The telecom department is set to de-license a dedicated spectrum band next month to enable rollout of advanced vehicle communication systems designed to reduce crashes caused by wrong-way driving, blind bends and poorly marked construction zones.

The move will allow the use of the 5.875-5.925 GHz band for Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I) technologies, which let vehicles exchange real-time warnings with each other and with roadside infrastructure.

According to one Times of India report, the decision followed a meeting of the Supreme Committee on Road Safety on 20 April, where members asked the telecom department to make the band available under prescribed operating conditions.

Once opened, the frequency can be used by automobile makers, technology providers and infrastructure agencies.

The road transport ministry informed the panel that technical standards for V2V systems are expected to be notified by December. Vehicle manufacturers have already begun preparing systems that can operate on the frequency, according to meeting records.

V2V technology is intended to automatically detect approaching vehicles and send alerts to drivers, helping prevent collisions at junctions, blind corners or during sudden lane intrusions.

V2I systems will rely on sensors attached to public infrastructure such as traffic lights, utility poles, bridge edges and barricades. These installations can warn drivers about hazards ahead, diversions, roadworks or unsafe zones.

The push comes amid growing concern over avoidable road deaths linked to missing warnings and unsafe worksites. In January, a software engineer died in Noida after his car plunged into an unmarked water-filled pit where no barricades or visible alerts had been installed.