NHAI Pushes For Improved Telecom Coverage To Build Digitally Enabled Highways

New Delhi, Jan 6 (KNN) The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has flagged persistent mobile network connectivity gaps across several stretches of the National Highway network and has sought the intervention of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to address the issue.

The authority has urged that appropriate directions be issued to Telecom Service Providers to ensure network availability, particularly along greenfield corridors and highways passing through remote regions.

NHAI has underscored the public safety and strategic importance of reliable digital connectivity on national highways and called for a coordinated and time-bound response.

Following a comprehensive assessment, NHAI has identified 424 locations spanning approximately 1,750 kilometres of national highways as critically affected by the absence of mobile network coverage.

Detailed location-wise data has been compiled and formally shared with DoT and TRAI to facilitate targeted corrective measures.

NHAI noted that large sections of the national highway network traverse rural and remote areas, where inadequate mobile connectivity hampers highway operations, weakens emergency response mechanisms, and affects the delivery of technology-enabled public services.

In a related measure, NHAI has requested TRAI to direct telecom operators to disseminate proactive SMS or flash SMS alerts at geo-mapped accident-prone locations.

These include highway stretches frequently affected by stray cattle movement and other identified hazards. The alerts are intended to reach road users in advance, enabling greater caution and safer driving.

A list of such vulnerable stretches has been shared with the regulator.
Through these initiatives, NHAI has reiterated its commitment to working closely with relevant stakeholders to bridge digital connectivity gaps and enhance safety on national highways.

The authority stated that strengthening mobile network coverage is integral to its broader objective of developing a national highway network that is not only physically integrated but also digitally enabled, safe, and user-centric.

(KNN Bureau)