TRAI’s Amritsar Network Audit Reveals 5G Speeds, Call Quality Performance of Telcos
NEW DELHI I Economy India: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released its findings from an independent drive test (IDT) conducted in June 2025 across urban corridors of Punjab’s Amritsar region. This comprehensive assessment focused on real-world mobile service performance across key telcos—Airtel, BSNL, Reliance Jio (RJIL), and Vodafone Idea (Vi)—and spanned a wide spectrum of mobile technologies: 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G.
Scope and Coverage of the Assessment
The evaluation was carried out from 17 to 20 June 2025, covering:
- 343.1 km of city drive tests
- 12 key hotspot locations
- 2 km of pedestrian walk tests
- 1 inter-operator call test location
High-density urban localities such as Loharka Kalan, Raja Sansi, Attari, Cheharta, Sadhna, Verka, and areas around Golden Temple, Amritsar Cantt, and IIM Amritsar were surveyed.
Voice Services Performance Snapshot
| Operator | Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR) | Call Setup Time (CST in seconds) | Drop Call Rate (DCR) | Average Opinion Score (MOS) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airtel | 99.31% | 1.34 | 0.00% | 3.98 |
| BSNL | 98.10% | 2.62 | 3.51% | 2.15 |
| RJIL | 99.83% | 0.64 | 0.17% | 3.90 |
| Vi | 98.10% | 2.05 | 0.00% | 3.91 |
- Call Silence Rate: Airtel and RJIL reported 0.00%, while Vi recorded 3.00% mute calls over 5G/4G.
- RJIL demonstrated the fastest call connection time (0.64 sec).
- Airtel and Vi recorded zero dropped calls, indicating superior voice stability.
Data Services Performance
Overall Download Speed (Average Mbps)
- RJIL: 267.63 Mbps (5G/4G)
- Airtel: 237.99 Mbps (5G/4G)
- Vi: 28.19 Mbps (4G/2G)
- BSNL: 3.78 Mbps (4G/3G/2G)
Overall Upload Speed (Average Mbps)
- RJIL: 33.48 Mbps
- Airtel: 31.90 Mbps
- Vi: 11.19 Mbps
- BSNL: 3.45 Mbps
Latency (Median in ms)
- RJIL: 13.20
- Airtel: 25.70
- BSNL: 29.80
- Vi: 38.15
Hotspot-Specific Performance (Download/Upload Mbps)
| Operator | 4G D/L | 4G U/L | 5G D/L | 5G U/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airtel | 28.75 | 10.80 | 298.57 | 41.08 |
| RJIL | 52.10 | 10.11 | 336.06 | 30.99 |
| Vi | 22.01 | 16.60 | — | — |
| BSNL | 4.51 | 5.05 | — | — |
RJIL outperformed in 5G speed, clocking 336.06 Mbps at hotspot zones, while Airtel led in 5G upload speed at 41.08 Mbps.
Walk Test at Golden Temple Market: Real-World Stress Test
TRAI also conducted a walk test at Golden Temple Bazaar on June 20, 2025, capturing mobile network performance in high pedestrian density conditions. This helped assess network behavior under real-world traffic, a critical insight for religious and tourism-heavy destinations like Amritsar.
- Voice Clarity & Stability: Airtel leads in voice call quality and zero call drops.
- 5G Excellence: RJIL shows unmatched 5G download speed and low latency.
- Coverage Concerns: BSNL trails significantly on both voice and data fronts.
- Urban Readiness: High footfall areas such as ISBT, Fortis Hospital, Wagah Border, and IIM Amritsar show better 5G adaptation from private operators.
(Economy India)
