TRAI Drive Test Shows Strong Mobile Network Performance in Punjab

TRAI conducted the drive tests through its appointed agency between 16 and 19 March 2026 under the supervision of its Regional Office in Jaipur.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released the findings of an Independent Drive Test (IDT) conducted across Bathinda city, Sri Muktsar Sahib city, and the Amritsar–Bathinda railway route in Punjab during March 2026. The exercise was undertaken to assess the real-world quality of mobile network services provided by telecom operators and to provide consumers with transparent information on network performance.

The drive tests evaluated key Quality of Service (QoS) parameters including network coverage, call drop rates, call setup success rates, speech quality, data download and upload speeds, latency, and packet loss. The assessment covered city routes, hotspot locations, and railway corridors, offering a comprehensive picture of mobile service quality across different usage environments.

Extensive Testing Conducted Across Cities and Rail Routes

TRAI conducted the drive tests through its appointed agency between 16 and 19 March 2026 under the supervision of its Regional Office in Jaipur. The exercise covered approximately 276.8 kilometres of city routes, six hotspot locations, and 282.8 kilometres along the Amritsar–Bathinda railway route.

The testing methodology involved establishing live voice and data sessions using SIM cards from all major telecom service providers (TSPs) across 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks. Advanced testing handsets and specialised software systems were used to monitor and analyse network performance in real time.

TRAI noted that the findings represent the network performance of operators in the specific locations and at the time when the drive tests were conducted. The results are intended to help consumers make informed choices while encouraging telecom operators to improve service quality where required.

Reliance Jio and Airtel Lead in Data Speeds

The report indicates that Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (RJIL) and Bharti Airtel delivered the strongest data performance across most test locations.

In Bathinda city, RJIL recorded the highest average download speed at 198.27 Mbps, followed by Airtel at 151.88 Mbps. Vodafone Idea Limited (VIL) achieved 34.07 Mbps, while BSNL recorded 14.55 Mbps. For upload speeds, Airtel led with 18.53 Mbps, followed by VIL at 15.97 Mbps and RJIL at 14.19 Mbps.

In Sri Muktsar Sahib, RJIL again topped download performance with an average speed of 222.90 Mbps, while Airtel recorded 172.32 Mbps. BSNL and VIL registered average download speeds of 18.20 Mbps and 26.51 Mbps respectively. Upload speeds ranged from 5 Mbps for BSNL to over 13 Mbps for VIL.

Along the Amritsar–Bathinda railway corridor, RJIL maintained its lead with average download speeds of 111.72 Mbps, while Airtel achieved 95.82 Mbps. BSNL recorded 18.36 Mbps and VIL 11.11 Mbps. Airtel delivered the highest upload speed on the railway route at 19.89 Mbps.

The findings demonstrate the growing impact of 4G and 5G networks in enhancing data connectivity across urban and transport corridors in Punjab.

BSNL Faces Higher Coverage Gaps and Call Drops

The drive test also measured network coverage quality by identifying areas where signal strength fell below acceptable thresholds.

In Bathinda city, BSNL recorded the highest number of poor signal samples, with 7,669 instances out of 29,845 samples collected. In comparison, Airtel recorded 287 poor-signal samples, RJIL 378, and VIL 283. Similar trends were observed in Sri Muktsar Sahib and along the railway route, where BSNL registered significantly larger coverage gaps than competing operators.

Call drop performance also varied among operators. In Bathinda city, Airtel recorded no dropped calls, while BSNL experienced four dropped calls out of 268 successfully established calls. RJIL and VIL each recorded one dropped call. In Sri Muktsar Sahib, BSNL again registered the highest number of dropped calls with two, while Airtel and VIL recorded none. Along the railway route, BSNL experienced eight dropped calls, compared to two for Airtel and none for RJIL and VIL.

The report also assessed call silence incidents, which occur when users experience silence during an ongoing conversation. In Bathinda city, VIL recorded the highest number of call silence instances, while Airtel and RJIL reported fewer occurrences. Sri Muktsar Sahib witnessed relatively low call silence incidents across all operators.

Findings Shared with Telecom Operators for Improvement

The drive tests covered a wide range of locations, including residential areas, commercial zones, transport hubs and railway stations. Key locations assessed included Behman Diwana, Bhucho Mandi, Goniana and Guru Gobind Singh Nagar in Bathinda; Bhalaiana, Doda, New Grain Market and Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar in Sri Muktsar Sahib; and railway stations such as Beas Junction, Jalandhar City Junction, Sultanpur Lodhi, Firozpur Cantonment, Faridkot and Kot Kapura along the rail route.

TRAI has shared the findings with the respective telecom service providers for further action wherever improvements may be necessary. The regulator stated that independent drive tests form an important part of its efforts to monitor service quality, enhance consumer awareness and encourage operators to strengthen network performance.

By publishing objective and transparent assessments of network quality, TRAI aims to promote better service standards and ensure that consumers receive reliable voice and data services across the country.