Government allows BSNL, Airtel, Jio, Vi users to use any network regardless of their provider

Cyclone Fengal has caused continuous heavy rainfall in Puducherry, making landfall near the area on Saturday. In response to the situation, authorities declared a holiday for all government and private schools, as well as colleges, on Tuesday, December 3. Although the cyclone weakened on Sunday, the heavy rains have persisted, and the Army has stepped in to help evacuate people stranded in flooded streets. Additionally, parts of Tamil Nadu have been affected by the heavy rains and flooding, leading to significant damage to mobile network infrastructure. This has made it difficult for people to reach emergency services or get in touch with their friends and family.

To assist citizens, the government has requested that the heads of telecom companies like BSNL, Airtel, Vi, and Jio temporarily allow users to access any mobile network in five districts of Tamil Nadu until 11:59 PM on December 6. This means that no matter which provider you use, you will be able to make calls and use data on any available network. This arrangement, known as Intra-Circle Roaming.

All you need to know about Intra-Circle Roaming

Intra-Circle Roaming (ICR) is a service that lets mobile phone users connect to any telecom network available in their area. This means that you can make calls and use the internet on your phone by tapping into any nearby cell tower, no matter which company operates it. So, if you're in a location where your usual service provider has weak coverage, ICR allows you to stay connected using a different network’s tower.

This measure is especially important during emergencies, like cyclones and floods, when regular networks might not be functioning properly. For example, if you're a Jio user and your network goes down due to the cyclone, you can still make calls using another network, such as Airtel.

It involves agreements between telecom companies and allows users to connect to different networks within a specific area. Once the emergency passes, users will automatically return to their regular network.