India's ambitious highway expansion is hitting a major digital roadblock. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has raised a red flag over serious gaps in mobile network connectivity across newly built and remote stretches of the country's vast highway network, calling it a critical threat to public safety.
Digital Black Spots Undermine Safety on Key Corridors
In a significant move, the NHAI has formally sought the intervention of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The authority has requested that they issue directives to telecom service providers to urgently improve coverage. This step underscores a growing concern that poor digital connectivity along crucial transport corridors is hampering road safety, emergency response capabilities, and the delivery of technology-driven public services.
A statement from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways emphasized the public safety implications and strategic importance of the national highway network. It stated that the NHAI has called for a "expeditious and coordinated approach" to bridge this connectivity chasm across all highway corridors.
Scale of the Problem: 424 Locations Across 1,750 Km Identified
The scale of the issue is substantial. Following a comprehensive assessment, the NHAI has pinpointed 424 specific locations spanning approximately 1,750 kilometers of the national highway network as critically affected due to a complete lack of mobile network. Detailed data on these digital dead zones has been compiled and shared with both DoT and TRAI for necessary action. This is a pressing issue for a highway network that now exceeds 1,46,000 km in total length.
Beyond basic coverage, the NHAI has proposed a proactive safety measure. It has asked for directions to be given to telecom operators to disseminate geo-targeted SMS or Flash SMS alerts to users approaching mapped accident-prone zones. These include stretches known for hazards like stray cattle movement. The intent is to warn drivers before they reach these dangerous spots, encouraging safer driving behavior. A specific list of cattle-affected stretches has been shared.
This initiative is crucial in the context of India's grim road safety record. In 2023 alone, the 146,195 km national highway network witnessed 480,583 accidents, leading to 1,72,890 deaths and 4,62,893 serious injuries. This translates to roughly 20 fatalities every hour, the highest such figures globally, causing immense human and economic loss.
Experts Suggest NHAI Should Become a "Neutral Host"
While regulatory nudges to telecom companies are seen as a first step, some experts believe a more structural solution is needed. Satya N. Gupta, a former principal advisor at TRAI, suggested that the NHAI itself could act as a "neutral host." This model would involve the NHAI laying down shared passive infrastructure like optical fiber cables and tower mounting structures along the highways. Telecom operators would then simply install their equipment on this common infrastructure to provide services.
"While DoT and Trai can ask the operators to take action, a solution that can work is that NHAI itself can become a neutral host," Gupta explained. The NHAI could charge operators a fee for using this infrastructure, with rates potentially fixed by the telecom regulator.
A senior TRAI official confirmed that the regulator's objective is to facilitate better coverage. "Trai's efforts would be to facilitate provision of coverage. The regulator will communicate the connectivity issues on highways to the operators," the official said. However, the official also noted that commercial viability and right-of-way (RoW) permissions for laying infrastructure are key factors for operators.
Some industry voices point to a missed opportunity during highway construction itself. A highway developer, speaking anonymously, said the NHAI should have integrated telecom ducting and infrastructure during the building phase, ensuring connectivity was live before traffic began. This would have averted the current situation where large, operational stretches lack any communication network.
The NHAI asserts that its push to fix connectivity gaps aligns with its commitment to ensure highways are not just physically well-connected but also digitally enabled. P.C. Grover, director general of the National Highway Builders Federation, called it a "very vital initiative, to take connectivity to the remotest corners of country and connect public with road network meaningfully."
The issue has already caught TRAI's attention. In a recent consultation paper on spectrum auctions, the regulator noted it had received consumer complaints about mobile black spots on highways and train routes. It has even questioned whether the government's current approach to network roll-out obligations needs modification in the public interest.
