Vistara is expected to become the first airline to offer inflight connectivity in the country. The facility will soon be launched by Vistara Airlines, a joint venture between Tata and Singapore Airlines. The airline has tied up with Nelco, another Tata group company. Airlines will currently provide only data services. However, WhatsApp call can be done through Over the Top (OTT). Telecom Secretary Anshu Prakash said that enough spectrum has been allocated to implement this facility. He informed that Vistara and Nelco have also taken transponders on satellite from Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to provide this facility to the passengers.
'They brought us the demand for spectrum allocation which we have fulfilled. There is a possibility of starting this service from their side soon. The Telecom Secretary informed that under Flight and Maritime Connectivity Rules 2018, airlines can provide both voice and data services to passengers. These rules were notified by the government in December 2018. But Vistaar is currently starting with Data Services. As far as fixing the tariff for Wi-Fi services during the flight is concerned, the Telecom Secretary said that the government will not regulate the tariff.
'It will depend on what tariff they decide. Airlines may also offer some add-on services. But whether she will charge for it or not or how much she will charge is for them to decide. Tata Sons has 51% stake in Vistara. The remaining stake is with Singapore Airlines. Last month, Nelco had talked about starting the Inflight Data Connectivity service in January. But the company did not announce the airline's name then. In March this year, Nelco obtained a license from the Department of Telecommunications to offer Inflight and Maritime connectivity services. According to government regulations, these services can be used only after the minimum height of 3000 meters in Indian air range.
