The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has sought urgent intervention from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to address persistent mobile network connectivity gaps across several stretches of National Highways, particularly in greenfield and remote areas.
In a communication to DoT and TRAI, NHAI highlighted the public safety risks and strategic importance of ensuring reliable mobile connectivity along highway corridors. It called for coordinated and time-bound directions to telecom service providers to improve network coverage on these critical stretches.
As part of a comprehensive assessment, NHAI has identified 424 locations spanning around 1,750 km of the National Highway network where mobile connectivity is either poor or completely unavailable. Detailed information on these affected stretches has been shared with DoT and TRAI for necessary action.
NHAI noted that many national highways pass through remote and rural regions, where the absence of dependable mobile networks hampers highway operations, weakens emergency response systems, and disrupts the delivery of technology-enabled public services to road users.
In addition, the authority has requested TRAI to direct telecom operators to issue 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 motorists in advance, enabling timely caution and promoting safer driving behaviour. NHAI has also shared a list of accident-prone stretches impacted by stray cattle with TRAI.
By seeking focused intervention to bridge mobile connectivity gaps and strengthen safety measures, NHAI reiterated its commitment to working closely with all stakeholders to ensure that national highways are not only physically well connected but also digitally enabled. The initiative aligns with NHAI’s broader objective of providing safe, efficient and user-centric highway infrastructure across the country.
