Which Mobile Network is the Best in India

Dated:30-June-2019 New Delhi India All dates in British DD/MM/YYYY Format.

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If you can understand Hindi then go through the Videos by one Shri Krishan on YouTube Channel “Technical KKC”.

The best Telecom operator is one who gives best service connectivity in your home/office operating area. Not pan India.

For this you 'll have to check with the users who use a particular CO SIM in your area of operations by using data voice SMS during peak times & the speed both inside building & in open area.

This 'll consume time & can be done by trial & error only as many Smart Phone users are in reality tech illiterates & pronounce the worst network as the best in a particular area & generalise that Jio is the best without understanding pros & cons.

My Personal Experience & Example: I used Dolphin GSM of MTNL from 25-Apr-2005 To 10–05-2018 in Karol Bagh Central Delhi area as BTS Tower & Exchange Building is just 400 mtrs away from my home, as I’m a fringe mobile user & Dolphin served my purpose perfectly for just netbanking OTP’s @ Rs 100 per year. In 13 years I just spent ₹ 7,302.

But as it's 2G/3G signal strength weakened to 0,from 15/06/2016, as Lord Vishwakarma took over MTNL Dolphin Delhi with no Tower Signal for 20 hrs a day,even in 3G, I moved to Vodafone as all modes 2G/3G/4G Work best in my home with ethics, transparency, easy to understand Tariffs & superbly designed website.

Before this I did due diligence by Testing to know which network was the best in my area. When asked, all others parrotted Airtel & Jio in my Home Area.

There is a technical problem in my home area with the location of GSM Towers. My Apartment Complex is served by 3 gates. My house & rooms comes in Gate # 3 the Northern direction refer image below.

All the Private GSM Towers are located on the North Western Side as it is a commercial area. Refer image below:-

The distance from my block gate # 3 to the North Western Side is about 0.4 kms. But those flat blocks which are coming on the North western side on Gate # 1+2 get very good signal of Airtel, Vodafone,Idea,Jio full 4 bars inside rooms.

Now Airtel needs a tower on the North eastern side(Refer Area Location Image Below taken on 13-Apr-2023) for many years but so far it has had no success as none has obliged it. So Airtel has the worst network of all modes especially 2G & Jio has a OK only 3 Bar Signal network in my home block.

 

Vodafone has full 4–5 bars signal on 4G/3G/2G inside my home on second floor with peak time speeds upto 10 mbps in my Room, & non peak time speeds upto 60 mbps inside my Room. But on the Ground there are certain blind spots.

MTNL Dolphin GSM Tower is on the North Eastern Side (Refer image below) but it's Signals don't reach my flat room 0.4 kms due to radiation levels controlled to play by TRAI Rules. The entire stretch in front of my house gate # 3 till North Eastern & North Western side is a Zero Signal Zone for MTNL Dolphin.

 

But in South Delhi Green Park Area both Dolphin 3G & Airtel 4G+2G work best. Vodafone/Jio is also very good. Same in Dwarka area of South West Delhi for Airtel, Jio but Vodafone 4G is Zero inside Flats in Sector-9 Dwarka.

So no network is fool proof & first class everywhere. It depends on the no of towers, users @ peak time, Revenue earned from users in a particular area etc. For this reason many Sarkaari Babu’s & Bureaucrats in Government, Corridors of power use BSNL/MTNL GSM, along with Airtel or Vodafone or Jio.

But as a general case, pan India, Vodafone Idea 2G & Airtel 2G are life savers, offering Quality basic calls, SMS connectivity to every nook & corner of the country for ₹ 99 p.m which can be used in a simple ₹ 1,500 Samsung Guru 1200 2G feature phone. Plus those who have the use & can afford, have 4G Data also on Airtel & Vodafone.

Next is BSNL 2G/3G for ₹ 797 per year & Jio Smart Feature Phone 1 for ₹ 125 p.m

Updated:03–07–2019

My Aunt’s Dolphin 2G GSM was dead in Dwarka Sector-9 Area of Delhi as MTNL is now concentrating only on 3G. In Peeragarhi Area of West Delhi the Dolphin 2G & Even 3G was Zero inside Alleys. With much difficulty I was able to get portout code by fitting the Dolphin SIM in my own 4G Smart Phone bringing it near exchange building on Peeragarhi Vikaspuri Janakpuri Road.

So Vodafone and Airtel have their own benefits over Reliance Jio as written above as they can work in a simple 2G handset which bulk of Indian Homes have in their closet. Whereas Jio SIM works only on a Jio Phone 1 or Touch Smartphone.

Updated:-07–02–2020.

MTNL Dolphin 3G Network which was splendid with full 4 bars Signal in Green Park South Delhi till Middle of December 2019 has now totally collapsed in S Block Main Market area with Zero Signal 24*7 & handset always in emergency mode.

My aunt was able to get portout code on 14–01–2020 at Hauz Khas Telephone Exchange Sri Aurobindo Marg New Delhi where GSM Tower is located. On 15–01–2020 with my help she ported out to Jio successfully. It was effortlessly done by 19–01–2020 & Jio works very well in Central Delhi & South Delhi but in house peak time speed is just 3–4 mbps. Same with Airtel in my Room with 1.20 mbps.

I brought her Dolphin SIM & Samsung Galaxy A2 Core Handset to my home near Karol Bagh Telephone Exchange Central Delhi & the same 4 year menace of no network signal 24*7 in my house continues.

But on the road near exchange building signal is available & calls SMS can be made in good quality. Same with those flats on north eastern side which are coming very close to Karol Bagh Exchange BTS Tower as in the above image.

Updated:-19/10/2020 08:33 AM

On 13/10/2020 I ported out my Primary Vi™ # to Reliance Jio as 4G Data was working splendidly in my alcove Room.

But for calls on 4G VoLte on Vi™ I'd to go to my Mother's Room to receive it as Vi™ Voice Signals suffer drops, don't reach my alcove Room. Or call back the caller from Landline.

There was no sense in keeping two Mobiles on the Same Vi™ Network.Vi™ Tower is in North & R Jio Tower in North West of my Room.

Satisfied with Reliance Jio & it's Network Speeds in my Room & Voice Calls are crystal clear with instant connection, without drops.

Dated:-07–11–2020

Tested Airtel 4G VoLte Network on New Redmi 9A Handset with Vo-WiFi & it was the worst network in my Alcove Room,not able to receive even OTP's of Aadhaar even in 5 Attempts.

Dated:-13-August-2022 @ 23:12 Hrs.

The Same Pathetic Service of Airtel Network continues in my Home till date. Whosoever comes with their Airtel SIM can neither call, use Data, or get calls from others in my Home.

While as Vi™ & Jio Work Flawlessly.

Dated:09-Dec-2022 @ 06:15 AM IST Friday

At 05:00 AM I checked my Redmi 9 Prime Handset & found that MIUI Software Update to 12.5.5.0 was available for Download. It was a 4.50 GB Download. I took my Phone with Vi™ SIM to Gate # 1 of my Residential Colony on Open Road.

Started the Download at 05:10 AM & by 05:50 AM it was downloaded installed phone rebooted. Average Speed was 30 Mbps.

I did the Speed Test in Different Spots on Road & Found that in Gate # 3, Road, opposite to my Room + Flat Speed was lowest at 512 Kbps.

The Entire Stretch from Gate # 3 to Gate # 2 was a very low speed weak point for all Mobile Networks.

Swami Aniruddha