Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has conducted an Independent Drive Tests (IDT) in five cities, highways and railway routes namely Bengaluru city [Karnataka licensed service area (LSA)], Jabalpur city and Raipur-Bilaspur-Raigarh Highway (MP LSA), Delhi city and Sohna to Dausa Highway (Delhi LSA), Vijayawada-Guntur city and Hyderabad -Vijayawada Highway (Andhra Pradesh LSA) and Jaipur Junction to Madhopur, Punjab Railway route (Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and Punjab LSA). Drive tests were conducted to assess the quality of service provided by cellular mobile telephone service providers for voice and data services in January 2025.

In IDT, the performance of Bharti Airtel, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)/ Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL), Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited and Vodafone Idea Limited (Vi), providing services in a LSA through various technologies (like 2G/ 3G/ 4G/ 5G) for voice and data, has been measured by conducting drive test. The observations presented in drive test reports represent the performance of the service providers on the area/ route under test on the day/ time of conducting the drive test.

The key performance indicators (KPIs) for voice as well as data service assessed for the networks of all telecom service providers operating in the region included call setup success rate, drop call rate, speech quality using mean opinion score (MOS), downlink and uplink packet (voice) drop rate, call silence rate and coverage-signal strength, under voice services. Meanwhile, data throughput (downlink and uplink both), packet drop rate (downlink and uplink), video streaming delay, latency and jitter, under data services were considered.

In Bengaluru City- Karnataka LSA, BSNL’s call setup success rate (76.64 per cent) is lower [ quality of service (QoS) benchmark of 98 per cent), whereas Airtel, Jio and Vi have call setup success rate of 99.91 per cent, 99.65 per cent and 99.53 per cent respectively in auto-selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G). Vi has taken comparatively longer time (6.53 seconds) to establish the voice call, whereas, Airtel, BSNL and Jio’s call setup time is 1.07, 2.68 and 0.49 seconds respectively in auto-selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G). BSNL’s overall call drop rate (5.85 per cent) is higher (QoS benchmark of 2 per cent), while Airtel, Jio and Vi have drop call rate of 0.09 per cent, 0.71 per cent and 0.00 per cent respectively in auto-selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G). In packet switched network (4G/5G), Airtel, Jio and Vi have silence call rate of 0.35 per cent, 2.90 per cent and 0 per cent respectively. Quality of speech/MOS score stood at 4.33 for Vi, 4.02 for Airtel, 2.85 for BSNL and 3.83 for Jio respectively. Meanwhile, BSNL (1.28 Mbps) and Vi (24.73 Mbps), operating on 4G/3G technologies, have comparatively lower average download speed. Whereas Airtel and Jio have achieved significantly higher average download speed of 108.23 Mbps and 202.76 Mbps in 4G/5G technology. BSNL (1.69 Mbps) and Vi (9.87 Mbps), operating on 4G/3G technologies, have comparatively lower average upload speed. Whereas Airtel and Jio have achieved significantly higher average upload speed of 43.14 Mbps and 23.44 Mbps, respectively in 4G/5G technology.

In Jabalpur city and Raipur-Bilaspur-Raigarh Highway – Madhya Pradesh LSA, Airtel, BSNL, Jio and Vi have call setup success rate of 100.00 per cent, 97.07 per cent, 99.84 per cent and 98.72 per cent respectively in auto-selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G). BSNL has taken comparatively longer time (4.08 seconds) to establish the voice call, whereas Airtel, Jio and Vi’s call setup time is 1.26, 0.76 and 0.84 seconds respectively in auto-selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G). Airtel, BSNL, Jio and Vi have drop call rate of 0.16 per cent, 1.01 per cent, 0.32 per cent and 0.32 per cent respectively in auto selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G). In packet switched network (4G/5G) Airtel, BSNL, Jio and Vi have silence call rate of 0.64 per cent, 449 per cent, 0.82 per cent and 0.62 per cent respectively. Quality of speech of all operators was less than four – Airtel (3.98), BSNL (2.78), Jio (3.88) and Vi (3.93). Further, BSNL (0.95 Mbps) and Vi (35.20 Mbps), operating on 4G/3G technologies, have comparatively lower average download speed. Whereas Airtel and Jio have achieved significantly higher average download speed of 133.79 Mbps and 280.43 Mbps in 4G/5G technology. BSNL (1.15 Mbps) and Vi (9.08 Mbps) operating on 4G technology, have comparatively lower average upload speed. Whereas Airtel and Jio have achieved significantly higher average upload speed of 26.51 Mbps and 37.45 Mbps, respectively in 4G/5G technology.

