The Telecom Commission on Wednesday approved the proposal to allow in-flight wi-fi And Calling services on domestic and international flights in India.

Passengers will be able to better utilize their time spent travelling. They will be able to stream videos online, answer E-mails, catch up on pending work and make calls at 30000 feet in the air.

But at what cost?

According to the proposal approved by the Telecom Commission, the prices of these services will be decided by the airlines and the service provider.

Countries that have allowed airlines to use these services charge around $4.5 for using 10 MB internet data. Domestic airlines expect that the use of internet services in India would cost a passenger between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 on a 60-minute flight.

Below are some of the reasons why In-Flight internet and Calling services will be expensive –

• Unique antennas will be installed on the airplane which will increase the drag of the aircraft. This will mean that the aircraft will consume more fuel and add to the fuel costs.
• Installing this equipment on every plane will be a costly affair for airlines and they will have to spend between $400,000 to $600,000.
• Engineering and Maintenance of equipment will also add to the cost

The airlines will pass on all this cost to the passengers. This means the cost of Wi-Fi services will be much higher than what consumers pay for 4G data available on mobile and public Wi-Fi networks on the ground.

In fact, in some cases, the use of in-flight Wi-Fi and calling services may cost more than your flight ticket.

Airlines like American Airlines, Aeroflot, Air Asia, Air France, British Airways and Emirates provide in-flight Wi-Fi services, but they charge handsomely.

According to eDreams, an online travel agency, the charges for In-Flight Wi-Fi usage may cost Rs 3350 for 150 MB on Aeroflot, Rs 302 for 10 MB on Air Asia, Rs 2412 for 200 MB on Air France, Rs 2144 for whole journey on British Airways, and Rs 1071 for 500 MB on Emirates.