TRAI, through its appointed agency, conducted drive tests covering 357.4 km of city routes and 4.7 km of walk tests in Durg and Bhilai between November 19 and 22, 2025. Additionally, a 297.8 km highway drive test was carried out on the Raipur–Jagdalpur stretch on November 17, while a 280.7 km railway route test between Bhopal and Ratlam was conducted on November 25.
The tests evaluated network performance across 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G technologies to reflect user experience on different handset capabilities.
Key Quality of Service Parameters
The IDT focused on both voice and data service performance. Voice parameters included Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR), Drop Call Rate (DCR), Call Setup Time, Call Silence Rate, speech quality measured through Mean Opinion Score (MOS), and coverage.
For data services, parameters such as download and upload throughput, latency, jitter, packet drop rate, and video streaming delay were assessed.
Voice Service Performance
In auto-selection mode across all technologies, Call Setup Success Rate was recorded at 95.44% for Airtel, 85.31% for BSNL, 100% for Reliance Jio, and 96.31% for Vodafone Idea.
The Drop Call Rate stood at 0.57% for Airtel, 3.56% for BSNL, 0.45% for Reliance Jio, and 1.46% for Vodafone Idea, indicating generally stable voice connectivity across the tested regions.
Signal Strength Observations
During city drive tests, poor signal strength was observed on 0.87% of the route for Airtel, 2.36% for BSNL, 0.87% for Vodafone Idea, and 3.18% for Reliance Jio.
On the Raipur–Jagdalpur highway, poor signal levels increased, covering 20.86% of the route for Airtel, 26.29% for BSNL, 7.16% for Vodafone Idea, and 24.58% for Reliance Jio.
Along the Bhopal–Ratlam railway route, poor signal strength was recorded on 6.92% of the route for Airtel, 33.98% for BSNL, 2.70% for Vodafone Idea, and 10.77% for Reliance Jio.
Data Services and User Experience
The tests highlighted variations in data throughput and latency across operators and routes. Overall, urban areas showed better data performance compared to highways and railway corridors, where network continuity remains a challenge.
TRAI noted that these assessments help identify network gaps and provide actionable insights to telecom service providers for improving service quality.
Next Steps and Transparency
The findings of the Independent Drive Tests have been shared with all concerned telecom service providers for necessary action. The tests were conducted using TRAI-calibrated equipment and standardized protocols to ensure accuracy and transparency.
The detailed IDT report is available on the official TRAI website. For further information, users may contact the Regional Office, Bhopal.