TRAI Assesses Mobile Network Quality Across Highway & Railway Route- Hindupur to Hyderabad etc.

Information Note to the Press (Press Release No g2:./2026)

TELECOM REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF INDIA

www.trai.gov.in

Hyderabad,.!l·;( ,2026

For Immediate Release

TRAI Assesses Mobile Network Quality Across Highway Route- Hindupur to Hyderabad

passing through Anantapur, Dhone, Kurnool and Jadcherla etc.

Railway Route- Hyderabad to Hindupur passing through Jadcherla, Kurnool Town, Dhone

Junction, Gooty Junction, Anantapur and Dharmavaram Junction etc.

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

Independent Drive Test (IDT) conducted across Rail Hyderabad to Hindupur and

Highway Hindupur to Hyderabad under AP LSA, during the month of April 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 Highway

473. 7 KMs and Railway - 515.8 Kms, Hindupur to Hyderabad - Highway and

Hyderabad to Hindupur - Railway from 20th April 2026 to 21st April 2026 in

Andhra Pradesh LSA. These tests were conducted under the supervision of

the TRAI Regional Office Hyderabad. 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

indicatin Hi hwa and Railwa as er the le ends shown on the map:-

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0 Tandur

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0 Hyderabad

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t ul larnalJ

Atmali.ur

l~!Hf 3 seconds out of the total calls established,

were 7/165 for Airtel , 13/148 for BSNL 4/167 RJIL and 12/167 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. 79 Mbps for Airtel (5G/4G), 10.96 Mbps for BSNL

(3G), 244.03 Mbps for RJIL (5G/4G) and 22.62 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 22.50 Mbps for Airtel (SG/4G), 4.0 Mbps for BSNL (3G),

18 .02 Mbps for RJIL (5G/4G) and 7.49 Mbps for VIL {5G/4G/2G).

Detail of Upload throughput has been provided in the map Annexed.

ffice

ee Kumar

Hyderabad to Hindupur Railway:

a) Coverage Gap - (i) 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 1205/25211 for Airtel, 8305/23798 for BSNL, 1318/25056

for RJIL and 3311/24771 for VIL. Details of the coverage gaps have been

provided in the map Annexed.

(ii) 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 Limited Service (NO Coverage) out of the total samples collected,

was 5/25211 for Airtel , 463/23798 for BSNL, 83/25056 for RJIL and

190/24771 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 0/126 for Airtel ,

28/134 for BSNL, 2/127 for RJIL and 8/126 for VIL. Details of the dropped

call locations have been provided in the map Annexed.

c) Data Download and Upload Throughput:

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

observed as 25.16 Mbps for Airtel (5G/4G), 10.61 Mbps for BSNL (3G),

119.61 Mbps for RJIL (5G/4G) and 19.87 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 9.38 Mbps for Airtel (5G/4G), 6 .02 Mbps for BSNL (3G) ,

10.41 Mbps for RJIL (5G/4G) and 9.69 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) Highway- Hindupur to Hyderabad passing through Anantapur, Dhone, Kurnool

and Jadcherla etc.

b) Railway- Hyderabad to Hindupur passing t hrough Jadcherla, Kurnool Town,

Dhone Junction, Gooty Junction, Anantapura and Dharmavaram Junction etc.

8. Th e 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.hydreabad@trai.qov.in or Regional

of TRAI can be contacted on telephone no. 040-23000761.

Advisor, RO Hyderabad

1. Hindupur to Hyderabad Highway: Annexure

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 33655 32128 33289 33216

Number of Samples having poor signal strength 427 7003 751 4021

Number of Samples having limited service (No Coverage) 0 94 0 35

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

BSNL

AIRTEL

RJIL VIL

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

BSNL

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 169 169 169 170

Number of dropped Calls 0 15 0 6

Locations of Dropped Calls

VIL

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.

AIRTEL 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) 165 148 167 167

Number of silences calls for >3 Sec 5 10 3 7

Total number of silence instances for >3 Sec 7 13 4 12

Locations of Call Silence Instance

RJIL VIL

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

location (latitude and longitude) on the map.

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 5G)

Typical Download throughput

declared by TSP (Mbits/s) 16.91 3.00 15.00 15.00

Average Download

Throughput measured during

IDT

(Mbits/s) 109.79 10.96 244.03 22.62

BSNAIRTEL

RJIL VIL

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

(ii) Upload Throughput

Parameter

Typical upload throughput

declared by TSP

Average Upload Throughput

measured during IDT

Measured

(Mbits/s)

AIRTEL

(upto 5G)

4.98

22.50

BSNL

(upto 4G)

3.00

4.00

RJIL

(upto 5G)

7.00

18.02

VIL

(upto 5G)

8.00

7.49

BSNAIRTEL

RJIL VIL

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

2. Hyderabad to Hindupur 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 25211 23798 25056 24771

Number of Samples having poor signal strength 1205 8305 1318 3311

Number of Samples having limited service (No Coverage) 5 463 83 190

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

BSNL

AIRTEL

RJIL VIL

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

L L

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 126 134 127 126

Number of dropped Calls 0 28 2 8

Locations of Dropped Calls

BSN

VIL

RJI

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.

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 5G)

Typical Download throughput

declared by TSP (Mbits/s) 16.91 3.00 15.00 15.00

Average Download

Throughput measured during

IDT

(Mbits/s) 25.60 10.61 119.61 19.87

AIRTEL BSN

RJIL VIL

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

(ii) Upload Throughput

Parameter Measured

AIRTEL

(upto 5G)

BSNL

(upto 4G)

RJIL

(upto 5G) VIL

(upto 5G)

Typical upload throughput

declared by TSP (Mbits/s) 4.98 3.00 7.00 8.00

Average Upload Throughput

measured during IDT (Mbits/s) 9.38 6.02 10.41 9.69

BSNLAIRTEL

RJIL VIL

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