Telecom operators including Jio, Airtel, Vodafone Idea (Vi), and BSNL have activated Intra-Circle Roaming (ICR) in Thunag Tehsil of Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, following massive disruption caused by flash floods and cloudbursts earlier this week.
The move comes after the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issued an emergency directive on July 2, asking all operators to enable ICR to keep services running in flood-affected zones.
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This allows mobile users in the region to automatically connect to any available network, even if their own operator’s infrastructure is down. The ICR facility will remain active till 11:59 PM on July 11, 2025, or until further notice.
With communication networks partially damaged due to landslides and flooding, this step ensures that citizens, local authorities, and emergency teams stay connected. Intra-Circle Roaming has become a go-to solution for such situations, where one operator’s coverage can temporarily support others.
DoT’s Quick Response
The instruction from the DoT falls under Clause 29.6 of the Unified Licence and follows the SOP-2020 guidelines for disaster situations. Operators have been told to extend roaming access to all in-roamers, covering both local and visiting users.
What Users Should Do
Users in the region don’t need to change any settings manually. Just keeping their phone turned on with mobile data and roaming enabled should allow the device to latch onto the strongest signal available in the area.
