Between 11th and 14th August 2025, TRAI teams carried out a 410 km drive test, a 5.8 km walk test, and assessed 8 hotspot locations in Salem City. Areas included Vennandur, Veerapandi, Magudanchavadi, Karikkapatti, Tharamangalam, Mecheri, Omalur, Suramangalam, Fairlands, Ammapet, and more. Walk tests at Salem Junction Railway Station and other public locations reflected stationary user experience.
The evaluation focused on key parameters for voice services—Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR), Drop Call Rate (DCR), Call Setup Time (CST), Call Silence Rate, Mean Opinion Score (MOS), and coverage. Data services were assessed through download/upload speeds, latency, jitter, packet drop, and video streaming delays.
Voice Service Performance
Airtel recorded a CSSR of 100%, BSNL 87.85%, RJIL 99.80%, and VIL 99.60% in auto-selection mode. Call setup times ranged from 0.78 seconds for RJIL to 4.53 seconds for BSNL. Drop Call Rates were lowest for Airtel and VIL at 0%, while BSNL reported 5.32% and RJIL 0.40%. The Mean Opinion Score (MOS), reflecting speech quality, was highest for VIL at 4.37, followed by Airtel 4.02, RJIL 3.95, and BSNL 3.07.
Data Service Performance
Average download speeds were 203.99 Mbps (Airtel 5G/4G/2G), 6.68 Mbps (BSNL 4G/3G/2G), 322.76 Mbps (RJIL 5G/4G), and 29.95 Mbps (VIL 4G/2G). Upload speeds ranged from 4.70 Mbps (BSNL) to 31.78 Mbps (Airtel). Median latency varied from 18.50 ms for RJIL to 33.30 ms for BSNL.
Hotspot performance showed Airtel 5G download speeds at 205.91 Mbps, RJIL 5G at 338.51 Mbps, and VIL 4G at 36.57 Mbps. Upload speeds at hotspots reached 30.92 Mbps for Airtel 5G and 26.88 Mbps for RJIL 5G.
Real-World Evaluation Locations
TRAI also tested stationary users at key locations: Salem New Bus Stand, Collector Office, Govt. Arts College, Salem Junction Railway Station, Old Bus Stand, Periyar University, Salem Steel Plant, and Shevapet Govt. Hospital. The assessment provided insights into user experience in both public and institutional areas.
Availability of Detailed Report
The IDT findings have been shared with all Telecom Service Providers in Tamil Nadu. For detailed results, the full report is available at the TRAI website. Queries can be directed to Shri B. Praveen Kumar, Advisor, Regional Office Hyderabad via email: adv.hyderabad@trai.gov.in or phone: +91-40-23000761.