According to a Business Standard report, the Indian government has stepped in to make sure people in flood and rain-hit regions stay connected. The government has directed all telecom service providers to activate the ICR facility in Jammu and Kashmir until September 2.
Why This Step Was Taken
The situation in Jammu and Kashmir and parts of Himachal Pradesh has been very tough, with heavy rains causing damage to lives and infrastructure. To help people stay in touch with their families and access emergency services, the government has asked operators to open up roaming between networks.
Operators Involved
This order has gone out to all the major players — Airtel, BSNL, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea. With ICR enabled, users in these areas won’t be restricted to just their home network.
What Does ICR Mean for Users?
The ICR (Intra-Circle Roaming) facility basically allows you to use any available network around you, even if it’s not your own provider. So, for example, if your Airtel network is down, your phone can automatically switch to Reliance Jio, BSNL, or Vodafone Idea to keep you connected for calls, messages, and the Internet.
Airtel’s Move
Taking a quick step, Airtel has already enabled ICR in both Jammu and Kashmir as well as Himachal Pradesh, helping customers stay connected despite network outages.
