Department of Posts and TRAI Launch India’s Largest Village-Level Telecom Network Performance Survey

The Department of Posts (DoP) along with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to carry out the largest-ever performance survey of the telecom networks in villages in India. This survey would evaluate the various mobile service providers such as Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea and BSNL in around 5.68 lakh villages in India. Through the extensive rural postal system and the mobile app, this survey will help to bridge the gap in connectivity, will strengthen the telecommunications network and provide support for the making policy decisions based on scientific data.

What Is the Telecom Network Survey by the India Post and TRAI?

The all-India survey is a joint venture of the Department of Posts under the Ministry of Communications and TRAI, which is aimed at to assessing the performance of mobile networks in rural India.

This survey will provide data on the ground with regard to the quality and availability of mobile telecom services in villages it will spread across all states and union territories.

The survey is expected to be one of the largest surveys of rural mobile connectivity in the country.

The survey has been initiated under the leadership of Honorable Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, the Union Minister of Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, as a measure to ensure that India develops a sturdy digital infrastructure.

Why Was the Survey Initiated?

Despite advances made in mobile connectivity recently, many remote regions still lack reliable connectivity, resulting in problems such as poor signal strength, calls being dropped and lack of internet speed.

The survey will,

• Find mobile network coverage gaps.
• Evaluate the quality of the telecom services at the village level.
• Gather factual data in the field for policy development.
• Enhance digital connectivity in less developed areas.
• Improve the quality of telecom services for rural population.

These results will assist the developers and telecom operators in identifying the right investment areas.

Villages and Telecommunications Providers Included

The survey will be conducted on over 568,000 villages throughout India, making it the largest rural telecommunications survey in the country.

This survey is going to measure the performance of mobile networks by the four leading telecommunication service providers such as,

• Bharti Airtel
• Reliance Jio
• Vodafone Idea (Vi)
• Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)

This survey will spread to the entire nation and give an overall picture of telecommunications facilities in rural India.

How Will the Survey Be Conducted?

One of the big strengths of this initiative is the use of the Department of Posts extensive rural network, such has,

• Gramin Dak Sevaks to Collect Data
• Android-Based Mobile Application
• Nationwide Rural Postal Network

This extensive reach will allows the survey to cover even in the remote and difficult-to-access locations.

How Will the Survey Benefit Rural India?

The initiative is also expected to deliver the several long-term benefits, likes of,

• Better Mobile Connectivity
• Evidence-Based Policy Decisions
• Improved Consumer Experience
• Support for Digital India

Improved telecom services will further strengthen the Digital India mission.