The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released findings from an Independent Drive Test conducted on the Jodhpur to Ahmedabad Rail Route covering 456.9 kilometers across Rajasthan and Gujarat telecom circles on May 4, 2026. The assessment evaluated mobile network services from four telecom service providers (Airtel, BSNL, RJIL, and VIL) for key Quality of Service parameters including coverage, call drop rates, call setup success rates, and data throughput speeds.
Coverage Performance
The drive test revealed significant coverage gaps across providers. Airtel showed 1,843 out of 26,319 samples with poor signal strength and 11 samples with no coverage. BSNL performed weakest with 7,368 out of 23,625 samples having poor signal strength and 1,271 samples with no coverage. RJIL demonstrated the best coverage with only 685 out of 26,136 samples showing poor signal strength and zero no-coverage instances. VIL showed 5,150 out of 25,817 samples with poor signal strength and 10 no-coverage instances. Signal strength was considered poor below −110 dBm for 5G & 4G, −90 dBm for 3G, and −85 dBm for 2G.
Call Quality Metrics
Call drop rates varied significantly among providers. Both Airtel and RJIL recorded zero dropped calls out of 130 and 130 successfully established calls respectively. BSNL showed the highest drop rate with 15 dropped calls out of 122 established calls, while VIL recorded 4 dropped calls out of 126 established calls.
Data Performance
Data download throughput showed substantial variation: RJIL led with 89.61 Mbps average download speed (against declared typical of 15 Mbps), followed by Airtel at 48.53 Mbps (declared 11.42 Mbps), VIL at 12.71 Mbps (declared 15 Mbps), and BSNL at 7.95 Mbps (declared 5 Mbps). Upload performance showed Airtel at 11.69 Mbps (declared 6.46 Mbps), RJIL at 9.06 Mbps (declared 7 Mbps), VIL at 8.81 Mbps (declared 8 Mbps), and BSNL at 3.76 Mbps (declared 3 Mbps).
The drive test was conducted under TRAI Jaipur Regional Office supervision using multiple advanced test handsets monitoring live data and voice sessions across 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks. The route passed through Bhagat Ki Kothi, Luni Junction, Dundara, Samdari Junction, Mokalsar, Jalor, Modran, Marwar Bhinmal, Raniwara, Dhanera, Bhildi Junction, Patan, and Mahesana Junction. Findings have been shared with respective telecom service providers for necessary action, and the detailed report is available on TRAI's website.