In-Flight internet plans for India up in the air

Indians were told to expect a decision allowing them to update their Facebook status and send WhatsApp messages from 35,000 feet as early as September. Instead, they’ve been kept in a holding pattern because of security concerns. Delays gaining regulatory approval for WiFi in Indian airspace aren’t dissuading satellite operator Inmarsat, which said it’s talking preemptively to carriers, including Jet Airways and the local unit of Singapore Airlines, about enabling connectivity on their flights. “We are keeping a very keen eye on movement around the regulatory environment,” said Rash Jhanjee, a director for airline market development for India, Middle East and Africa at Inmarsat. “The Indian consumer, the average business user on these planes, is now expecting connectivity on the ground as well as in the air.” Civil Aviation Secretary R.N. Choubey said there is “a fairly good chance” permission to operate Wi-Fi in Indian airspace would be given in about 10 days. That was on Aug. 24, yet officials are no closer to pinpointing a start date. Meantime, all airlines have to disable Wi-Fi access when flying over India, Facebook’s biggest market -- a rule foreign airlines have lobbied to have abolished. India’s Home Ministry has expressed concern that in-flight WiFi may pose a security threat because of difficulty tracking voice and data usage from the air, and others have questioned whether there would be a market for the service in a nation where discounted base fares start at just 2 cents.<br/>