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Tag: in-flight connectivity

  • TRAI stands up to DoT on use of foreign satellites for comms services on aircrafts

    TRAI stands up to DoT on use of foreign satellites for comms services on aircrafts

    NEW DELHI: India’s telecoms and broadcast regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India today stood up again for the lawful right of satellite industry stakeholders. It reiterated that the nation’s policies and guidelines for on- board aircraft communications services like broadband should also allow use of foreign satellites despite Department of Telecoms raising objections on the matter.

    “If we do not allow the foreign aircrafts to provide the MCA (mobile on-board aircraft) services using their satellite and gateways over the Indian airspace, other countries will also not allow the Indian aircrafts to provide

    MCA services while over-flying their jurisdictions,” TRAI justified its stance to DoT as part of clarifications sought by the latter on the regulator’s recommendations on in-flight connectivity services.

    TRAI pointed that though a government panel may have suggested use of Department of Space-approved satellites only with Indian gateways, the in-flight connectivity or IFC services are technically complex withservice providers handling the logistics do so in partnership with foreign mobile service providers having created on-ground facilities for provisioning of MCA.

    “Even if it is assumed that such a facility is created on Indian soil, aircrafts will need to be fitted with pico cell/equipment, which are compatible with one of the Indian TSP (telecom service provider)’s core network. There are several countries where IFC services are already operational and, accordingly, their aircrafts are equipped with pico cell which is connected to the core network of partnering foreign mobile service provider. These airlines certainly won’t be willing to carry out any modification due to the downtime and costs involved. Therefore, for such aircrafts, MCA over the Indian airspace seems feasible only with the existing arrangements in which partnering mobile service provider would be a foreign entity. It may require the use of foreign satellites and gateway, and traffic from aircraft may not be routed through gateway in Indian soil,” TRAI explained, adding that its recommendations have enough in-built safeguards to take care of concerns on India’s security.

    If that was not enough, TRAI, at present helmed by chairman RS Sharma who’s due to superannuate in a few months’ time, categorically said in its response to DoT clarifications that the government panel’s decision to use only satellites approved by DoS with Indian gateways for MCA service was “not implementable”.

    “If the use of foreign satellites and gateways are not permitted for MCA services, it would make the recommendation infructuous”, the regulator emphasized, though admitting that it’s role is recommendatory and the final decision would have to be taken by the government. “With this perspective, the Authority recommended that `use of foreign satellites and gateway would be permitted for the establishment of satellite backhaul links only for the provisioning of MCA services’,” TRAI added.

    On several other objections raised by DoT on suggestions on providing communications services on aircrafts within India airspace, TRAI has stood its ground, reiterating that such bans on foreign satellites and non-Indian gateways could be against international laws and may make the service unviable.

    The full text of TRAI reply to DoT can be found at http://www.trai.gov.in/sites/default/files/RecommendationIFC05062018_0.pdf.

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    TRAI clears path for broadband, voice services aboard planes

  • TRAI clears path for broadband, voice services aboard planes

    TRAI clears path for broadband, voice services aboard planes

    NEW DELHI: Broadband connectivity and making voice calls from 32,000 feet above sea level while flying may soon become a reality over Indian space if broadcast and telecom regulator TRAI’s recommendations are accepted by some other government organisations, including ISRO.

    TRAI, while giving an in-principle green signal to in-flight connectivity (IFC), has suggested use of both domestic and foreign satellite systems for providing such services onboard airplanes and has dangled as an incentive levying of a token annual license fee of Re 1 on the service provider that could be reviewed at a later stage.

    TRAI has also recommended that the gateway for providing the IFC be located in India and that such a deployment will provide an effective mechanism to lawfully intercept and monitor the in-cabin internet traffic while the aircraft is in Indian airspace.

    Pointing out that onboard Internet traffic’s routing must be made obligatory via a satellite gateway on Indian soil, TRAI on Friday in a series of guidelines said, “The IFC service provider should be permitted to use either (Indian) INSAT systems or foreign satellite capacity leased through Department of Space (DOS) or foreign satellites outside INSAT systems in the Indian airspace (coordinated by ITU).”

    The Telecom Ministry had requested TRAI to furnish recommendations on licencing terms and conditions for provision of IFC for voice, data and video services, including those related to entry fee, licence fee and spectrum allocations.

    Making a case for creating and registration with the government a “separate category” for IFC service provider, TRAI said the operation should be permitted with minimum height restriction of 3,000 meters in Indian airspace for its compatibility with terrestrial mobile networks. Internet services through wi-fi onboard should be made available when electronic devices are permitted to use only in flight/ airplane mode, it added highlighting the IFC provider need not necessarily be an Indian entity.

    According to TRAI, the IFC service provider should be permitted to provide services after entering into an arrangement with unified licensee(s) having appropriate government authorisation.

    “If IFC service provider partners with… the licencee (that) also has commercial VSAT CUG service authorisation, it can provide the satellite links also. Alternatively, unified licencee with national long distance service authorisation can provide the satellite links,” the regulator suggested, adding, the regulatory requirements should be same for both India and foreign-registered airlines for offering IFC services in Indian airspace.

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    Some of the other recommendations include the following:

    — Spectrum neutral approach should be adopted, subject to the condition that the frequency bands have been harmonized and coordinated for their use at the ITU.

    — It would facilitate the IFC services in all the bands (L, Ku and Ka) in which IFC services are currently being provided.

    — The framework recommended for IFC services in Indian airspace should be made applicable to all types of aircrafts such as commercial airlines, business jets, executive aircrafts etc.

    — There should not be any difference in the charges to be levied for domestic and foreign airlines in Indian Airspace

    — Satellite operators should be permitted to use of bandwidth already assigned to satellite operators for the use of IFC services also.

    — In case of multiple spot beam satellite, an aircraft may pass through many beams. In such a scenario, DOS should consider not charging for individual beams, but evolve the charging mechanism based upon the actual usage of the bandwidth.

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