Assessment Scope and Methodology
Between 18th and 22nd August 2025, TRAI teams covered 284.1 km of city drives, 10 hotspot locations, and 2.4 km of walk tests. Technologies evaluated included 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G, reflecting the user experience across various handsets. Key areas tested included Assam University, Cachar College, Silchar Court complex, NIT Silchar, Silchar Medical College, Hailakandi Civil Hospital, and multiple railway stations.
Voice Services Performance
The evaluation focused on Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR), Drop Call Rate (DCR), Call Setup Time (CST), Call Silence Rate, Mean Opinion Score (MOS), and coverage.
- Call Setup Success Rate: Airtel 99.80%, BSNL 82.03%, RJIL 100%, VIL 90.62%
- Call Setup Time: Airtel 1.92s, BSNL 2.88s, RJIL 0.74s, VIL 1.90s
- Drop Call Rate: Airtel 1.18%, BSNL 3.04%, RJIL 0.00%, VIL 0.83%
- Call Silence Rate: Airtel 1.64%, RJIL 1.92%, VIL 3.67%
- MOS: Airtel 4.04, BSNL 2.69, RJIL 3.83, VIL 4.51
Data Services Performance
Data service metrics were measured for download/upload speeds, latency, jitter, packet drop rate, and video streaming performance. 5G networks demonstrated impressive throughput during drive tests.
- Average Download Speed: Airtel 141.87 Mbps, BSNL 1.69 Mbps, RJIL 219.13 Mbps, VIL 22.68 Mbps
- Average Upload Speed: Airtel 27.26 Mbps, BSNL 3.70 Mbps, RJIL 15.73 Mbps, VIL 6.71 Mbps
- Latency (50th percentile): Airtel 27 ms, BSNL 54 ms, RJIL 20.55 ms, VIL 48.85 ms
Hotspot Data Speeds
Key institutional hotspots recorded the following performance (D/L = Download, U/L = Upload, in Mbps):
- Airtel 5G: D/L 153.63, U/L 29.73 | 4G: D/L 32.83, U/L 11.05
- BSNL 4G: D/L 1.56, U/L 4.76
- RJIL 5G: D/L 311.78, U/L 22.40 | 4G: D/L 33.03, U/L 7.02
- VIL 4G: D/L 26.46, U/L 9.16
Key Observations
Airtel and RJIL led in 5G and 4G performance, offering high download speeds and lower latency, while BSNL showed limited performance in urban hotspots. Drop call rates remained low across major operators, with RJIL achieving zero drop calls in tested areas. Voice quality, measured via MOS, indicates satisfactory user experience for most service providers.
TRAI conducted all tests using standardised equipment and protocols in live environments, ensuring reliability and accuracy. The complete report is available on the TRAI official website: www.trai.gov.in.
