The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released the findings of its latest Independent Drive Test (IDT) conducted in the Jammu and Kashmir Licensed Service Area. The assessment was carried out between February 2 and 5, 2026, covering both Jammu city and the highway stretch connecting Delhi to Jammu.
The objective was to capture real-world mobile network performance across a range of environments, including urban neighbourhoods, crowded public locations, institutional areas, and high-speed travel corridors.
Key Findings from the Assessment
The exercise covered extensive ground in and around Jammu. TRAI evaluated network performance across 178.2 km of city routes and 620.5 km of highway stretches. The assessment also included hotspot testing, pedestrian walk tests in busy markets, and inter-operator calling checks.
All major mobile technologies—2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G—were included to reflect the experience of users with different types of devices.
Voice Service Performance
The findings show that private telecom operators performed strongly in terms of call connectivity. Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea recorded call setup success rates above 99 percent, while Airtel was close behind at nearly 99 percent. BSNL, however, lagged significantly with a success rate of just over 81 percent.
Call drop rates remained relatively low for most private operators, with Vodafone Idea and Airtel reporting less than one percent. Reliance Jio’s drop rate was slightly higher but still within a competitive range. BSNL recorded a much higher drop call rate of nearly eight percent, indicating reliability concerns.
Call setup time also varied across networks. Reliance Jio connected calls the fastest, while BSNL took considerably longer. In terms of call clarity, measured using the Mean Opinion Score, Reliance Jio scored the highest, followed by Airtel and Vodafone Idea. BSNL again recorded the lowest score, along with a higher rate of call silence or interruptions.
Data Service Performance
The gap between operators became more pronounced in data performance. Reliance Jio delivered the highest average download speeds at nearly 296 Mbps, followed by Airtel at around 180 Mbps. Vodafone Idea and BSNL reported significantly lower speeds, particularly in comparison to 5G-enabled networks.
Upload speeds showed a similar trend, with Reliance Jio and Airtel performing almost equally, while Vodafone Idea trailed behind and BSNL recorded the lowest figures.
Latency, which affects the responsiveness of applications such as video calls and online gaming, was lowest for Reliance Jio. Airtel and BSNL followed, while Vodafone Idea showed relatively higher latency.
Performance in High-Density Locations
TRAI also assessed network performance in key public and commercial areas, including Government Medical College Jammu, Jammu Bus Stand, Jammu Tawi Railway Station, Jewel Chowk, Satwari Chowk, and the Raghunath Temple area.
Walk tests conducted in crowded markets such as Gole Market and Hari Market provided insights into network behaviour in high-footfall pedestrian zones. The results indicated that while 5G networks from private operators maintained strong performance even in dense environments, overall service quality varied depending on congestion and location.
Hotspot testing further confirmed that 5G networks offered significantly higher speeds compared to 4G, while BSNL’s services remained limited to lower-generation technologies.
Regulatory Context
TRAI conducts Independent Drive Tests as part of its ongoing efforts to monitor telecom service quality across India. These assessments are designed to provide an objective, field-based evaluation of user experience rather than relying solely on operator-reported data.
The findings from the Jammu tests have been shared with all telecom service providers, enabling them to identify gaps and take corrective action where needed.
Public Impact
Reliable mobile connectivity is essential for communication, digital services, and economic activity. For a region like Jammu, which serves as both a major urban centre and a transit corridor, consistent network performance is particularly important.
The report highlights that while private operators are delivering strong performance in 4G and 5G services, there are still noticeable gaps in service quality across providers. This information can help consumers make informed choices and may also push operators to improve infrastructure and service delivery.
Conclusion
TRAI’s latest assessment of network quality in Jammu and along the Delhi–Jammu route underscores both progress and challenges in India’s telecom sector. While high-speed networks are expanding and delivering improved user experiences, disparities between operators remain evident.
With the regulator sharing its findings with telecom companies, the focus is likely to shift toward addressing service gaps, especially in high-density areas and along critical travel routes, as demand for seamless connectivity continues to grow.
Source : PIB
edited by D Rishidhar Reddy
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