Make calls and browse internet on planes - Fusion - WeRIndia

It is always convenient for people to be able to make phone calls whenever they can. Nowadays, an even bigger and more important convenience is the ability to browse the internet anywhere at any time.

However, in India, it has not been possible for people to do either of those things while traveling on an aircraft. People would have to board their aircraft and wait for hours to browse the internet or make phone calls while they flew to their destination.

They would not even be able to look something up until their aircraft would come down to land. However, the government has realized the incredible inconvenience of this situation, and the rules about phone calls and internet surfing on aircrafts are now being changed.

Recently, the government cleared a much-awaited proposal that allows people to make phone calls and use internet services while on aircrafts. The services should be rolled out over the next 3 to 4 months. Aruna Sundararajan, the Secretary of Telecommunication, heads the high-powered inter-ministerial Telecom Commission.

The Telecom Commission approved the move that will allow people to still be able to use their smartphones once an aircraft reaches a height of 3,000 meters. Now, people won’t have to wait for hours before they can call someone or look something up on their phones.

Sundararajan has said that the services will be rolled out over the next 3 to 4 months because arrangements still have to be made with airlines, telecom companies, and other intermediaries who are involved in this process.

Earlier, this measure had been approved by Trai, a telecom regulator. It is expected that consumers will need to pay certain additional tariffs for availing their in-flight connectivity.

However, telecom companies may offer bundled packages to their customers, in order to attract frequent fliers. Now, thanks to the approval of the Telecom Commission, people will be able to make phone calls and use the internet whenever they want to while flying to their destination.

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