DoT’s big decision amid heavy rains and landslides: ICR service implemented in many states of the country, you can make calls even without network

Due to the ongoing torrential rains, floods and terrible landslides in many states and union territories of the country, normal life as well as the communication system has completely broken down. Due to damage to towers and breakage of optical fiber cables (OFC), mobile networks have come to a complete halt in many areas. In view of this serious situation and the obstacles being faced in relief and rescue operations, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has implemented Intra Circle Roaming (ICR – Intra Circle Roaming) service with immediate effect under disaster management. After the implementation of this emergency service, even if the original network of your SIM disappears, your phone will automatically connect to the network of any other company present in the area (like Airtel, Jio, BSNL, Vi). Let us understand from the perspective of a tech and policy reporter where this system has been implemented and how to activate it on your phone. Network badly affected in these states and areas Due to natural disasters, telecom infrastructure has been heavily damaged in many areas of the country: Gujarat, Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman-Diu: Services of major private operators are disrupted due to damage to main network nodes in Valsad, Silvassa and Daman-Diu. Nagaland: Mobile and broadband internet is completely disrupted due to landslides cutting optical fiber cables in Mon and Longleng districts. Jammu and Kashmir: Heavy rains and landslides have disrupted fiber networks in hilly areas, affecting calling and connectivity. What is ICR service and how will it work till July 27? The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has directed all telecom companies to share their networks using the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP 2020) and unified licensing rules. This facility will continue till 11:59 pm on 27th July 2026 (or until further orders). Activation of ICR will help local citizens, NDRF teams, health workers and disaster management officials to communicate with each other without any interruption. How to activate ICR in minutes if there is no network on your phone (Step-by-Step Guide) If your SIM network is missing in your area, follow these simple steps on your mobile to use the available network of another company: Open the Settings of your smartphone. Go to the ‘Mobile Network’ or ‘Connections’ option. Tap ‘Network Operators’ or ‘SIM card settings’. Turn on ‘Automatic network selection’ (Select Automatically). If the phone doesn’t automatically connect to another network: Turn off the ‘Automatic’ option and select ‘Manual Search’. Select any available network from other available companies (Airtel, Jio, BSNL, Vi) shown on the screen.