The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released the findings of its drive test for the Odisha Service Area, focusing on the city of Brahmapur. The tests were conducted in December 2025 under the supervision of the TRAI Regional Office in Hyderabad to evaluate real-world mobile network performance across urban, institutional and rural environments.
Extensive testing across city routes, hotspots and walk areas
TRAI conducted the tests between December 16 and December 18, 2025, covering 360 km of drive test routes across Brahmapur city, a 4.1 km walk test and eight hotspot locations. The evaluation included 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G technologies to reflect the experience of users with different handset capabilities.
The assessment covered key areas such as Ralaba, Golanthara, Girisola, Chikiti, Bendalia, Pathara, Chatrapur, Aryapalli, Ganjam, Humma, Khandadiuli, Purusottampur, Kavisuryanagar, Baragam, Burupada, Sheragada, Pattapur and Digapahandi.
TRAI also carried out walk tests at Brahmapur Railway Station and Gopalpur Sea Beach. Stationary user experience was evaluated at major hotspots including Brahmapur New Bus Stand, District Collector Office Brahmapur, Government Science College Chatrapur, MKCG Medical College Brahmapur, Municipal Corporation Office Brahmapur, Rock Garden Brahmapur, RTO Office Chatrapur and Shree Maa Budhi Thakurani Temple.
Voice performance: Airtel leads, BSNL lags
TRAI measured key voice quality indicators such as Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR), Drop Call Rate, Call Setup Time, Call Silence Rate, Mean Opinion Score and coverage.
In auto selection mode across 5G, 4G, 3G and 2G networks, the Call Setup Success Rate in Brahmapur city was:
- Airtel: 99.76 percent
- Reliance Jio: 99.07 percent
- Vodafone Idea: 94.53 percent
- BSNL: 83.87 percent
The results show Airtel and Reliance Jio delivering the most reliable call connectivity, while BSNL lagged significantly in call setup performance.
Airtel and Reliance Jio recorded the highest call setup success rates at 99.76 percent and 99.07 percent, followed by Vodafone Idea at 94.53 percent and BSNL at 83.87 percent. Airtel also achieved the fastest call setup time at 0.51 seconds, while BSNL had the slowest at 2.93 seconds. Drop call rates were lowest for Airtel at 0.47 percent, compared with 1.64 percent for Jio, 1.69 percent for Vodafone Idea and 8.72 percent for BSNL. Call silence rates were also lowest for Airtel and Jio, while BSNL reported the highest. In speech quality, Vodafone Idea and Jio achieved the highest Mean Opinion Scores of 4.50 and 4.43, ahead of Airtel at 3.93 and BSNL at 2.96. Poor signal strength during voice testing was lowest for Airtel and Jio at around 4 percent, compared with 12.58 percent for Vodafone Idea and 23.40 percent for BSNL.
Signal strength gaps remain for some operators
TRAI also reported the share of locations with poor signal strength during voice testing in auto selection mode:
- Airtel: 3.73 percent
- Reliance Jio: 3.96 percent
- Vodafone Idea: 12.58 percent
- BSNL: 23.40 percent
The findings indicate strong network coverage from Airtel and Reliance Jio, while Vodafone Idea and BSNL recorded higher levels of weak signal areas.
Data services evaluated across key performance metrics
In addition to voice services, TRAI assessed mobile data performance using parameters such as download and upload throughput, latency, jitter, packet drop rate and video streaming delay. The results were shared with the telecom service providers concerned for further network improvement.
Reliance Jio led download speeds with an average of 242.83 Mbps, followed by Airtel at 106.15 Mbps, Vodafone Idea at 20.31 Mbps and BSNL at 10.55 Mbps. Airtel topped upload speeds at 32 Mbps, ahead of Jio at 17.54 Mbps, Vodafone Idea at 13.50 Mbps and BSNL at 4.19 Mbps. Jio delivered the lowest latency at 24.71 ms, while Airtel, BSNL and Vodafone Idea recorded higher latency levels. At hotspot locations, Jio’s 5G speeds reached 333.47 Mbps download, while Airtel recorded 148.09 Mbps. Poor signal strength during data testing ranged from 11.06 percent for Jio to 18.28 percent for BSNL. Overall, the results highlight strong 5G performance from Jio and Airtel, with room for improvement for BSNL and Vodafone Idea.
BABURAJAN KIZHAKEDATH
