Reliance Jio approaches DoT for in-flight connectivity licence: Report

Company News

Reliance Jio Infocomm has approached the telecom department for in-flight connectivity licence, that allows service providers to offer connectivity and data services to Indian and foreign airlines, according to sources.

Besides Jio, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has also received a clutch of other applications including those from Ortus Communications, Station Satcom and Cloud Cast Digital, sources privy to the development told PTI.

Reliance Jio, however, declined to comment on a questionnaire sent in this regard.

Sources, meanwhile, said that in some of the cases including that of Ortus Communications, the DoT has sought some clarification on the application submitted.

After the government notified rules for in-flight and maritime mobile phone services in December last year, a number of companies including Bharti Airtel, Hughes Communications India, and Tatanet Services queued up for the said licence.

In February this year, Hughes Communications India (HCIL) became the the first company to be granted the in-flight and maritime connectivity licence in the country. The following month, Tatanet Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nelco, announced that it had obtained in-flight, maritime connectivity licence from the government.

Most recently, the DoT issued a 10-year licence to Bharti Airtel subsidiary Indo Teleports Ltd to provide such services.


According to Euroconsult, over 23,000 commercial aircraft will offer connectivity to their passengers by 2027, up from 7,400 aircraft in 2017.