TRAI Test Reveals Mobile Network Gaps Across Shimla and Solan

The Independent Drive Test, carried out from June 15 to 19, 2026, examined Airtel, BSNL, Reliance Jio (RJIL) and Vodafone Idea (VIL) under real-world conditions.

Mobile users across Shimla, Solan and the highway connecting the two cities experienced noticeable differences in network coverage, call reliability and internet speeds among major telecom operators during an independent test conducted by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

The Independent Drive Test, carried out from June 15 to 19, 2026, examined Airtel, BSNL, Reliance Jio (RJIL) and Vodafone Idea (VIL) under real-world conditions. Testing covered 384.8 km of city routes, 35.9 km of highway, 12 stationary hotspots and 4.9 km of walking routes, giving TRAI a picture of how networks performed during actual voice and data use.

Jio records fastest average downloads

Data speeds showed some of the clearest differences between operators, particularly between the 5G networks tested for Airtel and Jio and the 4G services measured for BSNL and Vodafone Idea.

In Shimla and nearby areas, Jio recorded the highest average download speed at 163.01 Mbps on 5G, compared with Airtel's 83.09 Mbps. BSNL averaged 10.99 Mbps on 4G, while Vodafone Idea recorded 10.30 Mbps.

Solan produced even higher 5G results, with Jio averaging 208.71 Mbps and Airtel reaching 170.17 Mbps. Average upload speeds were close between the two operators at 26.55 Mbps for Jio and 26.31 Mbps for Airtel, while Vodafone Idea and BSNL recorded 6.38 Mbps and 6.35 Mbps respectively on 4G.

Jio also led average downloads on the Solan-Shimla highway at 126.64 Mbps, followed by Airtel at 81.98 Mbps, BSNL at 11.20 Mbps and Vodafone Idea at 9.13 Mbps.

Coverage and dropped calls show sharp differences

TRAI measured coverage gaps by counting samples where signal strength fell below the prescribed minimum for the network technology being used. In Shimla, Jio recorded 2,118 poor-signal samples out of 45,696, while Airtel had 3,553 out of 45,850. BSNL recorded 7,735 out of 43,507 and Vodafone Idea 10,778 out of 43,236.

Call performance also varied. Airtel and Jio each recorded one dropped call in the Shimla test, compared with 47 for BSNL and 20 for Vodafone Idea. Jio had 11 call-silence instances lasting more than three seconds, while Airtel recorded 35, Vodafone Idea 41 and BSNL 50.

On the Solan-Shimla highway, Jio and Vodafone Idea completed the tested calls without a recorded drop, while Airtel had one dropped call out of 22 successfully established calls and BSNL recorded eight out of 22.

The results represent network conditions at the specific places, dates and times tested, meaning they should not be treated as a measurement of every customer's experience across Himachal Pradesh.

Tests cover hospitals, roads and busy public spaces

TRAI designed the exercise to capture network performance in environments where people regularly use their phones, rather than limiting testing to controlled locations.

City routes covered areas including Kufri, Sanjauli, New Shimla, Mashobra, Fagu, Theog, Narkanda, Parwanoo, Dharampur and Chambaghat. Stationary tests were conducted at locations such as hospitals, courts, universities, bus terminals and Shri Sankat Mochan Hanuman Mandir, while walk tests covered Shimla's Mall Road and railway station.

The assessment examined coverage, Call Setup Success Rate, dropped calls, call setup time, speech quality, silence during calls, download and upload speeds, latency, jitter and packet loss using live sessions across available 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G networks.

TRAI has shared the findings with the telecom service providers for further action, giving operators detailed information that can help identify weak coverage areas and other network problems requiring attention.