Posted On: October 21, 2025, 12:52 PM by PIB Delhi
Overview of TRAI’s Independent Drive Test in Assam
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released findings from its Independent Drive Test (IDT) conducted in August 2025 across Silchar city, Hailakandi, and Karimganj districts, along with adjoining areas in Assam’s Licensed Service Area (LSA). Supervised by TRAI’s Kolkata Regional Office, the tests assessed mobile network performance in diverse environments, including urban zones, institutional hotspots, and rural residential areas.
Scope and Methodology
From August 18 to August 22, 2025, TRAI teams covered 284.1 km of city routes, 10 hotspot locations, and 2.4 km of walk tests. The evaluation included 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G technologies to reflect user experiences across various devices. Results have been shared with Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) for further action.
Key Parameters Evaluated
- Voice Services: Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR), Drop Call Rate (DCR), Call Setup Time, Call Silence Rate, Speech Quality (Mean Opinion Score – MOS), and Coverage.
- Data Services: Download/Upload Throughput, Latency, Jitter, Packet Drop Rate, and Video Streaming Delay.
Voice Service Performance
The performance of voice services across major TSPs in auto-selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G) is summarized below:
- Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR): RJIL achieved 100%, followed by Airtel at 99.80%, VIL at 90.62%, and BSNL at 82.03%.
- Call Setup Time (CST): RJIL recorded the fastest at 0.74 seconds, followed by VIL (1.90 seconds), Airtel (1.92 seconds), and BSNL (2.88 seconds).
- Drop Call Rate (DCR): RJIL reported 0.00%, with VIL at 0.83%, Airtel at 1.18%, and BSNL at 3.04%.
- Call Silence/Mute Rate: Airtel, RJIL, and VIL recorded rates of 1.64%, 1.92%, and 3.67%, respectively, in packet-switched networks (5G/4G).
- Mean Opinion Score (MOS): VIL scored highest at 4.51, followed by Airtel (4.04), RJIL (3.83), and BSNL (2.69).
Data Service Performance
Data services were evaluated for download/upload speeds and latency across the tested areas:
- Overall Download Speeds: RJIL led with 219.13 Mbps (5G/4G), followed by Airtel (141.87 Mbps, 5G/4G/2G), VIL (22.68 Mbps, 4G/2G), and BSNL (1.69 Mbps, 4G/3G/2G).
- Overall Upload Speeds: Airtel topped at 27.26 Mbps, followed by RJIL (15.73 Mbps), VIL (6.71 Mbps), and BSNL (3.70 Mbps).
- Latency (50th Percentile): RJIL recorded the lowest at 20.55 ms, followed by Airtel (27.00 ms), VIL (48.85 ms), and BSNL (54.00 ms).
Hotspot Data Performance (in Mbps)
- Airtel: 4G Download: 32.83, 4G Upload: 11.05; 5G Download: 153.63, 5G Upload: 29.73
- BSNL: 4G Download: 1.56, 4G Upload: 4.76
- RJIL: 4G Download: 33.03, 4G Upload: 7.02; 5G Download: 311.78, 5G Upload: 22.40
- VIL: 4G Download: 26.46, 4G Upload: 9.16
Test Locations
The assessment covered key areas in Silchar, Hailakandi, and Karimganj, including Tarapur, Kumbhirgram, Banshkandi, Rongpur, Kanakpur, Srikona, Kalinagar, Lamajuar, Bagarsangan, Tazpur, Kanishail, Bagbari, Kalachera, Kanchanpur, and Algapur. Specific locations included:
- Static Testing Sites: Assam University, Cachar College, District & Sessions Judge Office (Silchar and Hailakandi), D.C. Office Sribhumi, Gangpar Dhumkar Post Office, Hailakandi Civil Hospital, Karimganj College, NIT Silchar, and Silchar Medical College and Hospital.
- Walk-Test Sites: Hailakandi Railway Station, New Karimganj Railway Station, and Silchar Railway Station.
Methodology and Reporting
The tests utilized TRAI-recommended equipment and standardized protocols to ensure accurate real-time results. The comprehensive report is available on the TRAI website (www.trai.gov.in). For further details, contact Shri Kaushik Mukherjee, Advisor, TRAI Regional Office, Kolkata, at [email protected] or +91-33-22361401.
Keyword: TRAI Network Assessment
Meta Description: TRAI’s Independent Drive Test results for mobile network performance in Silchar, Hailakandi, and Karimganj districts of Assam, evaluating voice and data services across 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks.