TRAI Assesses Mobile Network Quality Across in Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka LSA.

Information Note to the Press (Press Release No 95/2026)

TELECOM REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF INDIA

www.trai.gov.in

New Delhi, 16 July 2026

For Immediate Release

TRAI Assesses Mobile Network Quality Across in Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka LSA.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released findings of Independent

Drive Test (IDT) conducted across Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka LSA, during the month

of May 2026, for information of general telecom consumers. The purpose of this drive test is to

assess and verify real time quality of mobile network services (both voice & data) provided by

Telecom Service Providers (TSPs). During the IDT, TRAI captures performance of TSPs for key

Quality of Service (QoS) parameters like Coverage, Call Drop Rate (CDR), Call Setup Success

Rate (CSSR), data Download (DL) and Upload (UL) throughput etc., which are then published to

inform Consumers and encourage TSPs to improve their services.

2. These IDTs have been designed to capture on ground mobile network performance of all

TSPs across diverse usages environment like cities, hotspots, public transport hubs, etc. In this

type of drive testing, live data and voice sessions are established using SIM cards from all TSPs

over 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks. Multiple advanced test handsets are used, and the sessions

are monitored and analysed in real-time using advanced Software Systems.

3. TRAI, through its appointed agency, conducted drive tests across City drive – 440.5 KMs,

Hotspot locations - 12, Walk Test – 8.7 KMs, Railway – 761.0 KMs, in Karwar city & nearby areas

from 18th May 2026 to 21st May 2026 in Karnataka LSA. These tests were conducted under the

supervision of the TRAI Regional Office Bengaluru. The observations presented in drive test

reports represent the performance of the TSPs on the area/ route under test on the day/ time of

conducting the drive test.

4. Drive Test Route Map: The following map provides overview of drive test routes

indicating City drive, Inter-operator calling, Hotspots and Walk tests, as per the legends shown on

the map:-

5. Key Parameters Assessed

a) Coverage Gap: Percentage of samples, for which signal strength observed less than

the minimum prescribed signal strength for respective technology (2G/ 3G/ 4G/ 5G).

b) Voice Services: Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR), Drop Call Rate (DCR), Call Setup

Time, Call Silence Rate, Speech Quality (MOS).

c) Call Silence Instance: Number of call silence instance occurred during the calls.

d) Data Servies: Download/ Upload Throughput, Latency, Jitter, Packet Drop Rate

6. The overall mobile network performance in Uttara Kannada District for the key parameters

has been summarised below:-

a) Coverage Gap - The signal strength observed during voice testing on the drive test

route in auto-selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G), measured as the number of samples

having poor signal strength out of the total samples collected, was 5104/34323 for

Airtel, 10378/35480 for BSNL, 7089/37941 for RJIL and 6626/28580 for VIL. Details

of the coverage gaps have been provided in the map Annexed.

b) Dropped Calls - Dropped calls, measured as the number of dropped calls out of the

number of successfully established calls, were 14/311 for Airtel, 28/306 for BSNL,

17/346 for RJIL and 12/260 for VIL. Details of the dropped call locations have been

provided in the map Annexed.

c) Call Silence Instance - Call silence instances, measured as the total number of silence

instances observed for > 3 seconds out of the total calls established, were 17/ 304 for

Airtel, 8/ 274 for BSNL, 12/331 for RJIL and 8/230 for VIL. Details of the call silence

instance locations have been provided in the map Annexed.

d) Data Download and Upload Throughput:

i) Data Download performance (Overall): Average download speed was observed

as 109.02 Mbps for Airtel (5G/4G), 5.73 Mbps for BSNL (4G), 229.12 Mbps for

RJIL (5G/4G) and 25.04 Mbps for VIL (5G/4G/2G). Detail of Download throughput

has been provided in the map Annexed.

ii) Data Upload performance (Overall): Average upload speed was observed as

26.02 Mbps for Airtel (5G/4G), 2.07 Mbps for BSNL (4G), 18.19 Mbps for RJIL

(5G/4G) and 10.78 Mbps for VIL (5G/4G/2G). Detail of Upload throughput has been

provided in the map Annexed.

Locations of Dropped Calls and Call Silence instances can be seen by clicking red

dot on the map Annexed.

7. Details of drive test route and area covered during the IDT is as under:-

a) City - The areas covered in the city drive are Shirwada, Kodibag, Hattikeri, Ankola,

Mirjan, Bhatkal, Anantwadi, Kasarkoda, Kumta, Devimane, Sirsi, Manchikere, Yellapur,

Bhagavati, Ambikanagar, Dandeli, Bapeli, Ganeshgudi and Haliyal etc. in Uttara

Kannada District.

b) Railway Route - Bengaluru to Karwar passing through Hassan, Mangaluru, Udupi,

Murdeshwar and Ankola etc.

c) Hotspot - The hot spot locations, capturing stationary user experience, are Ankola Bus

Stand, Bhatkal Bus Stand, Dandeli Bus Stand, District Hospital Karwar, Government

Hospital Dandeli, Government Hospital Haliyal, Haliyal Bus Stand, Honnavar Bus

Stand, Karwar Bus Stand, Kumta Bus Stand, Sirsi Bus Stand, and Yellapura Bus Stand.

d) Walk Test - The walk tests conducted on 19th to 20th May 2026, covered Bhatkal Old

Town Walkway, Karwar Beach Promenade Stretch, Kumta Town Bazaar Walk,

Murdeshwar Beach & Temple Walkway, and Sirsi Sri Marikamba Temple.etc.

