Soon, you can make calls while flying 

Soon, you can make calls while flying 

Context

Flyers in India, as well as those flying over the country, may soon be able to make voice calls and remain connected to the Internet even when on board an aircraft as the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on Friday recommended allowing in-flight connectivity in Indian airspace.

TRAI recommends facility

• Currently, flyers are not allowed to use mobile phones and Internet within the Indian airspace due to security concerns
• While the government has been considering the issue for almost two years, with the latest TRAI recommendation, flyers will be able to check emails, send and receive WhatsApp messages and post statuses and photos on social networking sites.

TRAI’s view

• People today are increasingly accustomed to stay connected anywhere, 24/7 – driven by the need to keep in touch with family, enjoy entertainment and maintain critical business communications
• The demand for in-flight Internet access is driven by millions of smart phones, tablets and laptop computers.
• About, 83% of passengers would prefer to fly with an airline offering in-flight connectivity and over half (55%) of all in-flight connectivity users have connected more than one device, a survey found