In Delhi city and Sohna to Dausa Highway – Delhi LSA, MTNL’s call setup success rate (57.20 per cent) is lower (QoS benchmark of 98 per cent), whereas Airtel, Jio and Vi have call setup success rate of 99.81 per cent, 99.63 per cent and 99.69 per cent respectively in auto-selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G). MTNL has taken comparatively longer time (3.31 seconds) to establish the voice call, whereas Airtel, Jio and Vi’s call setup time is 0.79, 0.79 and 0.78 seconds respectively in auto-selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G). MTNL’s overall drop call rate (5.17 per cent) is higher (QoS benchmark of 2 per cent), whereas Airtel, Jio and Vi have call drop rate of 0.13 per cent, 0.50 per cent and 0.44 per cent respectively in auto-selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G). In packet switched network (4G/5G), Airtel, Jio and Vi have silence call rate of 0.74 per cent, 0.91 per cent and 2.89 per cent respectively. Quality of speech of Vi (4.29) is having a MOS score more than four, whereas Airtel (3.99), MTNL (2.76) and Jio (3.85) are having a MOS score of less than four. Furthermore, MTNL (3.62 Mbps) and Vi (18.43 Mbps), operating on 4G/3G technologies, have comparatively lower average download speed. Whereas Airtel and Jio have achieved significantly higher average download speed of 177.50 Mbps and 266.42 Mbps in 4G/5G technology. MTNL (1.66 Mbps) and Vi (4.68 Mbps) operating on 4G/3G technology, have comparatively lower average upload speed. Whereas Airtel and Jio have achieved significantly higher average upload speed of 28.30 Mbps and 21.40 Mbps, respectively in 4G/5G technology.

In Vijayawada-Guntur city and Hyderabad -Vijayawada Highway- Andhra Pradesh LSA, Airtel, BSNL, Jio and Vi have call setup success rate of 99.62 per cent, 96.83 per cent, 99.63 per cent and 100.00 per cent respectively in auto-selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G). Airtel has taken comparatively longer time (4.13 seconds) to establish the voice call, whereas BSNL, Jio and Vi’s call setup time is 1.76, 0.69 and 0.64 seconds respectively in auto-selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G). Airtel, BSNL, Jio and Vi have drop call rate of 0.00 per cent, 1.77 per cent, 0.74 per cent and 0.00 per cent respectively in auto selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G). In packet switched network (4G/5G) Airtel, BSNL, Jio and Vi have silence call rate of 0.62 per cent, 1.53 per cent, 3.57 per cent and 0.78 per cent respectively. Quality of speech of Airtel (4.01) is having a MOS score more than four, whereas Vi (3.92), Jio (3.88) and BSNL (3.52) are having a MOS score of less than four. Moreover, BSNL (5.69 Mbps) and VIL (17.43 Mbps), operating on 4G/3G technologies, have comparatively lower average download speed. Whereas Airtel and Jio have achieved significantly higher average download speed of 168.00 Mbps and 213.52 Mbps in 4G/5G technology. BSNL (5.67 Mbps) and Vi (5.48 Mbps) operating on 4G/3G technology, have comparatively lower average upload speed. Whereas Airtel and Jio have achieved significantly higher average upload speed of 26.54 Mbps and 20.10 Mbps, respectively in 4G/5G technology.

In Jaipur Junction to Madhopur Punjab Railway route – Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and Punjab LSA, Airtel, BSNL, Jio and Vi have call setup success rate of 98.87 per cent, 89.22 per cent, 96.73 per cent and 90.84 per cent respectively in auto-selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G). BSNL has taken longer time (7.82 seconds) to establish the voice call, whereas Airtel, Jio and Vi call setup time is 1.87, 0.97 and 1.62 seconds respectively in auto selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G). BSNL, Jio and Vi’s overall call drop rate is 16.85 per cent, 5.64 per cent and 2.24 per cent is higher (QoS benchmark of 2 per cent), whereas Airtel have drop call rate of 1.91 per cent in auto-selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G). In addition, BSNL (9.28 Mbps) and Vi (26.43 Mbps), operating on 4G/3G technologies, have comparatively lower average download speed. Whereas Airtel and Jio have achieved significantly higher average download speed of 100.50 Mbps and 229.81 Mbps in 4G/5G technology. BSNL (5.86 Mbps) and Vi (13.30 Mbps) operating on 4G/3G technology, have comparatively lower average upload speed. Whereas Airtel and Jio have achieved significantly higher average upload speed of 20.08 Mbps and 17.68 Mbps, respectively in 4G/5G technology.