8. The findings of this IDT report have been shared with respective TSPs for taking further

necessary action at their end. Detailed reports of IDT are made available on the TRAI website at

www.trai.gov.in. For any clarification or additional information, an email can be sent to

adv.bengaluru@trai.gov.in or Regional Office of TRAI at Bengaluru RO can be contacted on

telephone No. +91-80-22865004.

Annexure

1. Uttara Kannada District:

a) Coverage Gap – The coverage distribution found less than the minimum specified signal

strength for the drive test route in auto-selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G) during voice testing,

is as below:

Parameter AIRTE

L BSNL RJIL VIL

Total Number of Samples captured on Drive test

route 34323 35480 37941 28580

Number of Samples having poor signal strength 5104 10378 7089 6626

Number of Samples having limited service (No

Coverage) 6487 4479 3755 9565

Note: Signal strength has been considered poor if it falls below −110 dBm for 5G & 4G, −90

dBm for 3G, and −85 dBm for 2G.

Coverage Gap observed

Note: Plot is based on Dynamic Drive Test results only.

VIL

AIRTEL BSNL

RJIL

b) Dropped Calls - The TSP-wise details of dropped calls in auto-selection mode (5G/ 4G/

3G/ 2G) are as below:-

Parameter AIRTEL BSNL RJIL VIL

Number of successful Calls Established 311 306 346 260

Number of dropped Calls 14 28 17 12

Locations of Dropped Calls

Note: Dropped calls locations are shown in red colour and which can be clicked to know the

exact location (latitude and longitude) on the map.

VIL

AIRTEL

RJIL

BSNL

c) Call Silence Instance - The TSP-wise details of Call silence instance in Auto-selection

mode (5G/4G) are as below:-

Parameter AIRTEL BSNL RJIL VIL

Call Established

(within service provider network) 304 274 331 230

Number of silences calls for >3 Sec 17 8 12 8

Total number of silence instances for >3

Sec 24 10 15 8

Locations of Call Silence Instance

Note: Call silence instances are shown in red color and which can be clicked to know the

exact location (latitude and longitude) on the map.

VIL

AIRTEL

RJIL

BSNL

d) Data Download and Upload throughput: The TSP-wise details of Average Download

(DL) and Upload (UL) throughput against declared typical DL/UL Throughput for month,

in Auto-selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G) are as below:-

(i) Download Throughput

Parameter Measured

AIRTEL

(upto

5G)

BSNL

(upto

4G)

RJIL

(upto

5G)

VIL

(upto

4G)

Typical Download

throughput declared by

TSP

(Mbits/s) 9.79 10.46 15.00 15.00

Average Download

Throughput measured

during IDT

(Mbits/s) 109.02 5.73 229.12 25.04

Note: Plot is based on Dynamic Drive Test results only.

VILRJIL

BSNLAIRTEL

(ii) Upload Throughput

Parameter Measured

AIRTEL

(upto

5G)

BSNL

(upto

4G)

RJIL

(upto

5G)

VIL

(upto

4G)

Typical upload throughput

declared by TSP (Mbits/s) 5.60 3.41 7.00 8.00

Average Upload Throughput

measured during IDT (Mbits/s) 26.02 2.07 18.19 10.78

Note: Plot is based on Dynamic Drive Test results only.

BSNL

RJIL VIL

AIRTEL

2. Bengaluru to Karwar Railway:

a) Coverage Gap – The coverage distribution found less than the minimum specified signal

strength for the drive test route in auto-selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G) during voice testing,

is as below:-

Parameter AIRTEL BSNL RJIL VIL

Total Number of Samples captured on Drive test

route 44653 37684 45911 38986

Number of Samples having poor signal strength 12528 17526 9986 15934

Number of Samples having Limited Service (No

Coverage) 3414 7448 1837 7003

Note: Signal strength has been considered poor if it falls below −110 dBm for 5G & 4G, −90

dBm for 3G, and −85 dBm for 2G.

Coverage Gap observed

AIRTEL

BSNL

Note: Plot is based on Dynamic Drive Test results only.

RJIL

VIL

b) Dropped Calls - The TSP-wise details of dropped calls in auto-selection mode (5G/ 4G/

3G/ 2G) are as below:-

Parameter AIRTEL BSNL RJIL VIL

Number of successful Calls Established 238 211 250 218

Number of dropped Calls 18 47 26 56

Locations of Dropped Calls

Note: Dropped calls locations are shown in red colour and which can be clicked to know the

exact location (latitude and longitude) on the map.

VIL

AIRTEL

RJIL

BSNL

c) Data Download and Upload throughput: The TSP-wise details of Average Download

(DL) and Upload (UL) throughput against declared typical DL/UL Throughput for month,

in Auto-selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G) are as below:-

(i) Download Throughput

Parameter Measured

AIRTEL

(upto

5G)

BSNL

(upto

4G)

RJIL

(upto

5G)

VIL

(upto

4G)

Typical Download

throughput declared by

TSP

(Mbits/s) 9.79 10.46 15.00 15.00

Average Download

Throughput measured

during IDT

(Mbits/s) 28.43 5.49 121.15 12.94

BSNL

AIRTEL

Note: Plot is based on Dynamic Drive Test results only.

RJIL

VIL

(ii) Upload Throughput

Parameter Measured

AIRTEL

(upto

5G)

BSNL

(upto

4G)

RJIL

(upto

5G)

VIL

(upto

4G)

Typical upload throughput

declared by TSP (Mbits/s) 5.60 3.41 7.00 8.00

Average Upload Throughput

measured during IDT (Mbits/s) 11.21 2.14 8.03 7.99

AIRTEL

BSNL

Note: Plot is based on Dynamic Drive Test results only.

VIL

RJIL