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Nok Air To Offer WiFi On Board
4th Jun 2014
Passengers flying with Nok Air will now get to enjoy broadband connectivity while cruising at high altitude following the recent approval of the airline's application from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC).
The budget carrier applied for a Type 1 license from the NBTC to allow them to offer in-flight broadband service to their customers.
The approval by the telecom regulator makes Nok Air the second Thai carrier to offer WiFi service on board after NBTC granted similar request to Nok Air's parent airline, Thai Airways International.
The granting of the application for such service offering has a provision that requires an airline applicant to start providing the service within the year of approval. Otherwise, it will expire and the applicant has to reapply again and shall follow the same procedure.
The license has a 5-year validity period after which it will expire and the applicant has to reapply again for another 5-year service license.
The Type 1 license is granted to airline operators who have no in-house telecom network. The fee is usually calculated at 0.25% of the total annual revenue and a universal service obligation fee, which is usually pegged at 3.75%.
The WiFi service shall be handled by Thaicom Plc, a telecommunications provider, and Global Eagle Entertainment Inc, a US-based satellite-based in-flight WiFi provider.
Airlines are scrambling to offer unique in-flight service to outsmart each other, but WiFi seems to be the battleground at the moment to attract the technology-crazed customers. So far, only Thai Airways and Nok Air offer in-flight WiFi service among Thai carriers.
However, rival airlines are already at various stages of development with their own broadband service offering. Thai AirAsia, for example, is almost done with the installation of its satellite-based WiFi facility aboard its fleet of A320 jets which is targeted to finish before the end of this year.
Korkij Danchaivichit, NBTC Vice Secretary General, made it clear that only airline companies registered in Thailand could be granted a Type 1 license.
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