#TRAI #LudhianaNetworkTest #5GIndia #TelecomQuality #Airtel #RelianceJio #VodafoneIdea #BSNL #MobileData #NetworkSpeedTest #DigitalIndia #TelecomRegulation #ConsumerAwareness #PunjabTelecom #OoklaIndia
Ludhiana: In a bid to ensure seamless telecom services and enhance user experience, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released an in-depth report evaluating mobile network performance across the city of Ludhiana. The assessment, conducted in September 2025, covered a range of real-world scenarios including busy commercial hubs, residential areas, educational institutions, hospitals, markets, and major transport hubs. The objective was to analyze the quality of both voice and data services provided by leading telecom operators — Airtel, BSNL, Reliance Jio (RJIL), and Vodafone Idea (VIL).
Comprehensive Testing for Real-World Accuracy
According to TRAI, its teams conducted:
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280.8 km of drive tests,
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Tests at 13 hotspot locations,
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3.4 km of walk tests in densely populated markets,
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Inter-operator call evaluations to check call quality across networks.
The technologies tested included 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G, in auto-selection mode to replicate a real user’s mobile experience.
Voice Call Performance: Jio Records Best Call Success Rate
The report highlights the Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR) — a key indicator of how reliably a call is connected.
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Jio topped with 99.85%, followed by Airtel at 99.70%, Vodafone Idea at 98.93%, while BSNL lagged at 95.03%.
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Drop Call Rate (DCR) was lowest for Airtel and VIL at 0.00%, followed closely by Jio with 0.30%. BSNL’s drop call rate was significantly higher at 4.60%, indicating persistent performance issues.
In terms of call setup time, Reliance Jio delivered the fastest connection time at 0.69 seconds, highlighting the speed of its 4G and 5G infrastructure. Airtel followed at 1.40 seconds, while BSNL recorded the slowest response at 3.46 seconds.
Voice Quality: BSNL Faces Major Challenges
The Mean Opinion Score (MOS), which reflects user satisfaction with call clarity, placed Airtel slightly ahead with an MOS of 3.93. RJIL and VIL followed closely with 3.91 and 3.87, respectively. BSNL performed poorly at 2.51, reflecting noticeable speech quality deterioration in several parts of the city.
Call silence and mute rates — a common complaint among users — were highest for Vodafone Idea (2.89%), while Airtel and Jio maintained lower silence rates at 1.67% and 0.42%, respectively.
Data Performance: Jio and Airtel Dominate 5G Speeds
In the data services category, Jio and Airtel emerged as clear leaders, especially in 5G performance:
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Average Download Speed:
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Jio: 322.63 Mbps
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Airtel: 268.50 Mbps
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VIL: 31.12 Mbps
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BSNL: 9.30 Mbps
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Average Upload Speed:
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Jio: 36.31 Mbps
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Airtel: 34.02 Mbps
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VIL: 15.06 Mbps
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BSNL: 7.14 Mbps
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At hotspot locations such as bus stands, malls, railway stations, and educational institutions, both Airtel and Jio delivered impressive speeds surpassing 389 Mbps in 5G download performance, showcasing robust 5G deployment in the city.
Latency Matters: Jio Offers Smoothest Internet Experience
Latency, a measure of network response time, was lowest for Jio at 14.40 ms, followed by BSNL at 19.45 ms and Airtel at 24.70 ms. Vodafone Idea recorded the highest latency (36.35 ms), which could impact real-time applications such as gaming, video calls, and online trading.
Assessment Across Key City Zones
The survey included popular localities such as Civil Lines, Model Town, Rajguru Nagar, Gill, Ayali Kalan, and Kasabad. It also covered high-footfall landmarks like Ludhiana Railway Station, Baba Deep Singh Gurudwara, DMC Hospital, Silver Arc Mall, and Punjab Agricultural University.
Walk tests in crowded marketplaces such as Akal Market and Kipps Market were designed to evaluate network behavior in congested pedestrian environments where connectivity often drops due to signal obstruction.
Implications for Consumers
The findings reflect a clear leadership of Jio and Airtel in both voice and data services, particularly in 5G coverage. Vodafone Idea showed fair performance in voice services but lagged in data speeds, while BSNL requires significant improvement across all parameters.
With growing demand for high-speed mobile connectivity, especially for streaming, online education, digital payments, and telehealth services, TRAI’s independent assessments provide critical transparency, helping consumers make informed choices and pushing telecom operators towards continuous improvement.
Conclusion
The TRAI’s Ludhiana drive test serves as a benchmark for evaluating telecom quality in real-world conditions. It highlights the importance of 5G rollout, network optimization, and customer-centric improvements. As digital penetration deepens in India’s Tier-2 cities, such assessments will become crucial for tracking progress and ensuring accountability among telecom service providers.
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#TRAI #LudhianaNetworkTest #5GIndia #TelecomQuality #Airtel #RelianceJio #VodafoneIdea #BSNL #MobileData #NetworkSpeedTest #DigitalIndia #TelecomRegulation #ConsumerAwareness #PunjabTelecom #OoklaIndia
