The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released findings from its Independent Drive Test conducted across metro routes in the Delhi LSA during April 1-4 and April 14, 2026. The assessment covered 490 kilometers of metro routes under Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, Noida Metro Rail Corporation, and National Capital Region Transport Corporation to evaluate real-time mobile network quality for both voice and data services provided by Telecom Service Providers.
Test Methodology and Scope
The drive test was conducted using multiple advanced test handsets with SIM cards from all TSPs across 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks. Testing was supervised by TRAI Regional Office Delhi and covered 15 specific metro routes including Sector-51 Noida to Depot Station (Aqua Line), Dwarka Sector-21 to Noida Electronic City (Blue Line 1), Vaishali to Yamuna Bank (Blue Line 2), and Delhi to Meerut (Namo Bharat RRTS), among others.
Key Performance Metrics
Coverage Gap Analysis
The assessment measured signal strength against minimum prescribed levels for each technology. Airtel showed 1,280 poor signal samples out of 52,666 total samples (2.43% gap), MTNL had 20,768 poor signals out of 43,220 samples (48.04% gap), RJIL recorded 1,297 poor signals out of 52,325 samples (2.48% gap), and VIL had 1,490 poor signals out of 52,753 samples (2.82% gap). Limited service instances were also recorded: 334 for Airtel, 3,039 for MTNL, 595 for RJIL, and 294 for VIL.
Voice Service Performance
Call drop rates varied significantly among providers. Airtel experienced 5 dropped calls out of 491 established calls (1.02% drop rate), MTNL had 51 drops out of 346 calls (14.74% drop rate), RJIL recorded 8 drops out of 487 calls (1.64% drop rate), and VIL had 10 drops out of 490 calls (2.04% drop rate). Several dropped calls occurred in underground metro sections and were not plotted on maps.
Data Service Performance
Download throughput performance showed RJIL leading with 141.28 Mbps average on 5G, significantly exceeding their declared typical throughput of 15 Mbps. Airtel achieved 81.72 Mbps (5G) against declared 37.72 Mbps, while VIL recorded 23.94 Mbps (5G) against declared 15 Mbps. MTNL performed at 4.30 Mbps (4G) against declared 8 Mbps.
Upload throughput results showed Airtel at 25.98 Mbps (5G) against declared 7.71 Mbps, RJIL at 19.99 Mbps (5G) against declared 7 Mbps, VIL at 16.96 Mbps (5G) against declared 8 Mbps, and MTNL at 1.84 Mbps (4G) against declared 1 Mbps.
Regulatory Context and Disclosure
The findings have been shared with respective TSPs for necessary corrective actions. Detailed reports are available on the TRAI website (www.trai.gov.in), and clarifications can be sought via email at adv.ca@trai.gov or through the Delhi Regional Office at telephone number +91-11-20907772. The assessment represents network performance specifically on the tested routes during the drive test periods and serves to inform consumers while encouraging service improvement by providers.