The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released the findings of its Independent Drive Test (IDT) for the Assam Licensed Service Area (LSA), covering Silchar city, Hailakandi, Karimganj districts, and adjoining regions. Conducted between 18 and 22 August 2025, the tests assessed mobile network performance across urban zones, rural areas, and institutional hotspots.

Supervised by the TRAI Regional Office, Kolkata, the tests evaluated 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G technologies, capturing real-world user experience across a 284.1 km city drive, 10 hotspot locations, and 2.4 km of walk tests.

Key Findings

TRAI’s evaluation revealed strong 5G performance, particularly by Reliance Jio (RJIL) and Airtel, with both operators achieving near-perfect voice connectivity and high data speeds.

Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR): Airtel – 99.8 per cent, BSNL – 82.03 per cent, RJIL – 100 per cent, VIL – 90.62 per cent.

Drop Call Rate (DCR): Airtel – 1.18 per cent, BSNL – 3.04 per cent, RJIL – 0 per cent, VIL – 0.83 per cent.

Call Setup Time: RJIL recorded the fastest setup time at 0.74 seconds.

Mean Opinion Score (MOS): Airtel – 4.04, BSNL – 2.69, RJIL – 3.83, VIL – 4.51.

Data Performance

5G networks delivered significantly faster speeds and lower latency than 4G:

Average Download Speed: RJIL – 219.13 Mbps, Airtel – 141.87 Mbps, VIL – 22.68 Mbps, BSNL – 1.69 Mbps.

Average Upload Speed: Airtel – 27.26 Mbps, RJIL – 15.73 Mbps, VIL – 6.71 Mbps, BSNL – 3.70 Mbps.

Latency (50th percentile): RJIL – 20.55 ms, Airtel – 27.00 ms, VIL – 48.85 ms, BSNL – 54.00 ms.

At hotspot locations, RJIL’s 5G network recorded the highest average download speed of 311.78 Mbps and upload speed of 22.40 Mbps, while Airtel’s 5G network achieved 153.63 Mbps download and 29.73 Mbps upload speeds.

Coverage and Sites

Testing covered areas such as Tarapur, Kumbhirgram, Kanakpur, Srikona, Kalinagar, and Algapur, and institutions like Assam University, NIT Silchar, Cachar College, Hailakandi Civil Hospital, and Silchar Medical College and Hospital. Static and walk tests were also carried out at Silchar, Hailakandi, and Karimganj railway stations.

Summary

TRAI confirmed that the tests were conducted using standardised protocols and approved equipment, ensuring accuracy and consistency. The findings highlight a notable improvement in 5G performance, particularly in download speeds and call connectivity, with Reliance Jio and Airtel emerging as the best performers in the region.

The detailed IDT report is available on the TRAI website (www.trai.gov.in )