TRAI Mobile Network Quality Assessment for Sagar and Raigarh Cities
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released findings from its Independent Drive Test (IDT) conducted across Sagar and Raigarh cities under the Madhya Pradesh Licensed Service Area during March 16-21, 2026. The assessment aimed to verify real-time quality of mobile network services (voice and data) provided by Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) including Airtel, BSNL, Reliance Jio (RJIL), and Vodafone Idea (VIL).
Testing Methodology and Scope
The drive test covered 455.1 kilometers of city routes, 16 hotspot locations, and 9.7 kilometers of walk tests, conducted under the supervision of TRAI's Regional Office in Bhopal. Testing utilized multiple advanced handsets with SIM cards from all TSPs across 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks, monitoring key Quality of Service parameters including coverage, call drop rate, call setup success rate, and data download/upload throughput.
Sagar City Performance Metrics
Coverage Gap: Airtel showed 602 poor signal samples out of 33,259 total (1.8%), BSNL 3,404/31,918 (10.7%), RJIL 913/32,486 (2.8%), and VIL 2,040/32,586 (6.3%). Poor signal was defined as below -110 dBm for 5G/4G, -90 dBm for 3G, and -85 dBm for 2G.
Call Performance: Airtel and RJIL had zero dropped calls (0/295 and 0/294 respectively), while BSNL recorded 5 drops out of 270 calls and VIL 5 drops out of 294 calls. Call silence instances (>3 seconds) were: Airtel 4/281, BSNL 9/237, RJIL 3/284, and VIL 5/281.
Data Throughput: Average download speeds were Airtel 98.22 Mbps (5G/4G), BSNL 15.73 Mbps (4G), RJIL 277.28 Mbps (5G/4G), and VIL 35.85 Mbps (4G). Upload speeds averaged: Airtel 22.20 Mbps, BSNL 4.73 Mbps, RJIL 28.71 Mbps, and VIL 10.55 Mbps.
Raigarh City Performance Metrics
Coverage Gap: Airtel showed 1,620 poor signal samples out of 30,692 total (5.3%), BSNL 8,026/29,127 (27.6%), RJIL 454/29,999 (1.5%), and VIL 3,754/30,618 (12.3%).
Call Performance: Airtel and VIL had zero dropped calls (0/271 and 0/277 respectively), BSNL recorded 4 drops out of 260 calls, and RJIL 1 drop out of 254 calls. Call silence instances were significantly higher: Airtel 14/260, BSNL 39/214, RJIL 2/244, and VIL 7/258.
Data Throughput: Average download speeds were Airtel 98.78 Mbps (5G/4G), BSNL 16.08 Mbps (4G), RJIL 172.64 Mbps (5G/4G), and VIL 21.72 Mbps (4G). Upload speeds averaged: Airtel 22.21 Mbps, BSNL 5.40 Mbps, RJIL 19.84 Mbps, and VIL 13.06 Mbps.
Test Locations and Additional Details
The city drive covered numerous areas including Gopal Ganj, Berkhari Guru, Udaipura Tiwari, and Katra Bazar in Sagar, and Khairpur, Mauhpali, Kachhar, and Chakradhar Nagar in Raigarh. Hotspot testing included 16 locations such as educational institutions, government offices, hospitals, and transportation hubs. Walk tests were conducted at Dr. Hari Singh Gaur University, Late Shri Lakhi Ram Agrawal Memorial Government Medical College, and both cities' railway stations.
The findings have been shared with respective TSPs for necessary corrective actions, and detailed reports are available on TRAI's website (www.trai.gov.in). For clarifications, stakeholders can contact TRAI's Bhopal Regional Office at +91-755-2575501 or adv.bhopal@trai.gov.in.