Airtel joins global alliance to bring in-flight connectivity

Bharti Airtel, India’s largest telecom operator, on Monday said it had joined a global alliance, which will use satellite technology to offer uninterrupted, high-speed internet connectivity to mobile users when they are in a flight.

While in-flight internet access through Wi-Fi is allowed in several countries, it was only last month that the

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) recommended allowing data connectivity on domestic and international flights in India. “Airtel has joined the Seamless Alliance which will usher in a new era of open innovation for mobile operators and airlines by empowering mobile operators to extend their services into airline cabins,” the company said.

The global consortium, which has OneWeb, Airbus, Delta and Sprint among its founding members, will work towards leveraging satellite technology to offer high-speed data connectivity to mobile users even when they are up in the air, it added. The global initiative announced on Monday in Barcelona will also look at bringing into its fold other operators beyond the five founding members. Together, these members hope to "eliminate the immense costs and hurdles commonly associated with acquisition, installation, and operation of data access infrastructure". This will be done by streamlining system integration and certification, providing open specifications for interoperability, increasing accessibility for passengers, and enabling simple and integrated billing, the statement added.