The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Reliance Jio to deploy a telecom-based safety alert system across the National Highway network.

The telecom operator’s extensive 4G and 5G digital infrastructure, serving over 500 million subscribers in the country, would be used to give travellers warning on their mobile phones as they approach accident-prone stretches, stray-cattle zones, fog-affected areas and emergency diversions, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement. The solution will use existing telecom towers and can be deployed quickly, without additional roadside hardware, the statement added.

Even as this automated system would work only for Jio mobile users during the initial pilot deployment, the NHAI said that it would forge similar partnerships with other service providers too.

NHAI chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav said this initiative marks an important step forward in providing timely and reliable information to commuters, enabling them to make informed decisions and adopt safer driving practices well in advance.

“I am sure that this initiative will set a new benchmark in technology-enabled road safety management on the National Highway”, he added.

Reliance Jio president Jyotindra Thacker said that the initiative, which uses the reach of Jio’s telecom network, would deliver timely safety alerts, contributing to a more informed travel on the national highway.

The initial pilot project deployment of the initiative will support risk-zone identification and alert thresholds under few regional offices in NHAI. Alerts would be sent through SMS, WhatsApp and high-priority calls to travellers on National Highway. According to the statement, the system will also be integrated in a phased manner with NHAI’s digital platforms including ‘Rajmargyatra’ mobile application and the National Highway helpline 1033.