The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is reportedly set to initiate groundwork to identify and structure spectrum for connected car technologies, as the government moves towards mandating vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication by the end of 2026.
The development follows an announcement by the union road transport and highways minister that V2V systems will be made mandatory to enhance road safety, supported by dedicated spectrum allocation. The Department of Telecommunications has, in principle, agreed to earmark 30 megahertz of spectrum in the 5.875-5.905 gigahertz band for such applications. TRAI is expected to frame detailed usage guidelines and explore suitable licensing models.
The initiative centres on equipping vehicles with onboard units capable of wirelessly exchanging data such as location, speed and braking information with nearby vehicles. This would enable real-time hazard warnings, even in conditions of low visibility or physical obstruction.
The rollout is expected to begin with new vehicles, with retrofitting of existing fleets, including buses and trucks, planned in subsequent phases.
The proposed V2V deployment is seen as a key step towards achieving India’s goal of reducing road fatalities by half by 2030. However, regulators and industry stakeholders will need to address challenges related to cost, standardisation and interoperability within tight timelines to enable large-scale implementation.