No Wi-Fi at Kolkata airport since November, international flyers land in digital death zone
KOLKATA: Visitors flying into Kolkata from abroad are facing significant connectivity issues upon landing at the airport, with no Wi-Fi service available since Nov last year. And, with no SIM card retail outlet in the arrival lounge, this means those without international roaming services are unable to connect with their hosts upon reaching the city or book an app cab or access their travel documents and hotel bookings.
Airport officials say they are aware of the problem and trying their best to restore Wi-Fi but a tender floated to rope in an internet service provider is yet to get a favourable response. 'We will also speak to the agency manning retail shops inside the airport to see if it is feasible to have a SIM card retail counter,' said a senior airport official.
Internationally, flyers can log into airport Wi-Fi free for 45 minutes by providing passport number and email.
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Ankur Upadhyay, who recently returned home from the UK, took to X to express his anguish. 'Landed at Kolkata airport only to be stranded without any Wi-Fi and internet! Couldn't even go to my pre-booked hotel as I didn't have any internet access to get an Uber! I didn't have any Indian SIM card! What kind of 'international' airport has no internet? Had a smooth transition in Doha airport earlier! How can we compete with places like Dubai and Doha when we can't even provide a basic airport need of Wi-Fi to passengers? Shockingly out of touch!' wrote Upadhyay, who pursues doctoral research at University of Warwick .
Another passenger, Shayak Chakraborty, too expressed his disappointment on X last month: 'It's unfortunate that NSC Bose Int'l Airport, Kolkata (CCU) has no Wi-Fi for passengers in the departure & arrival area of the international terminal... Please look into it.' Several travel bloggers, too have also highlighted the connectivity issue.
Previously, even when Wi-Fi was available at the airport, international passengers without local mobile numbers were unable to log in.
AAI airports nationwide offer 45 minutes of complimentary Wi-Fi, requiring Indian mobile numbers for authentication. International visitors are required to obtain OTP credentials from airport help desks by presenting their passport and tickets. However, Kolkata airport lacks proper guidance and signage for this service.
'Once Wi-Fi is restored, we will solve this issue as well with help desks at prominent places with appropriate signage,' said the official.
According to an official, AAI's tender for Wi-Fi service rights at Kolkata airport offers a five-year contract with a possible two-year extension based on performance. 'We have floated a new tender but are yet to get a vendor yet. Under the proposed contract, passengers will be entitled to 45 minutes of free Wi-Fi per day at a minimum speed of 5 Mbps and with a data cap of 500 MB. Beyond this threshold, standard internet tariffs will apply,' he said adding that the vendor would be required to deploy robust cybersecurity measures, ensure 180-day log retention and provide access logs to law enforcement agencies upon request.
'We have set a July 31 deadline by when we intend to solve this issue.'
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