The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released findings from its Independent Drive Test (IDT) conducted across Mumbai Licensed Service Area (LSA) during June 2026. The assessment, supervised by TRAI Regional Office Bengaluru, was designed to verify real-time quality of mobile network services provided by Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) and inform consumers while encouraging service improvements.

Test Methodology and Scope

The drive test covered 204.3 kilometers across city routes and 7 hotspot locations in Mumbai from June 10-12, 2026. Testing was conducted using live data and voice sessions established with SIM cards from all TSPs over 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks, utilizing multiple advanced test handsets and real-time monitoring software. The assessment covered diverse usage environments including cities, hotspots, and public transport hubs such as Byculla Railway Station, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Churchgate Railway Station, Dadar Railway Station, Gateway of India, Marine Drive, and Parel Railway Station.

Key Performance Metrics

Coverage Gap Analysis

The signal strength assessment revealed significant disparities among operators. For voice testing in auto-selection mode, Airtel showed 102 poor signal samples out of 54,857 total samples (0.19% gap), MTNL demonstrated severe coverage issues with 17,877 poor signals out of 23,461 samples (76.2% gap), RJIL had 144 poor samples out of 54,576 (0.26% gap), and VIL showed only 5 poor samples out of 54,511 (0.009% gap).

Voice Service Quality

Call drop rates varied considerably across operators: Airtel experienced 1 dropped call out of 490 established calls (0.20%), MTNL had 28 drops out of 203 calls (13.8%), RJIL recorded 0 drops out of 489 calls, and VIL had 1 drop out of 491 calls (0.20%). Call silence instances (silence >3 seconds) were observed as follows: Airtel 14 instances out of 481 calls, RJIL 1 instance out of 475 calls, VIL 1 instance out of 479 calls, with data unavailable for MTNL.

Data Performance Metrics

Data download throughput showed RJIL leading with 237.81 Mbps average speed on 5G/4G networks, followed by Airtel at 93.76 Mbps (5G/4G), VIL at 70.69 Mbps (5G/4G/2G), with MTNL data unavailable. Upload performance followed similar patterns: RJIL achieved 40.92 Mbps, Airtel 25.92 Mbps, VIL 25.57 Mbps, with MTNL data again unavailable.

Geographical Coverage

The city drive covered extensive areas including Bandra Worli Sealink, Mahim, Dadar, Sion, Antop Hill, Worli, Parel, Sewri, Haji Ali, Mumbai Central, Byculla, Malabar Hill, Girgaon, Mazgaon, and Churchgate. Detailed geographical mapping of coverage gaps, dropped call locations, and call silence instances is provided in the annexed maps available on TRAI's website.

The findings have been shared with respective TSPs for necessary corrective actions, and comprehensive reports are publicly accessible at www.trai.gov.in. For additional information, stakeholders can contact TRAI's Bengaluru Regional Office via email at adv.bengaluru@trai.gov.in or telephone at +91-80-22865004.