15 June,2026 09:25 PM IST | Mumbai | Ritika Gondhalekar
Majority of those who did not have network connectivity were prepaid users of both services. Representational pic
Four days after authorities announced the rollout of mobile network services on the Aqua Line, some commuters using Vodafone Idea (Vi) and Airtel say they continue to face connectivity issues while travelling on the underground Mumbai Metro-3 corridor. While network access has improved for many passengers, complaints persist from commuters who say they are still unable to make calls or access mobile data along the route.
"I was relieved when the announcement was made because I spend nearly an hour commuting every day. However, my Airtel network still drops as soon as the train reaches SEEPZ station. I live near IIT-Powai and work at BKC. Every day, I park my two-wheeler at Aarey JVLR Metro station and take the underground metro till BKC. It's been more than couple of days, but the calls still get disconnected and internet services stop working," said Insha Mirza, a commuter.
Another commuter, Priyash Shah, who regularly travels to Dadar for work told mid-day.com that the situation has improved from before when there was no network at all.
"But that's just for a few people. One of my SIM cards is of Jio and another one of Vodafone. Jio's network dropping is fine as they are yet to provide network. But if Vodafone and Airtel have officially announced, there should not be a problem with those networks at least. It becomes frustrating when important calls fail to connect. I even called the customer care number to understand the issue. They simply said, 'Aajayega sir network, thoda ruko kuch aur din [the network will come, sir. Please wait for a few more days]'."
After receiving several complaints from commuters, mid-day.com did a reality check. When this reporter, who also uses a Vodafone connection, tried to contact a Vodafone spokesperson, the call dropped in the middle of the conversation.
While the reporter had network connectivity till SEEPZ Metro Station, the conversation ended abruptly just as the train reached MIDC Andheri Metro Station. She could reconnect only after coming up to the ground level at Worli Metro Station.
After engaging with a few commuters onboard, it was also observed that the majority of those who did not have network connectivity were prepaid users of both services.
Meanwhile, daily passengers have urged metro authorities and telecom operators to identify and address the remaining weak spots at the earliest.
MMRC officials maintained that telecom services had been activated along the Aqua Line and said that further optimisation work could be undertaken based on commuter feedback.
