TRAI Finds Strong 5G Performance in Gorakhpur Network Audit

BSNL recorded the highest number of coverage gap instances during testing in both city and railway segments, indicating areas where signal strength fell below prescribed standards.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released the results of an Independent Drive Test (IDT) conducted across Gorakhpur city and the Lucknow-Gorakhpur railway corridor, offering a detailed picture of mobile network performance in the region. The assessment, carried out between May 4 and May 8, 2026, examined the quality of voice and data services delivered by major telecom operators, including Airtel, BSNL, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea.

The exercise covered more than 340 kilometres of city routes, nearly 300 kilometres of railway tracks, several hotspot locations, and pedestrian-heavy areas to evaluate real-world user experiences across different environments.

Extensive Testing Across City and Railway Routes

The drive test covered key areas of Gorakhpur, including Gorakhnath, Pipraich, Bhathat, Taramandal, Shahpur, Ramjanki Nagar, Gorakhpur Airport, Govindpur, Belghat, and several surrounding localities. Hotspot testing was conducted at locations such as AIIMS Gorakhpur, Gorakhnath Temple, Gorakhpur Junction, MMM University of Technology, Mahayogi Gorakhnath University, and Orion Mall.

TRAI also carried out walk tests in crowded public spaces, including Ambedkar Park, Nauka Vihar at Ramgarh Tal, and Vijay Chowk Market. Railway network performance was assessed on the Lucknow-Gorakhpur route passing through Barabanki, Ayodhya, Mankapur, Basti, and Khalilabad. The testing measured critical service quality indicators such as network coverage, call setup success rate, call drops, speech quality, data download and upload speeds, latency, and packet loss.

Jio and Airtel Lead Data Speed Performance

The findings showed that Reliance Jio delivered the highest average download speed in Gorakhpur city and nearby areas at 204.44 Mbps, followed by Airtel at 116.48 Mbps. Vodafone Idea recorded 64.50 Mbps, while BSNL's average download speed stood at 5.54 Mbps.

On the Lucknow-Gorakhpur railway route, Jio again recorded the fastest average download speed at 68.38 Mbps. Airtel followed with 38.73 Mbps, while Vodafone Idea and BSNL registered 28.51 Mbps and 5.53 Mbps, respectively.

For upload performance within Gorakhpur city, Airtel recorded the highest average speed at 21.49 Mbps, closely followed by Jio at 19.74 Mbps. Vodafone Idea achieved 14.83 Mbps, while BSNL registered 2.67 Mbps.

BSNL Faces Higher Coverage Gaps and Call Drops

The report highlighted significant differences in network coverage among operators. BSNL recorded the highest number of coverage gap instances during testing in both city and railway segments, indicating areas where signal strength fell below prescribed standards.

Call drop performance also varied considerably. In Gorakhpur city and nearby areas, BSNL registered 22 dropped calls out of 431 successfully established calls, while Airtel recorded one dropped call, Jio two, and Vodafone Idea four. Similar trends were observed along the railway route, where BSNL reported 25 dropped calls out of 78 successful connections.

TRAI noted that the findings reflect network conditions during the specific period and locations of testing. The results have been shared with telecom operators for corrective action and service improvement.

The regulator said such independent assessments are intended to help consumers understand mobile service quality while encouraging operators to strengthen network performance in areas where gaps remain.