NE TECHNOLOGY BUREAU
CHENNAI, JULY 21
In an era where mobile connectivity powers everything—from digital payments and online education to telemedicine and businesses—network quality has become as critical as electricity and roads. Reinforcing consumer rights through transparency, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released the findings of its Independent Drive Test (IDT) conducted across Virudhunagar and Tenkasi districts in Tamil Nadu, offering subscribers an unbiased assessment of the real-world performance of major telecom operators.
- Regulator conducts independent field assessment of Airtel, BSNL, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea across cities, hotspots and transport hubs to empower telecom consumers
- Real-time drive tests evaluate network coverage, call drops, voice quality, download and upload speeds across 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G services
- Reliance Jio records highest average download speed at 275.96 Mbps, while Airtel tops upload performance with 21.94 Mbps during the survey
- Airtel and Jio report zero dropped calls on tested routes; BSNL and Vodafone Idea asked to strengthen network performance in identified locations
- TRAI says findings will help consumers make informed choices while encouraging service providers to further enhance quality of service
- Detailed network performance reports shared with telecom operators and uploaded on TRAI’s website for greater transparency and accountability
The independent audit, carried out during June 2026, evaluated the mobile services of Bharti Airtel, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. (RJIL) and Vodafone Idea Limited (VIL) across city roads, public hotspots and high-footfall locations.
According to TRAI, the objective of the exercise was to independently assess and verify the actual Quality of Service (QoS) experienced by consumers rather than relying solely on operator-reported data.
The regulator said the drive tests measure critical parameters including:
- Network Coverage
- Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR)
- Dropped Call Rate (DCR)
- Speech Quality (MOS)
- Call Silence Instances
- Download and Upload Speeds
- Latency, Jitter and Packet Loss
Unlike laboratory testing, TRAI’s Independent Drive Tests establish live voice calls and real-time data sessions using SIM cards of all telecom service providers across 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G networks, thereby reflecting the actual user experience on the ground.
The exercise, supervised by the TRAI Regional Office, Hyderabad, covered 273.1 kilometres of city routes between June 16 and June 18, 2026, besides four key public hotspots.
Coverage Performance
Among the operators, Airtel recorded the lowest coverage gaps, followed by Reliance Jio, while BSNL experienced comparatively larger areas with weaker signal strength during the survey.
In terms of complete “No Coverage” zones, both Airtel and Reliance Jio reported zero instances along the tested routes, whereas BSNL and Vodafone Idea recorded limited pockets of service unavailability.
Voice Call Reliability
Voice quality remained robust for most operators.
Notably, Airtel and Reliance Jio recorded zero dropped calls throughout the drive test, reflecting high call stability across the surveyed locations.
BSNL registered five dropped calls, while Vodafone Idea recorded two dropped calls during the testing period.
Call Quality
TRAI also assessed call silence instances—periods exceeding three seconds where callers could not hear each other despite the call remaining connected.
The survey observed:
- Airtel: 3 instances
- Reliance Jio: 8 instances
- Vodafone Idea: 4 instances
- BSNL: 32 instances
The findings identify specific locations requiring network optimisation by the respective operators.
Data Speed Performance
The independent assessment also benchmarked mobile internet speeds.
Average Download Speed
- Reliance Jio: 275.96 Mbps (Highest)
- Airtel: 157.73 Mbps
- Vodafone Idea: 26.36 Mbps
- BSNL: 6.25 Mbps
Average Upload Speed
- Airtel: 21.94 Mbps (Highest)
- Reliance Jio: 19.06 Mbps
- Vodafone Idea: 12.46 Mbps
- BSNL: 2.98 Mbps
Areas Covered
The survey covered major locations including:
- Virudhunagar
- Sivakasi
- Tenkasi
- Thiruthangal
- Courtallam
- Shenkottai
- Pavoorchatram
- Achampudur
- Ayikudy
- Allampatti
- Muthulingapuram
- Elathur
- Nearby suburban stretches
The four hotspot locations included:
- Kasi Viswanathar Temple, Tenkasi
- Sivakasi Bus Stand
- Tenkasi New Bus Stand
- Virudhunagar New Bus Stand
TRAI clarified that the observations represent the performance of telecom operators only on the specific routes, locations and time during which the tests were conducted.
The regulator has shared the findings with all concerned Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), urging them to take corrective measures wherever performance improvements are required.
The detailed Independent Drive Test reports, along with route maps, coverage gaps and dropped-call locations, have been made available on the TRAI website for public reference.
By publishing independent network performance data, TRAI aims to empower telecom consumers with objective information, encourage healthy competition among service providers and drive continuous improvements in India’s rapidly expanding digital communications ecosystem.
