India’s Ministry of Road Transport & Highways is planning the phased implementation of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications.

The 5.875 to 5.925GHz band is being considered for V2V and other intelligent transportation system applications. The Department of Telecommunications has exempted the use of this frequency band from licensing requirements.

V2V communication enables nearby vehicles to exchange real-time information, including their speed, position, direction and acceleration. This information can provide advance warnings to drivers or vehicle systems in safety-critical situations, including sudden braking, forward-collision risk, unsafe lane changes and the approach of emergency vehicles.

Unlike conventional vehicle-safety systems, which primarily depend on onboard sensors and driver reaction, V2V communication can provide information beyond the direct line of sight. It is therefore expected to complement advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and support proactive accident prevention, connected mobility and future intelligent transport applications.

Under the draft notification, some vehicles manufactured from October 2027 onwards will be required to be fitted with V2V communications. More vehicles will be added the following year. The phased approach is to help vehicle manufacturers prepare for the implementation of the requirements.

The AIS-230 standard has been developed with enabling features to specify the minimum technical, functional, performance, environmental and security requirements for V2V communication systems installed in vehicles operating on Indian roads. The standard covers factory-installed on-board units using cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technology in the 5.875 to 5.925GHz frequency band.

Its principal requirements include: radio performance, frequency stability and output-power; receiver sensitivity and selectivity; GNSS and positioning; electrical and power-supply; EMI compatibility; cyber security and communication-security provisions; and performance for road-safety applications.

The standard also provides for the phased introduction of safety use cases such as emergency brake alert, forward collision warning, wrong-way driving and emergency vehicle alert.

The ministry (morth.gov.in) set up a task force for the development and implementation of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) in the country with specific emphasis on V2V communication. The task force recommended the use of the 5.9GHz frequency for improving road safety.

The proposed framework is expected to improve vehicle situational awareness, facilitate timely safety warnings and strengthen the use of connected technologies for reducing road-accident risks.