Trai releases consultation paper on data communication services between aircraft, ground stations

Comments on the issues raised in the consultation paper are invited from stakeholders by January 9, 2023, and counter comments by January 23, 2023.

According to a statement from the ministry of communications, the department of telecommunication (DoT), through its letter dated on April 12, 2022, had stated that (very high frequency) VHF data link services consist of the data for tracking the aircraft for the safety of flights.

The ministry of communications has made frequency assignments to Societe Internationale de TelecommunicationsAeronautique (SITA) and Bird Consultancy Services (BCS) to operate VHF data communication link between aircraft and ground stations.

Considering that VHF data link services to provide Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting (ACAR) service can be beneficial to track aircraft on a real-time basis and help investigations/ search and rescue operations in the unfortunate event of aviation disaster, DoT has requested Trai under the terms of TRAI Act, 1997, (as amended) to provide recommendations, according to the statement.

An appropriate mechanism to regulate the services provided by these organisations and the manner in which the frequency assignment should be made to these organisations -- in light of the Supreme Court judgment made in the 2G case in 2012 -- to assign radio frequencies only through auction were some of these recommendations.

In this regard, a consultation paper on 'Data Communication Services Between Aircraft and Ground Stations Provided by Organisations Other Than Airports Authority of India', seeking inputs from stakeholders have been placed on Trai's website (trai.gov.in). Written comments on the issues raised in the consultation paper are invited from stakeholders by January 9, 2023, and counter comments by January 23, 2023. Comments or counter-comments may be sent, preferably in electronic form at advmn@trai.gov.in, according to the statement. (ANI)