval.

Currently, flyers are not allowed to use mobile phones and Internet within the Indian airspace due to security concerns. If in-flight connectivity is approved, flyers in India as well as those flying over the country will be able to make voice calls and remain connected to the Internet even when on board an aircraft.

On the long-pending issue of net neutrality, the regulator in its recommendation in November last year had said that the service providers should be restricted from entering into any arrangement that has the effect of discriminatory treatment based on content, sender or receiver, protocols or user equipment.

In addition, a discussion is also likely on topics such as ease of doing business, machine to machine communication and regulatory framework for internet telephony.