On 3 April 2019 Inmarsat, a leader in global mobile satellite communications, announced that its Indian telecommunications partner, BSNL, had received an In-Flight and Maritime Connectivity (IFMC) licence from the Government of India’s Department of Telecommunications.

Issuing of the licence marks a major step for Inmarsat’s services in the Indian connectivity market. It is understood that BSNL is now approved to offer IFMC services, which will include Inmarsat’s Global Xpress (Ka-band) and SwiftBroadband and FleetBroadband (L-band) services, to Indian airlines operating within and outside India, as well as foreign airlines transiting through Indian airspace, and shipping companies operating within Indian waters.

Inmarsat and BSNL are expected to commence services later this year once the ground infrastructure and associated approvals are in place.