The Govt of India on Tuesday has approved a mechanism that will now allow one to make use of smartphones once the aircraft achieves a height of 3,000 meters.
The services can be rolled out over a period of next 3-4 months, informed Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan to the media.
The Telecom Commission, the highest decision-making body in the Department of Telecom, on Tuesday also approved a mechanism to better address subscriber complaints and wider availability of broadband services through public WiFi hotspots.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)'s recommendations on encouraging telecom companies to offer WiFi based calling services were also approved.
The new services will come at a far higher cost than on-ground rates, analysts said. Sundararajan said market forces will determine the prices for consumers.
A per-minute call can range from Rs 125 to Rs 150 for domestic flights since airlines will have to invest millions of dollars to provide the services, depending on commercial factors, stated reports. However, the services will allow local airlines to compete with international rivals and will provide an additional revenue stream in an intensely competitive market, experts said.
