A US Based ISP - HCIL becomes First Company to Receive FMC License in India : The Cream Data will be going to US from the Air in the Air …!!!

We are in the Era of Internet and often express our frustration for a poor or no connectivity. Ideally Indian flight passengers also facing the same problem when they are in air. Indian telecom now have a solution for the Air passengers.

The Ministry of Law and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) have given clearance and Flight & Maritime Connectivity licence to Hughes Communications India (HCIL),that authorizes it to offer high-quality broadband services in ships and aircraft, within Indian territory.

With this, HCIL becomes the first company to be granted the Flight and Maritime Connectivity (FMC) licence in India by the telecom department, after the government notified rules for in-flight, maritime mobile phone services in December last year. Experts believe that since HCIL received the license, internet connectivity inside flight would be available from April-May 2019.

HCIL is a subsidiary of US-based broadband network and services provider EchoStar. "The first company to be granted the FMC licence in India, HCIL is now authorised to provide in-flight connectivity and high-quality broadband services to Indian and foreign airlines and shipping companies operating within Indian territory," HCIL said in a statement.

The internet services will be allowed through Wi-Fi onboard. For calling services, the airplane/flight mode on the phone will have to be kept off. At present, no Indian carrier has Wi-Fi facility on board. According to a report, the company has established a base mobility platform and is in talks to enhance the services in India. The Flight and Maritime Connectivity (FMC) licence has been granted for a decade. HCIL would pay spectrum charges based on the revenue it generates from enabling Internet across airlines and maritime operators.

Besides domestic flights, TRAI also suggested allowing international airlines to offer voice and data services last year. Telecom Commission had accepted all the suggestions except to allow foreign satellites and gateways to provide connectivity in aircraft.

Once the alliances with airlines are in place, travellers will be able to stay connected during a flight with internet access and possibly also have voice services through apps during air travel within Indian territory, the source said.

The FMC licence has been granted for a period of 10 years, and HCIL will pay spectrum charges based on revenue earned from providing these services, which can be delivered using both satellites and telecom networks on the ground.

HCIL will provide FMC services in India operating over domestic and foreign satellites permitted by the Department of Space, the statement said.

Since the policy was first published by regulatory authorities in mid-December 2018, it has generated a lot of interest from India's maritime and airline industries and HCIL looks forward to supporting them in the rapidly growing opportunity for in-flight and maritime connectivity services, the statement said.

Commenting on the development, Partho Banerjee, President & Managing Director at Hughes Communications India said on a report "We stand ready operationally to initiate high quality broadband services for both airlines and maritime operators, including having the availability of ubiquitous satellite coverage across Indian airspace and territorial waters".

According to Euroconsult, over 23,000 commercial aircraft will offer connectivity to their passengers by 2027, up from 7,400 aircraft in 2017. Over 44,242 ships are equipped with Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) in 2018, double the last recorded number in 2013, the Hughes statement said citing data by Comsys.