TRAI Releases May 2025 Mobile Network Test Report for Himachal Pradesh

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released the results of its Independent Drive Test (IDT) for the Himachal Pradesh Licensed Service Area (LSA), offering an in-depth assessment of mobile network performance across city routes, highways, railway corridors, and institutional zones during the period 26th–28th May 2025. The findings, gathered using standardized protocols and calibrated equipment, highlight the user experience across 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G technologies and bring to light crucial performance trends among major telecom operators.

Conducted under the supervision of the TRAI Regional Office, Delhi, the test covered:

• 116.6 km of urban road segments

• 283.9 km of intercity highways

• 384.8 km of railway lines

• Five high-traffic hotspot locations

• 2.3 km of pedestrian walk tests

The report evaluates key quality of service (QoS) metrics, providing actionable insights for both telecom service providers (TSPs) and consumers.

Voice Services: Call Quality Varies Across Operators

The IDT assessed several voice-related parameters, including Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR), Drop Call Rate (DCR), Call Setup Time, Call Silence Rate, and Speech Quality (Mean Opinion Score - MOS).

Key Voice Performance Indicators:

BSNL emerged as the weakest performer in voice services, showing a high drop call rate (15.69%) and low MOS (2.61). Airtel and RJIL performed strongly, with RJIL having the lowest call setup time at 0.76 seconds.

Data Services: 5G Delivers, BSNL Lags

Data performance was measured via average download and upload speeds, latency, jitter, packet loss, and video streaming delays. These tests were conducted across general coverage areas and concentrated hotspots in urban settings.

Overall Data Speed (All Locations):

RJIL and Airtel led with high-speed 5G/4G offerings, whereas BSNL’s performance remained substantially lower, reflecting outdated network infrastructure and limited bandwidth.

Hotspot Data Performance (in Mbps):

Airtel showcased exceptional 5G speeds, reaching a peak download speed of 572.97 Mbps and upload speed of 62.30 Mbps. RJIL followed closely with 5G speeds exceeding 300 Mbps, while BSNL and VIL offered limited to no 5G services in the hotspots tested.

Regions and Institutions Covered in the Survey

In an effort to represent real-world user conditions, TRAI teams tested network performance in multiple high-density and high-usage locations across Una and Mandi districts:

• Urban Residential Clusters: Barnoh, Dangoli, Jal Gran, Jhalera, Lal Singhi (Una); Pakhri, Narla, Padhar, Kotropi (Mandi)

• Institutions: IIT Mandi, ICFAI Una, ISBT Una, District & Sessions Court Una, Sunrise Hospital Una

• Railway Nodes: Una Railway Station, Mandi Regional Tracks

• Walk Tests: Urban pedestrian zones in both cities

• Highways: Key road links including Una-Mandi corridor via Sundarnagar, Bilaspur, Barsar, Hamirpur, and Rewalsar

These areas were chosen to reflect typical usage in homes, educational institutions, transportation hubs, and high-speed mobility corridors.

TRAI’s Perspective: Towards Evidence-Based Telecom Improvements

Commenting on the findings, TRAI Chairman Shri Anil Kumar Lahoti said:

“As India transitions into a digitally connected economy, real-world user experience must shape our regulatory priorities. The IDT reflects this mission—benchmarking operators and enabling data-driven service enhancements.”

TRAI confirmed that the detailed results have been shared with all concerned TSPs and that corrective actions are expected in areas showing below-par performance. The authority also called on providers to optimize 5G rollouts, invest in backhaul capacity, and prioritize underserved districts.

Accessing the Report and Contact Information

The full IDT report for Himachal Pradesh LSA is available for public access on the official TRAI website at www.trai.gov.in.

For further clarification or information:

• Shri Vivek Khare, Advisor, TRAI Regional Office (Delhi)

• Email: adv.ca@trai.gov.in

• Phone: +91-11-20907772