TRAI IDT Reveals Mobile Network Performance in Himachal Pradesh LSA

Between November 11 and November 13, 2025, TRAI teams conducted detailed assessments covering 180 km of city drive routes, six hotspot locations, 2.3 km of walk tests, and inter-operator calling at one location.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released the findings of its Independent Drive Test (IDT) for the Himachal Pradesh Licensed Service Area (LSA), based on extensive field assessments conducted in November 2025. The drive tests, carried out under the supervision of the TRAI Regional Office, Delhi, were aimed at capturing real-world mobile network performance across diverse usage environments, including urban zones, institutional hotspots, public transport hubs, and high-speed corridors.

Between November 11 and November 13, 2025, TRAI teams conducted detailed assessments covering 180 km of city drive routes, six hotspot locations, 2.3 km of walk tests, and inter-operator calling at one location. The evaluation spanned multiple technologies—2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G—reflecting the service experience of subscribers using different generations of mobile networks. The IDT findings have already been shared with all concerned Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) for necessary action and improvement.

The assessment focused on key Quality of Service (QoS) parameters for both voice and data services. For voice services, parameters included Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR), Call Setup Time (CST), Drop Call Rate (DCR), Call Silence/Mute Rate, and Speech Quality measured through Mean Opinion Score (MOS). Data service performance was evaluated on parameters such as download and upload throughput, latency, jitter, packet drop rate, and video streaming delay.

In terms of voice performance, Call Setup Success Rates in auto-selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G) stood at 98.11% for Airtel, 98.64% for BSNL, 99.73% for Reliance Jio (RJIL), and 96.82% for Vodafone Idea (VIL). Call setup times were recorded at 1.44 seconds for Airtel, 3.36 seconds for BSNL, 0.79 seconds for RJIL, and 1.06 seconds for VIL. Drop Call Rates were observed at 2.20% for Airtel, 6.34% for BSNL, 0.55% for RJIL, and 0.27% for VIL. The average MOS scores, reflecting speech quality, were 3.93 for Airtel, 2.37 for BSNL, 3.70 for RJIL, and 3.88 for VIL.

Data service performance showed significant variation across operators and technologies. The overall average download speeds were recorded at 168.90 Mbps for Airtel, 8.26 Mbps for BSNL, 252.75 Mbps for RJIL, and 12.64 Mbps for VIL. Average upload speeds stood at 34.93 Mbps for Airtel, 5.37 Mbps for BSNL, 30.78 Mbps for RJIL, and 5.91 Mbps for VIL. Median latency levels were measured at 22.56 milliseconds for Airtel, 26.87 milliseconds for BSNL, 26.38 milliseconds for RJIL, and 34.40 milliseconds for VIL.

Hotspot-level assessments further highlighted the performance gap between 4G and 5G services. RJIL recorded 5G download speeds of 377.30 Mbps, while Airtel achieved 183.68 Mbps. Upload speeds on 5G networks were measured at 42.66 Mbps for Airtel and 37.08 Mbps for RJIL. BSNL and VIL hotspot performance was limited to 4G, with comparatively lower throughput levels.

The IDT assessment in Baddi covered several high-density residential and industrial areas, including Panjhera, Sobhan Majra, Bhanglan, Nalagarh, Barotiwala, and Baddi township. Public locations such as Baddi Bus Stand, Baddi University, City Hospital Baddi, Durga Kali Dham Mata Mandir, Maurice Square Mall, and Shri Arvindo Public School were also evaluated to reflect real-world user experience. Additionally, a walk test conducted on November 13, 2025, at City Square Mall and Gol Market Baddi focused on network behaviour in crowded pedestrian environments.

The tests were conducted using TRAI-recommended equipment and standardised protocols to ensure consistency and reliability of results. TRAI stated that the findings would help service providers identify gaps and take corrective measures to enhance quality of service for consumers. The detailed IDT report is available on the official TRAI website.