TRAI proposes new rules for connected vehicles in India for road safety

In a bid to improve road safety, India is beginning consultations for carving out a dedicated chunk of airwaves so that cars can talk to each other and to roadside infrastructure. In a consultation paper issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), the regulator has sought stakeholder views on the regulatory mechanism for frequency usage and assignment of spectrum for achieving this communication network. Trai has said that the department of telecom (DoT) has recommended reserving spectrum in the 5.9-GHz band for vehicle-to-everything and vehicle-to-vehicle technology.

The consultation paper has now been made available on TRAI’s official website, with the regulator inviting written comments from stakeholders by May 28, 2026, and counter-comments by June 11, 2026.

The development comes as India looks to enable smarter and safer mobility systems through connected vehicle technologies. V2X communication allows vehicles to interact in real time with other vehicles, traffic infrastructure and even pedestrians using wireless networks, with the aim of improving road safety and easing congestion.

At the core of the proposed framework is a preference for cellular-based V2X systems, which leverage existing 4G and 5G networks, effectively positioning telecom operators as key enablers of the emerging mobility ecosystem.

The paper also proposes allocating around 30 MHz of spectrum in the 5.9 GHz band for initial deployment, with scope for future expansion. To accelerate adoption, TRAI has suggested a differentiated regulatory approach, where vehicle-integrated devices may operate without individual licences, while roadside communication infrastructure would require authorization to ensure coordinated rollout and minimize interference.