34ºc, Sunny 
New Delhi, 2 Jan 2026: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released the findings of its Independent Drive Test (IDT) conducted in November 2025 across Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh district and nearby regions, including major highways (NH-19, NH-20, NH-22) from Ranchi to Patna and the Patna-Ranchi railway corridor.
The drive tests, monitored by TRAI’s Kolkata regional office, aimed to assess real-world mobile network performance for urban areas, institutions, commercial zones, residential complexes, highways, and railway routes, based on end-user experience across 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks.
Testing Overview:
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Urban driving test: 220.9 km
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Pedestrian test: 2.1 km
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Highway driving test: 327.5 km
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Railway test: 376.9 km
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Hotspot locations tested: 18
Key QoS Metrics Assessed:
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Voice Services: Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR), Call Drop Rate (DCR), Call Setup Time (CST), Mean Opinion Score (MOS), coverage
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Data Services: Upload/download throughput, latency, jitter, packet drop, video streaming delay
Network Performance Summary:
| Service Provider | City CSSR (%) | Highway CSSR (%) | Railway CSSR (%) | City DCR (%) | Highway DCR (%) | Railway DCR (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airtel | 99.65 | 100.00 | 81.48 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.82 |
| BSNL | 72.14 | 79.04 | 14.72 | 8.54 | 9.09 | 11.32 |
| RJIL | 99.66 | 100.00 | 95.87 | 0.34 | 0.00 | 4.31 |
| VIL | 89.31 | 82.18 | 59.43 | 7.75 | 9.09 | 23.08 |
During the tests, 5G networks recorded maximum average download speeds of 199.26 Mbps and upload speeds of 24.47 Mbps.
Observations:
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Airtel and RJIL led in network performance in urban, highway, and railway segments.
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BSNL and VIL showed weaker signals in multiple locations under auto-selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G).
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The evaluated areas included Hazaribagh, Kariyatpur, Harli Peto, Daru, Amanari, Kesura, Sita Garha, Hurhuru, Nawada, Hupad, Harm, Hardi, Badkagaon, Pakri Barwadih, Jamuwari, Sundari, and surrounding regions.
Conclusion:
TRAI’s assessment highlights the strengths and gaps in mobile connectivity along key transport and residential routes. These findings will help service providers enhance network quality, coverage, and user experience, ensuring travelers and residents benefit from reliable voice and high-speed data services.
The detailed report is available on TRAI’s official website: www.trai.gov.in. For queries, contact Koushik Mukherjee, TRAI Kolkata Regional Office at adv.kolkata@trai.gov.in or +91-33-22361401.
