The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released the results of its drive test conducted in Satara district, Maharashtra, between March 10 and March 13, 2026, highlighting the mobile network performance of Reliance Jio (RJIL), Airtel, Vodafone Idea (Vi), and BSNL across voice and data services.
The drive test covered 535.5 km of city routes, 103.3 km of highways, 15 hotspot locations, and 9.8 km of walk test routes, providing a comprehensive assessment of network quality across Satara.
Reliance Jio Tops Download and Upload Speed Performance
Reliance Jio emerged as the strongest performer in mobile broadband, recording the highest average download speed of 176.95 Mbps on its 5G/4G network. The operator also led upload performance with an average speed of 19.81 Mbps, narrowly outperforming Airtel.
Airtel secured the second position with an average download speed of 113.79 Mbps and an upload speed of 19.33 Mbps, delivering consistently high-speed 5G and 4G connectivity across the test routes.
Vodafone Idea (Vi) achieved an average download speed of 46.86 Mbps and an upload speed of 12.92 Mbps across its 5G/4G/2G network, while BSNL remained significantly behind competitors with 5.66 Mbps download and 2.14 Mbps upload speeds on its 4G network.
Airtel and Jio Deliver Best Network Coverage
TRAI measured network coverage by counting poor signal strength samples during voice testing.
Reliance Jio recorded the fewest coverage gaps with 3,467 poor signal samples out of 57,826, indicating the strongest overall radio coverage among operators.
Airtel followed closely with 4,033 poor signal samples out of 57,154, while Vodafone Idea registered 4,191 poor signal samples out of 57,458.
BSNL reported the weakest coverage, with 16,393 poor signal samples out of 55,159, substantially higher than all private operators.
Vodafone Idea Records Lowest Dropped Call Rate
In voice quality testing, Vodafone Idea delivered the best call reliability, recording only 3 dropped calls out of 521 successfully established calls.
Airtel reported 5 dropped calls out of 515 calls, while Reliance Jio registered 6 dropped calls out of 524 calls, both demonstrating strong voice performance.
BSNL recorded the highest number of dropped calls with 38 dropped calls out of 493 established calls, reflecting weaker network stability during testing.
Vi and Jio Lead in Voice Quality
Call silence instances, measured as audio interruptions lasting more than three seconds, were lowest on Vodafone Idea’s network at 13 silence events out of 502 calls.
Reliance Jio followed with 16 silence instances out of 502 calls, while BSNL recorded 19 silence instances out of 415 calls.
Airtel registered 23 silence instances out of 498 calls, the highest among the four operators for this parameter.
TRAI Tests Networks Across City, Highway, Hotspots and Walk Routes
The drive tests covered major city locations including Phaltan, Lonand, Karad, Satara, Koregaon, Wai, Panchgani, Mahabaleshwar, Vaduj, Aundh, Rahimatpur, Bhuinj, Malkapur, Shahupuri, Godoli, Pusesavali, Triputi and several other urban and semi-urban areas.
Highway testing was conducted on the Pune–Satara corridor, covering locations such as Shindevadi, Kapurhol, Shirwal, Surur, Panchwad, Khed and Pirwadi.
Stationary hotspot testing included District Collector Office Satara, District & Sessions Court Satara, Karad Bus Stand, Mahabaleshwar Bus Stand, Mahabaleshwar Temple, Panchgani ST Stand, Phaltan Municipal Council, Rajpath Market Area Satara, Shri Yamai Devi Temple Aundh, Tehsildar Office Karad, Wai Municipal Council, Wai ST Bus Stand, Zilla Parishad Satara and other key public locations.
Walk tests were carried out at Karad Railway Station, Satara Railway Station, Satara New ST Bus Stand to Market Yard, and Main Market Mahabaleshwar, evaluating network performance in crowded pedestrian environments.
Overall, the TRAI drive test shows Reliance Jio leading in mobile data performance and network coverage, Airtel maintaining competitive speeds and reliable connectivity, Vodafone Idea excelling in voice call reliability with the lowest dropped calls and call silence instances, while BSNL continues to trail private operators in coverage, voice quality, and data throughput across Satara district.
BABURAJAN KIZHAKEDATH
