The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released findings from its Independent Drive Test (IDT) conducted across Udupi District, Karnataka LSA during March 17-20, 2026. The assessment evaluated real-time quality of mobile network services (voice and data) provided by four Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) - Airtel, BSNL, RJIL, and VIL - across diverse usage environments including cities, hotspots, public transport hubs, and coastal areas.

Testing Methodology and Scope

The drive test covered extensive routes including 535.5 km of city drives, 103.3 km of highway drives, 15 specific hotspot locations, and 9.8 km of walk tests. Testing was conducted using multiple advanced test handsets with SIM cards from all TSPs over 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks, monitored in real-time using advanced software systems. The assessment focused on key Quality of Service parameters including coverage gap, call drop rate, call setup success rate, call silence instances, and data download/upload throughput.

Key Performance Findings

Coverage gap analysis revealed BSNL had the highest proportion of poor signal samples at 41.7% (18,643 out of 44,700 samples), followed by VIL at 26.4% (11,219/42,475), Airtel at 11.4% (5,304/46,558), and RJIL at 9.9% (4,561/46,087). Signal strength was considered poor below −110 dBm for 5G & 4G, −90 dBm for 3G, and −85 dBm for 2G.

Call drop rates showed Airtel with the best performance at only 1 dropped call out of 420 established calls (0.24%), followed by RJIL with 4 drops out of 422 calls (0.95%), VIL with 13 drops out of 392 calls (3.32%), and BSNL with 22 drops out of 396 calls (5.56%).

Data performance varied significantly among providers. RJIL achieved the highest average download speed at 197.40 Mbps (compared to their declared 15.00 Mbps), followed by Airtel at 96.45 Mbps (declared 15.22 Mbps), VIL at 23.09 Mbps (declared 15.00 Mbps), and BSNL at 5.65 Mbps (declared 10.03 Mbps). Upload speeds showed Airtel leading at 17.00 Mbps (declared 7.94 Mbps), followed by RJIL at 14.78 Mbps (declared 7.00 Mbps), VIL at 10.81 Mbps (declared 8.00 Mbps), and BSNL at 1.76 Mbps (declared 3.00 Mbps).

Geographic Coverage Details

The testing covered multiple areas including Padubidri, Santhekatte, Kota, Kumbhashi, Kundapura, Baindur, Nellikatte, Shiroor Murukai, Hebri, Ajekar J.H.C, Karkala, and Belman. Coastal testing included Saligram A to Saligram B through mangrove islands and Malpe Beach to St. Mary's Island. Hotspot locations covered 15 key areas including Canara Mall Manipal, District Government Hospital Udupi, Kasturba Medical College Hospital, various malls, government offices, transportation hubs, and religious sites.

Additional Findings

Call silence instances (silence >3 seconds) were observed across all providers: VIL had 32 instances out of 380 calls, Airtel had 30 out of 407, BSNL had 22 out of 316, and RJIL had 16 out of 402 calls. Coastal drive testing showed similar performance patterns with RJIL maintaining the highest download speeds at 174.55 Mbps in coastal areas, followed by Airtel at 89.41 Mbps, while BSNL and VIL showed significantly reduced performance at 3.91 Mbps and 9.68 Mbps respectively in coastal regions.

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 public access. The Regional Office of TRAI at Bengaluru supervised the testing and remains available for clarifications.