Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel delivered the strongest mobile network performance in Hyderabad, according to the latest drive test conducted by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in May 2026. The assessment measured network coverage, call quality, voice reliability, and mobile data performance across major residential, commercial, and business districts of the city.
TRAI’s appointed agency conducted drive tests over 157.9 km of city roads, 12 hotspot locations, and 3.1 km of walk tests between May 14 and May 16, 2026. The survey covered key areas including Nallagandla, Hafeezpet, Madhapur, Ameerpet, Mehdipatnam, Shamshabad, Hitec City, Lingampally, Kondapur, Shaheen Nagar, and KIMS Hospitals in Secunderabad.
Airtel Delivers the Best Network Coverage
Bharti Airtel recorded the strongest network coverage with just 247 poor signal samples out of 22,317, closely followed by Jio with 319 out of 22,063. Vodafone Idea (Vi) reported 566 poor signal samples out of 22,416, while BSNL registered 3,763 out of 21,201, the highest among the four operators.
For no-coverage instances, Airtel, Jio, and Vi achieved zero limited-service samples, whereas BSNL recorded 44 no-coverage samples, indicating weaker network availability.
Airtel, Jio and Vi Record Zero Dropped Calls
Voice performance remained strong for India’s leading private operators. Airtel, Jio, and Vi each completed testing with zero dropped calls, recording 0/200, 0/202, and 0/203 respectively. BSNL reported 8 dropped calls out of 197 successfully established calls.
Jio delivered the best voice quality with zero call silence instances. Airtel and Vi each registered 2 silence instances, while BSNL recorded 10, reflecting comparatively lower voice consistency.
Jio Dominates 5G Download Speeds
Jio delivered the fastest mobile internet performance in Hyderabad, achieving an average download speed of 222.12 Mbps, more than three times Airtel’s 66.32 Mbps. Vi followed with 59.61 Mbps, while BSNL’s 3G network averaged 5.55 Mbps.
For upload performance, Airtel ranked first with an average 24.54 Mbps, ahead of Jio’s 19.43 Mbps and Vi’s 13.17 Mbps. BSNL recorded 2.54 Mbps.
Enterprise and High-Traffic Areas Included
The drive test evaluated network performance across important enterprise, healthcare and commercial locations, including Hitec City, Mind Space, IKEA, AIG Hospital, KIMS Hospitals, Lingampally Railway Station, RTA Office Kondapur, SMR Vinay Iconia, and Sumadhura Acropolis. TRAI also conducted 3.1 km of walk testing inside KIMS Hospitals, Secunderabad, to assess mobile performance in dense indoor pedestrian environments.
The latest TRAI findings indicate that Jio remains the leader in 5G download speeds and voice quality, while Airtel provides the strongest network coverage and fastest upload performance across Hyderabad. Vodafone Idea delivered stable voice reliability with zero dropped calls, while BSNL continued to trail competitors in coverage, voice performance, and mobile data speeds.
SHAFANA FAZAL
