Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recently released the findings of its Independent Drive Test (IDT) for the Himachal Pradesh Licensed Service Area, covering Baddi city. The assessment evaluated real-world mobile network performance across urban zones, institutional hotspots, public transport hubs and high-speed corridors.

The drive tests were conducted over 180 km of city routes, along with walk tests at key commercial locations and inter-operator calling checks. Technologies assessed included 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G, reflecting the user experience across multiple handset capabilities. The findings have been shared with all concerned telecom service providers.

For voice services, call setup success rates in auto-selection mode were recorded at 98.11 per cent for Airtel, 98.64 per cent for BSNL, 99.73 per cent for RJIL and 96.82 per cent for VIL. Drop call rates stood at 2.20 per cent for Airtel, 6.34 per cent for BSNL, 0.55 per cent for RJIL and 0.27 per cent for VIL.

Data performance showed average download speeds of 168.90 Mbps for Airtel, 8.26 Mbps for BSNL, 252.75 Mbps for RJIL and 12.64 Mbps for VIL, while upload speeds ranged between 5.37 Mbps and 34.93 Mbps across operators. Latency levels were also assessed to benchmark overall network responsiveness.

The evaluation covered residential and industrial areas such as Baddi, Barotiwala, Nalagarh and surrounding localities, along with locations including Baddi Bus Stand, City Hospital, educational institutions and shopping centres. Walk tests were carried out in crowded pedestrian zones to capture performance under high user density.

According to TRAI, the tests were conducted using standardised protocols and recommended equipment to ensure accuracy. The detailed report has been made available on the TRAI website.