TRAI drive test reviews mobile network quality in Mizoram districts

TRAI conducted the assessment over 342.4 kilometres of city routes, covering 11 hotspot locations and 1.3 kilometres of walk tests in crowded public areas.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released the results of an Independent Drive Test (IDT) conducted across Lunglei, Lawngtlai and Siaha districts in Mizoram, providing consumers with a detailed assessment of mobile network performance offered by telecom service providers. The tests, carried out between 20 and 23 May 2026, evaluated real-world voice and data services across city roads, public hotspots and pedestrian areas, helping identify network strengths and areas that require improvement.

TRAI conducted the assessment over 342.4 kilometres of city routes, covering 11 hotspot locations and 1.3 kilometres of walk tests in crowded public areas. The exercise was supervised by TRAI's Regional Office in Kolkata. Engineers tested networks using live voice calls and mobile data sessions across 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G services. The study measured key quality indicators including network coverage, call setup success, dropped calls, call quality, download and upload speeds, latency and packet loss. The authority noted that the findings reflect network performance at the specific locations and times when the tests were conducted.

Coverage and call quality varied among operators

The report found differences in network coverage across the four operators tested—Airtel, BSNL, Reliance Jio (RJIL) and Vodafone Idea (Vi). Coverage gaps, based on poor signal strength samples recorded during voice testing, were highest for BSNL, followed by Vi, while Airtel and Reliance Jio recorded comparatively lower coverage gaps on the routes surveyed.

Call drop performance also varied. During the tests, Airtel recorded 21 dropped calls out of 334 successful connections, BSNL 50 out of 222, Reliance Jio 7 out of 344, and Vi 46 out of 207. TRAI also measured call silence instances, where audio interruptions lasting more than three seconds occurred during active calls. Airtel recorded 45 instances, BSNL 7, Reliance Jio 34, and Vi 4 during the assessment.

Jio leads download speeds during testing

Reliance Jio recorded the highest average download speed at 69.89 Mbps, followed by Airtel with 59.88 Mbps. Vodafone Idea achieved 16.05 Mbps, while BSNL recorded an average download speed of 5.46 Mbps. For upload performance, Airtel led with an average speed of 11.83 Mbps, followed by Reliance Jio at 5.22 Mbps, Vodafone Idea at 3.43 Mbps, and BSNL at 2.10 Mbps.

The testing covered several residential areas, government offices, hospitals, colleges, markets and other public locations across the three districts. TRAI said the findings have been shared with the respective telecom operators so they can address network issues and improve service quality where necessary.