BSNL has got nod from Airports Authority of India (AAI) to provide Wi-Fi services at all 125 airports.
The installation of Wi-Fi services is a major shift by AAI as majority of airports presently do not provide Wi-Fi services.
The AAI’s CAB has recommended that BSNL may be allowed to provide Wi-Fi services at various AAI airports. In the first stage, BSNL will be allowed to provide Wi-Fi service at those airports where presently there are no Wi-Fi services. With respect to Wi-Fi rates, BSNL will be asked to charge the rates provided by ministry of civil aviation (MoCA).
AAI manages a total of 125 Airports, which include – 14 international airports, 8 customs airports, 81 domestic airports and 25 civil enclaves at defence airfields. The international airports include: Srinagar, Amritsar, Jaipur, Lucknow, Varanasi, Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Port Blair, Calicut, Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli and Thiruvanathapuram.
According to industry experts, BSNL is co-ordinating with all airport directors for installing Wi-Fi equipment at AAI airports. BSNL is planning to provide Wi-Fi services at majority of the airports before March 2016.