Reliance Jio recorded the fastest mobile data download speed at 271.44 Mbps, while Airtel led upload performance at 23.52 Mbps in TRAI’s August 2026 drive test across Fazilka city and adjoining areas in Punjab.
Airtel also recorded the lowest proportion of poor signal samples during voice testing. Both Airtel and Jio completed the tested voice calls without any dropped calls, while BSNL and Vodafone Idea each registered three call drops.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India conducted the assessment through its agency from August 5 to August 7, 2026. Testing covered 184.6 km of city driving, 1.9 km of walking and six hotspot locations, providing a snapshot of mobile network quality along the assessed routes and locations.
TRAI publishes independent drive test reports to provide consumers with information on local mobile service performance. The Fazilka findings show different leaders across network performance indicators: Jio in download speed, Airtel in upload speed and voice coverage, and Vodafone Idea in downlink packet loss.
Fazilka Mobile Network Comparison: Jio vs Airtel vs Vi vs BSNL
TRAI measured services using live voice and data sessions across available mobile technologies. The overall results reflect each operator’s network technology mix during testing.
Jio Leads Fazilka Download Speeds by 32.8% over Airtel
Jio achieved an download speed of 271.44 Mbps, ahead of Airtel’s 204.39 Mbps. The difference of 67.05 Mbps placed Jio approximately 32.8 percent ahead of Airtel on this measure.
Vodafone Idea recorded 17.19 Mbps, while BSNL delivered 15.59 Mbps. Vodafone Idea’s was approximately 10.3 percent higher than BSNL’s.
The measured technology combinations were 5G/4G for Airtel and Jio, 4G/3G/2G for BSNL, and 5G/4G/2G for Vodafone Idea. These are overall operator results across the technologies encountered, rather than a comparison restricted to a single network generation.
The download distribution from dynamic drive testing adds detail beyond the s. For Jio, 75.56 percent of samples recorded at least 100 Mbps, compared with 68.92 percent for Airtel.
Vodafone Idea registered 46.04 percent of download samples in the 10–30 Mbps range and 40.38 percent below 10 Mbps. BSNL recorded 62.08 percent in the 10–30 Mbps range and 29.17 percent below 10 Mbps.
These distributions show that Airtel and Jio delivered speeds above 100 Mbps in a majority of their dynamic drive-test samples, while BSNL and Vodafone Idea were concentrated in lower speed bands.
Airtel Tops Upload Performance at 23.52 Mbps
Airtel led upload speeds at 23.52 Mbps, followed by Jio at 20.86 Mbps, Vodafone Idea at 15.10 Mbps and BSNL at 6.39 Mbps.
Airtel’s upload result was 2.66 Mbps, or approximately 12.8 percent, higher than Jio’s. Vodafone Idea’s upload speed was about 2.36 times BSNL’s.
Upload capacity matters for sending large files, backing up photographs, sharing videos and transmitting live video. The findings therefore give Airtel a measurable advantage on upload throughput within the tested area, while Jio’s strongest result was in downloading data.
However, the s do not mean that every tested location delivered the same speed. The dynamic upload distribution recorded speeds below 5 Mbps in 25.40 percent of Airtel samples and 28.63 percent of Jio samples, showing variation within both networks.
Airtel Records Lowest Poor Signal Share
Airtel recorded 178 poor signal samples out of 31,329, equivalent to approximately 0.57 percent, the lowest share among the four operators.
Jio followed with 295 out of 30,439 samples, or approximately 0.97 percent. Vodafone Idea recorded 820 out of 31,163, equivalent to 2.63 percent, while BSNL registered 1,575 out of 31,183, or approximately 5.05 percent.
These figures measure samples falling below the specified minimum signal strength during voice testing in automatic network selection mode. Coverage is one element of the broader service framework addressed by TRAI’s mobile and broadband quality of service regulations.
BSNL also recorded seven samples with limited service or no coverage. Airtel, Jio and Vodafone Idea recorded none in that category.
Poor signal and no coverage are separate indicators. A weak signal sample does not automatically mean that a call failed, but the distribution helps identify stretches where coverage improvement may be needed.
Airtel and Jio Record Zero Dropped Calls
Airtel recorded zero dropped calls from 279 successfully established calls, while Jio recorded zero from 278.
BSNL registered three dropped calls from 281 established calls, producing a calculated call drop rate of approximately 1.07 percent. Vodafone Idea recorded three from 248, equivalent to approximately 1.21 percent.
TRAI also measured call silence lasting more than three seconds. Airtel recorded one silence instance across 268 established calls, BSNL recorded four across 273, and Jio recorded three across 272.
Vodafone Idea recorded six silence instances across 272 established calls, occurring in five calls. This distinction matters because a single call can contain more than one silence instance.
Airtel’s combination of zero dropped calls, the lowest poor signal share and the fewest silence instances points to comparatively strong voice performance within the assessed sample. Readers can find related regulatory directions through TRAI’s quality of service directions.
Vodafone Idea Records Lowest Downlink Packet Loss
Vodafone Idea recorded the lowest downlink packet loss at 0.32 percent, narrowly ahead of Airtel’s 0.33 percent. Jio registered 0.76 percent, while BSNL recorded 2.68 percent.
For uplink packet loss, Airtel performed best at 0.36 percent, followed by Jio at 0.42 percent, Vodafone Idea at 0.43 percent and BSNL at 2.90 percent.
Packet loss measures the proportion of data packets that fail to reach their destination. It complements speed measurements when assessing data service quality, particularly for applications involving real-time communication.
Vodafone Idea’s downlink result shows why network comparisons need several indicators: its download speed trailed Airtel and Jio, but its measured downlink packet loss was lower.
What the Fazilka TRAI Results Show
The August 2026 assessment places Jio first in download speed and Airtel first in upload speed, poor signal share and uplink packet loss. Airtel and Jio both recorded zero dropped calls.
Vodafone Idea delivered the lowest downlink packet loss, while BSNL recorded the lowest download and upload speeds and the highest poor signal share.
TRAI’s telecom quality of service resources provide further background on its service quality oversight. The Fazilka findings apply to the routes, hotspots and testing period covered in the assessment. They provide useful local evidence for comparing mobile network performance, while individual experience can vary with location, indoor coverage, handset capability, network congestion and time of use.
BABURAJAN KIZHAKEDATH