



Airtel’s network trials begin, but pricing dispute still clouds Navi Mumbai airport connectivity
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. MUMBAI , NEW DELHI : Telecom operator Bharti Airtel has begun testing mobile signals at the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), two people familiar with the development said, signalling progress on cellular connectivity at the facility that was inaugurated in late December. The development assumes significance as billionaire Gautam Adani’s newest airport has been operating for over a month without network coverage from private telecom operators, causing persistent connectivity issues for passengers.
“Bharti Airtel has commenced signal testing at the airport NMIA to evaluate the viability of providing mobile network services," said one of the people cited above. “NMIA has experienced that the test signals are working smoothly in various sections of the terminal where ‘Proof of Concept’ trials are underway. The airport will continue to monitor signal efficacy for a few more days." Meanwhile, Vodafone Idea has brought its testing equipment to the airport and is also expected to begin network signal trials, a second person said.
Reliance Jio, however, has not yet started such testing. While Airtel has started signal testing, passengers will be able to get the operator’s network only after both the telecom operator and the airport agree on commercial terms. Disagreements over pricing have been the key reason for delays in rolling out mobile connectivity from private operators at the airport.
Queries emailed to Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, Reliance Jio and NMIA did not elicit any response till press time. Telecom operators, represented by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), have sought the government’s and the telecom regulator’s intervention to resolve the issue. They
. Read on livemint.com