New Delhi: The Department of Posts and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) have partnered to carry out what will be India’s largest village-level telecom network performance survey, covering more than 5.68 lakh villages across the country.

The two organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi to conduct an app-based assessment of mobile network performance for Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea and BSNL. The initiative aims to identify connectivity gaps, improve telecom infrastructure and support data-driven policy decisions to strengthen digital connectivity in rural India.

The survey will leverage the Department of Posts’ network of more than 1.40 lakh rural Branch Post Offices. Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDSs) will collect field data during their routine delivery operations using an Android-based mobile application developed by TRAI. The exercise will cover villages across all States and Union Territories.

The partnership has been launched under the leadership of Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya M. Scindia as part of the government’s efforts to improve rural telecom services and expand digital connectivity.

Speaking on the occasion, Manisha Bansal Badal, General Manager (Citizen Centric Services & Rural Business), Department of Posts, said, “The Department of Posts has consistently partnered with various Government organisations to deliver citizen-centric services by leveraging its unparalleled reach and trusted presence across the country. This collaboration with TRAI reinforces our commitment towards Digital India by supporting the creation of reliable digital infrastructure. Our dedicated postal workforce will play a vital role in generating authentic field-level data to improve telecom services for citizens across rural India.”

Arun Agarwal, Principal Advisor (NSL), TRAI, said, “This collaboration with the Department of Posts will significantly strengthen TRAI’s capability to assess telecom network performance at the grassroots level. The Department’s extensive field network will enable systematic collection of reliable network performance data, supporting informed regulatory decisions and improved quality of telecom services for consumers.”

Under the one-year agreement, the Department of Posts will undertake field survey operations through its nationwide postal network, while TRAI will provide the survey application, technical support, training and centralised monitoring. The data collected through the exercise is expected to help improve telecom service quality and address connectivity gaps in rural India.

BI Bureau