TRAI’s latest drive tests show wide differences in measured mobile data speeds and call performance across selected areas of Delhi and Thrissur. The reports cover Jio, Airtel, Vodafone Idea and, where available, MTNL or BSNL, but the findings apply to the routes and locations tested rather than every part of either city or district.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) published two mobile network quality assessments on 12 October 2026, covering major areas of New Delhi and Central Delhi, and Thrissur district in Kerala. The regulator assessed voice and data services using independent drive tests, measuring parameters such as signal coverage, dropped calls, call silence and average download and upload speeds.
The publication date is not the testing date. TRAI conducted the Delhi assessment from 10 to 14 August 2026, while the Thrissur district tests took place from 21 to 24 July 2026. The findings offer a local snapshot of network performance during those periods, rather than a live measurement of service quality today.
Jio records the highest average download speeds in both assessments
In the Delhi assessment, Reliance Jio recorded an average download speed of 287.91 Mbps, ahead of Airtel at 156.52 Mbps. Vodafone Idea (Vi) averaged 39.57 Mbps, while MTNL recorded 4.34 Mbps on its 3G network. The reported average upload speeds were 25.41 Mbps for Vi, 23.94 Mbps for Airtel, 23.31 Mbps for Jio and 1.17 Mbps for MTNL.
The Thrissur district report also placed Jio first for average download speed, at 328.12 Mbps. Airtel recorded 145.43 Mbps, Vi 44.52 Mbps and BSNL 7.92 Mbps. Airtel had the highest average upload speed among the four operators in the district, at 27.96 Mbps, followed by Jio at 23.95 Mbps, Vi at 14.64 Mbps and BSNL at 5.41 Mbps.
These figures are the averages observed on TRAI’s test routes and under the network conditions recorded during testing. They should not be interpreted as guaranteed speeds for every subscriber. Actual performance can change with location, indoor coverage, handset capability, network congestion, spectrum availability and whether a phone is connected to 5G, 4G or an older network.
Dropped-call results vary by operator and location
In Delhi, TRAI recorded no dropped calls among 868 successfully established Airtel calls. Jio recorded two dropped calls out of 872 established calls, while Vi recorded one out of 877. MTNL had 123 dropped calls among 794 successfully established calls in the assessment.
In Thrissur district, Airtel and Jio recorded no dropped calls during the city-route tests. Vi also recorded none, while BSNL had 17 dropped calls out of 359 successfully established calls. The separate Kochi–Thrissur–Calicut highway route produced different results: Airtel recorded no dropped calls, Jio recorded one, and BSNL and Vi recorded two each.
The counts are based on a limited number of calls made during the tests. They help identify differences observed on the routes but do not, by themselves, establish the likelihood of a dropped call for every customer across Delhi or Thrissur.
Signal coverage and call silence also matter
TRAI’s Delhi report found poor-signal readings in 1,594 of 97,412 samples for Airtel, 1,610 of 95,084 for Jio and 983 of 97,747 for Vi. MTNL had 59,106 poor-signal samples out of 91,219. The regulator also recorded 1,896 samples with no coverage for MTNL and 18 for Jio, while Airtel and Vi had none in that particular measurement.
In Thrissur district, poor-signal readings were recorded in 577 of 38,626 samples for Airtel, 1,115 of 38,579 for BSNL, 686 of 38,365 for Jio and 802 of 38,871 for Vi. TRAI reported no samples with limited service or no coverage for any of the four operators in this measurement.
The reports also examine call silence lasting more than three seconds. In Delhi, TRAI recorded 46 such silence instances on Jio calls and 11 on Vi calls; Airtel had three. In Thrissur district, Vi had 37 silence instances, BSNL had three and Airtel and Jio had none in the reported city-route results. Call silence and dropped calls are separate measures: a call may remain connected but still experience a period of silence.
Which areas were covered in the tests?
The Delhi drive test covered a 322.9-kilometre city route, 11 hotspot locations, a 2.2-kilometre walk test and inter-operator calling at one location. Areas included Connaught Place, India Gate, Kashmere Gate, Civil Lines, Lajpat Nagar, Hauz Khas, Green Park, Sarojini Nagar and other parts of New Delhi and Central Delhi. The walk test covered Bhagirath Palace Electronic Market, where crowded pedestrian conditions can affect mobile network experience.
In Thrissur district, TRAI covered 297.9 kilometres of city routes, 10 hotspots, a 5.9-kilometre walk test and 180.4 kilometres of highway driving. The locations included Thrissur Railway Station, Guruvayur Temple, District Hospital Thrissur, Government Medical College Hospital, Hilite Mall and major bus stands. A separate highway assessment covered the Kochi–Thrissur–Calicut route.
TRAI said the findings had been shared with the respective telecom service providers for further action. Its reports are designed to help consumers understand on-ground network performance and encourage operators to improve service quality.
How consumers should read the results
The assessments provide a useful comparison for people who regularly travel through the tested areas, but they are not a national ranking of telecom operators. The Delhi and Thrissur reports were based on different routes and were conducted several weeks apart, so their speeds should not be compared as if both locations had been tested under identical conditions.
The Delhi results also mix different radio technologies in the overall comparison: Airtel, Jio and Vi recorded the reported average download speeds on 5G, while MTNL’s result was on 3G. In Thrissur, the report’s overall averages cover network operation in automatic selection mode across available technologies, with BSNL listed on 4G for its average data-speed measurements. These differences matter when interpreting the numbers.
For consumers choosing a SIM, the practical takeaway is to check performance around their home, workplace, commute and frequently visited indoor locations. TRAI’s reports offer more detailed local evidence than advertised maximum speeds, but a result from a particular route or hotspot cannot guarantee the experience at every address.
