Soon Make Phone Calls From Within Your Flight: Law Ministry To Clear In-Flight Connectivity Norms 

Department of Telecommunication is waiting for Law Ministry’s nod for in-flight connectivity norms and will notify the rules once it gets approved, announced Communications Minister Manoj Sinha. The Law Ministry may provide approval in a week.

Sinha added, “We have asked the approval of the Law Ministry for the in-flight connectivity norms. I hope that we would receive the clearance in 7-10 days and once it is cleared we would notify the norms.”

Earlier on 1 May, Telecom commission gave approval for in-flight connectivity which will facilitate both voice and data calls, and also data surfing.

A telecommunication official said the Communications Ministry wants the global convention to be followed in our country in respect of whether the coverage of in-flight connectivity should be up to territorial waters or extend to Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Territorial waters extends up to 12 nautical miles which is around 22 km from the coastal line of the country and EEZ covers up to 200 nautical miles which is 370.4 km.

“Once DoT issues the notification, which hopefully should happen immediately, then we will sit across with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and then decide what should be the time-frame for moving forward,” the official said.