India may permit in-flight Internet by August
According to reports, the Centre will most probably permit in-flight internet on flights in India by August end. Lalit Gupta, joint DG, Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the Department of Telecommunications is yet to provide clearances for the same. He further added that Indian carriers Jet Airways and SpiceJet are expecting deliveries of the Wi-Fi fitted 'Boeing 737 MAX' by mid-2018.
Regulations on in-flight internet in India
Currently, passengers have to switch their mobile data and Wi-Fi off before taking off and while flying in the Indian airspace, where internet access in flights is banned for security reasons.
What do passengers want?
Global consultant Roland Berger conducted a study recently, the findings of which reveal that more and more passengers want to be able to access the internet in flights. British satellite telecom company Inmarsat too, conducted a survey in 2016 and found that 92% passengers want in-flight broadband. The survey further revealed that approximately 83% passengers choose airlines on the basis of internet availability.
Indian Railways to provide on-board entertainment for passengers
Indian Railways will now offer content-on-demand services to passengers, which will enable them to stream their movies and TV shows while travelling.