Mumbai Network Test: Jio Delivers Fastest Mobile Data Speeds, Vi Excels in Network Coverage

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released the findings of its Independent Drive Test (IDT) conducted across Mumbai during June 2026, providing consumers with an objective assessment of the quality of mobile services offered by telecom operators.

The drive tests were carried out between June 10 and June 12, 2026, covering 204.3 km of city roads and seven major hotspot locations. The exercise evaluated the real-world performance of Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio (RJIL), Vodafone Idea (Vi), and MTNL across 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks.

Areas Covered

The city drive included several prominent locations across Mumbai, including Bandra-Worli Sea Link, Mahim, Dadar, Sion, Antop Hill, Worli, Parel, Sewri, Haji Ali, Mumbai Central, Byculla, Malabar Hill, Girgaon, Mazgaon, and Churchgate.

Hotspot locations, capturing stationary user experience, are:

• Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT)
• Churchgate Railway Station
• Dadar Railway Station
• Byculla Railway Station
• Parel Railway Station
• Gateway of India
• Marine Drive

Coverage Performance

Vodafone Idea delivered the strongest network coverage during the drive test, recording just 5 poor signal samples out of 54,511 observations.

The remaining operators reported:

MTNL also experienced 7,325 instances of no network coverage, significantly underperforming compared to private operators.

Voice Call Performance

Reliance Jio delivered the most reliable voice service by completing the test without a single dropped call.

The results indicate that Jio provided the most consistent calling experience during the test period, while Airtel and Vi also maintained very low call drop rates.

Call Silence

TRAI also measured call silence events, where users experience silence for more than three seconds despite the call remaining connected.

• Reliance Jio: 1 silence instance
• Vodafone Idea: 1 silence instance
• Airtel: 14 affected calls with 23 silence instances
• MTNL: Data not available

Jio and Vi recorded the best performance on this parameter.

Mobile Data Performance

Reliance Jio emerged as the fastest network in Mumbai, recording the highest average download and upload speeds.

Average Download Speed:

Average Upload Speed:

Jio's average download speed was more than twice that of Airtel and substantially ahead of Vodafone Idea.

Overall Performance

The June 2026 Independent Drive Test highlights a clear distinction among operators across different performance metrics.

• Reliance Jio delivered the strongest overall experience, combining zero dropped calls with the highest download and upload speeds.
• Vodafone Idea stood out for its exceptional network coverage, recording the fewest poor signal samples while also performing well in voice quality.
• Bharti Airtel offered a balanced performance with reliable calling and competitive data speeds.
• MTNL continued to lag significantly behind private operators in coverage, call reliability, and mobile broadband performance.

Purpose and Parameters

TRAI conducts Independent Drive Tests to measure actual mobile network performance experienced by users. During these tests, live voice calls and data sessions are established using SIM cards from all telecom operators. Advanced testing equipment records key Quality of Service (QoS) parameters such as:

• Network coverage
• Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR)
• Dropped Call Rate (DCR)
• Call setup time
• Voice quality and call silence
• Download and upload speeds
• Latency, jitter, and packet loss

The results help consumers compare service quality while encouraging telecom operators to improve network performance.

TRAI noted that the results represent network performance only on the tested routes, locations, and time period. The findings have been shared with telecom operators for necessary corrective action, while detailed reports are available on the regulator's website.