Improving Mobile Network Connectivity on Highways Essential for Safety, Public Services: NHAI

The National Highways Authority of India, under the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, has urged the Department of Telecommunications and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to take up the matter of inconsistent mobile network reception along national highways. It has called for telecom service providers to improve connectivity. Calling this a matter of public safety, it has also requested the relevant government authorities to issue directives and ensure an “expeditious and coordinated approach” to rectifying this issue. 

In a government circular published today, the NHAI says it has conducted a study of mobile network reception along approximately 1,750km of national highways running across India, and has identified 424 areas where connectivity is poor or not available at all. These areas are predominantly in greenfield and remote rural locations. Details of the study results have been compiled and shared with the DoT and TRAI. 

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Aside from the safety of travellers in such areas, the NHAI says a lack of mobile phone network coverage negatively impacts highway operations, public services, and emergency responders. 

In addition, the NHAI has called for telecom operators to be required to disseminate proactive alerts to drivers who are about to enter accident-prone stretches of highways, based on a list of such areas already shared with the TRAI. Such areas can be geofenced based on known hazard conditions such as cattle movement. The agency says this will encourage safer driving behavior.