NEWS RELEASE

Port Louis: Aeronautical Mobile Satellite Service (AMSS) may now be operated on board Mauritian Aircraft and on aircraft in flight in Mauritian airspace following a decision by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority on 4 October 2010.

The decision follows a public consultation launched on 17 May 2010. The ICT Authority based its decision on the responses it received from stakeholders and on the advice of the Civil Aviation Department, which figured amongst the respondents to the consultation.

The decision requires any owner of an aircraft registered in Mauritius or flying in the Mauritian airspace to  adhere to a set of stringent regulatory conditions as set out in the  Authority’s decision which can be viewed on the Authority’s website http://www.icta.mu (Section on Publications and ICT Laws).

Among the necessary conditions before AMSS equipment may be installed and operated on board of Mauritian registered aircraft is that the equipment must be type approved by the ICT Authority.

In addition, the AMSS system provider shall ensure that its system operates strictly in compliance with the any limits established by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

AMSS networks have been designed to provide in-flight data such as access to Internet on board aircraft and entertainment content to passengers and operators of commercial and business aircraft.

The Decision by the ICT Authority is in line with its functions under section 18 (1)(p) of the ICT Act 2001, namely that the Authority, “allocate frequencies and manage, review and, where appropriate, reorganize the frequency spectrum.”

Under section 16(g) of the ICT Act 2001,  one of the objects of the Authority is to “further the advancement of technology, research and development relating to information and communication technologies through modern and effective infrastructure taking into account the convergence of information technology, media, telecommunications, and consumer electronics”.

By releasing the decision on AMSS, the Authority is opening the avenues of ICT services, based on new technologies, in Mauritius, in line with the said mandate.

04 November 2010