THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

NEW DELHI, JULY 10, 2026

In a landmark initiative aimed at strengthening India's digital infrastructure and enhancing telecom connectivity in rural areas, the Department of Posts (DoP) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) have joined forces to undertake the country's largest village-level telecom network performance survey. The nationwide exercise will assess mobile network quality of major telecom operators — Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea and BSNL — across more than 5.68 lakh villages.

The ambitious initiative, launched under the leadership of Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, underscores the government's commitment to accelerating the Digital India mission through improved rural connectivity and data-driven policymaking.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed in New Delhi, brings together the Department of Posts' unmatched rural outreach and TRAI's technological capabilities to generate real-time field-level insights into mobile network performance. The agreement was signed by Manisha Bansal Badal, General Manager (Citizen Centric Services & Rural Business), Department of Posts, and S.M.K. Chandra, Joint Advisor (Broadband & Policy Analysis), TRAI, in the presence of senior officials from both organisations.

At the heart of the initiative is the Department of Posts' extensive network of over 1.40 lakh rural Branch Post Offices. Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDSs) will conduct the survey during their regular delivery routes using a specially designed Android-based mobile application developed by TRAI. Covering villages across all states and Union Territories, the survey is expected to provide an unprecedented assessment of telecom network performance at the grassroots level.

The data collected will help identify connectivity gaps, guide infrastructure expansion and support evidence-based regulatory decisions aimed at improving the quality of telecom services in underserved regions.

Highlighting the significance of the collaboration, Manisha Bansal Badal said the Department of Posts has consistently leveraged its trusted nationwide network to deliver citizen-centric services and support key government initiatives. She noted that the partnership with TRAI reinforces its commitment to building reliable digital infrastructure while enabling its postal workforce to generate authentic field-level data that will directly benefit rural consumers.

Echoing the sentiment, Arun Agarwal, Principal Advisor (NSL), TRAI, said the collaboration would significantly enhance the regulator's ability to evaluate telecom network performance at the grassroots level. He said the Department of Posts' expansive field presence would facilitate systematic and reliable data collection, enabling better-informed regulatory decisions and improved service quality for telecom consumers.

Under the one-year partnership, 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 centralized monitoring. The initiative is expected to play a pivotal role in bridging India's digital divide, improving telecom service quality and advancing the vision of a digitally empowered and inclusive nation.