TRAI Evaluates Mobile Network Quality in Jammu City and Delhi–Jammu Highway Corridor

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released findings from its Independent Drive Test (IDT) conducted in the Jammu & Kashmir Licensed Service Area, offering a comprehensive assessment of mobile network performance across Jammu city and the highway stretch from Delhi to Jammu.
 

The tests, carried out between February 2 and February 5, 2026, covered 178.2 km of city routes and 620.5 km of highway corridors. In addition, evaluations were conducted at six hotspot locations, a 3.5 km walk test in busy market areas, and inter-operator calling at one location. The exercise was supervised by TRAI’s Regional Office in Delhi.
 

The study assessed network performance across 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G technologies, simulating real-world user experiences in urban zones, public transport hubs, institutional areas, and high-speed travel environments.
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Voice Services Performance
In terms of call setup success rate (CSSR), Reliance Jio (RJIL) and Vodafone Idea (VIL) performed strongly with 99.12% and 99.26%, respectively. Airtel followed closely at 98.83%, while BSNL lagged behind at 81.62%.
 

Call drop rates remained lowest for VIL at 0.60%, followed by Airtel (0.74%) and RJIL (1.18%). BSNL recorded a significantly higher drop rate of 7.87%.
 

RJIL also recorded the fastest call setup time at 0.66 seconds, while BSNL had the slowest at 4.05 seconds. In terms of voice clarity, measured by Mean Opinion Score (MOS), RJIL topped the list with 4.43, followed by Airtel (3.96), VIL (3.83), and BSNL (3.07).
 

Data Services Performance
For data performance, RJIL led with an average download speed of 295.90 Mbps, followed by Airtel at 179.53 Mbps. Vodafone Idea recorded 25.34 Mbps, while BSNL trailed at 11.30 Mbps.
 

Upload speeds were highest for RJIL (30.50 Mbps) and Airtel (30.09 Mbps), while VIL recorded 16.39 Mbps and BSNL 3.86 Mbps.
 

Latency performance showed RJIL with the lowest delay at 22.84 ms, indicating faster responsiveness, while VIL recorded the highest latency at 43.38 ms.
 

At hotspot locations, 5G speeds further highlighted RJIL’s lead, reaching download speeds of up to 298.52 Mbps, followed by Airtel at 178.53 Mbps.
 

Coverage Areas and Testing Locations
Within Jammu city, TRAI covered densely populated areas including Prem Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, Shastri Nagar, Miran Sahib, Gho Manhasan, Raipur Domana, and Narwal.
 

Key public locations such as Government Medical College Jammu, Jammu Bus Stand, Jammu Tawi Railway Station, Jewel Chowk, Raghunath Temple, and Satwari Chowk were also included in the assessment.
 

The walk test focused on high-footfall areas like Gole Market and Hari Market, capturing network performance in crowded pedestrian environments.
 

Highway Assessment
The highway drive test from Delhi to Jammu, via Ambala and Jalandhar, evaluated mobile connectivity during high-speed travel, reflecting real-time user experience on long-distance routes.
 

TRAI stated that the findings have been shared with all telecom service providers (TSPs) for necessary improvements. The tests were conducted using standardized equipment and protocols to ensure accuracy.
 

The detailed report is available on the official TRAI website.