5G but still offline: Why Delhi users are struggling with mobile connectivity

Delhi’s 5G network may be widespread on paper, but patchy indoor coverage and mobile dead zones continue to affect users across the capital, disrupting calls, digital payments and everyday services. From crowded markets and residential complexes to hospitals and offices, residents are increasingly relying on Wi-Fi to stay connected despite having 5G-enabled phones, reported TOI.

But as the group moved from one cafe to another trying out new food spots, a familiar problem surfaced: the 5G connection was not delivering the experience promised. Despite her phone showing healthy network bars, even a quick digital payment turned into a frustrating wait as the screen kept buffering.

Shalini’s experience is far from an isolated glitch. Patchy connectivity and mobile dead zones remain a daily problem for people navigating some of Delhi’s busiest markets.


The issue highlights a digital infrastructure paradox in the capital. While the city has a large 5G user base and widespread network availability on paper, connectivity on the ground can still be inconsistent, particularly inside buildings, residential complexes, basements and crowded commercial areas, reported TOI.

The problem is not limited to markets. Residents across several parts of Delhi have reported weak signals inside homes and offices, forcing them to depend on Wi-Fi for basic calls, messages and digital payments.

‘I had to step out into the street just to book a cab’

Hridya Pathak, 27, a resident of Chhatarpur Phase-2 in south Delhi, faces similar problems during her daily routine. Inside her home, the 5G signal frequently drops to a slower LTE+ connection, making calls and messages difficult without Wi-Fi.

“I had to step out into the street just to book a cab because of the weak signal,” she told TOI. “Once, while booking a cab, the connection was so weak that the driver had to drive around 2km away from my pickup point just to find a stable signal to enter the OTP.”

For 15 minutes, Hridya was completely disconnected despite being in the middle of the city.

“I couldn’t share my location, make calls, or be reached, which made me feel very unsafe,” she said.

Poor indoor connectivity adds to hospital woes

Some residents have also faced connectivity problems inside hospitals.

When Saurabh Kumar, 42, visited a hospital near Dilshad Garden during a medical emergency involving a friend, poor indoor network connectivity made it difficult for him to contact the patient’s family.

“I wanted to contact his family but couldn’t,” Ramesh told TOI.

“Even a simple UPI transaction took 7 to 10 minutes to process, forcing me to look for an ATM to pay in cash. I frequently had to leave my friend alone in the hospital and step out of the building just to make a phone call to his family.”

For 21-year-old law student Suravi, poor connectivity became another hurdle while she was rushing to a hospital after a dog bite.

“Around 7 pm, while heading to a hospital, with my hand throbbing in pain, I faced another problem: poor network. The auto driver handed me the scanner for payment, but the transaction would not process. Despite repeated attempts, nothing worked,” she told TOI.

She eventually had to call a friend to make the payment, adding another 10-15 minutes to the situation.

TRAI flags building-level connectivity problems

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), in its 2023 report titled “Recommendations on Ratings of Buildings or Areas For Digital Connectivity”, noted that users in residential buildings, offices and public places often face poor or compromised connectivity because of the non-availability of infrastructure or delays in upgrades by infrastructure and telecom service providers (TSPs).

The report also highlighted stalled infrastructure upgrades in several government and private multi-storey residential complexes. According to TRAI, such delays can occur when resident welfare associations (RWAs) demand higher costs or when contractual disputes between RWAs and telecom service providers remain unresolved.

In such cases, TRAI said, “the ultimate sufferers are the end users.”

What TRAI’s Delhi network tests found

TRAI recently released the findings of its independent drive tests (IDT) for the Delhi licensed service area (LSA), conducted in January 2026. The tests covered 249.1 km through drive testing, eight hotspot locations and 9.6 km through walk tests, and included Airtel, MTNL, Jio and Vodafone Idea.

In terms of Call Setup Success Rate, MTNL was at the bottom with 82.8%, while the other telecom operators recorded rates close to 100%. The metric measures the percentage of call attempts that successfully connect to the dialled number.

MTNL also recorded the highest drop call rate at 6.3%. MTNL did not respond to queries sent by TOI.

For call silence/mute rate, which measures silence during calls caused by lost data packets, Vodafone Idea recorded the highest rate at 6.6%.

Residents turn to Wi-Fi calling

To deal with weak mobile reception, many residents have turned to Wi-Fi calling. In a residential building in Sant Nagar, East of Kailash, every flat has its own Wi-Fi router because mobile signals disappear inside the building.

“Having to pay for a Wi-Fi connection in addition to a regular voice and data plan is an unnecessary expense every month,” said a resident. He added that during power outages, when Wi-Fi services are disrupted, residents have to step outside the building to make calls.

An internet service provider official said weak indoor signals are particularly common in densely populated urban areas, where RWAs sometimes do not allow service providers to install network infrastructure because of space constraints.

Even when towers are installed outside residential areas, connectivity can vary within the same society, with one side of a residential complex receiving better coverage than another.

The official also said users looking for better connectivity in crowded areas can use ‘network slicing’. The technology allows certain users to be allocated a dedicated network slice, potentially offering more consistent network performance.

However, Sanket Kaushal, 32, a South Ex resident who uses network slicing technology, said he continues to face connectivity problems.

“I frequently face problems while making video or WhatsApp calls. The network often becomes weak, causing calls to either fail to connect or show a ‘poor network’ message. At times, I am unable to make a stable call even after repeated attempts using mobile data, forcing me to switch to Wi-Fi,” he said.

(with TOI inputs)