Trai's in-flight connectivity recommendations this month

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) will come out with its much-awaited recommendations on allowing in-flight connectivity by December-end, said a top official on Wednesday.

"Recommendations on in-flight connectivity to come out by year end or next 15 days," Trai Chairman R S Sharma told reporters on the sidelines of an event organised by Broadband India Forum.

"In-flight connectivity will be allowed, recommendations will set the broad parameters for that," he said.

Following the increasing demand for in-flight connectivity (IFC), Trai in September issued a consultation paper and asked the industry stakeholders' view.

"Which of the following IFC services be permitted in India?   a) Internet services b) Mobile Communication services (MCA service) c) Both, Internet and MCA," the paper asked.

Sharma also said the sector regulator is planning to submit its view on the New Telecom Policy (NTP) to the Department of Telecommunications soon. The government plans to come out with the first draft by the year-end and final policy by March 2018.

Trai has created four working groups to chalk out points for the New Telecom Policy.

"The regulator has already held various rounds of discussions - both internally and with the telecom department, which is working on the new policy," he said.

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

"That, we will need to work out," he said while ruling out a separate consultation paper on the same.  The new telecom policy will exemplify all those issues, he added.