**Executive Summary**
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released findings from Independent Drive Tests (IDT) conducted between May 18 and May 21, 2026, to assess mobile network quality in the Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka. The report evaluates the voice and data performance of major Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) across city drives, railway routes, hotspots, and walk tests. The findings have been shared with TSPs to prompt necessary service improvements and provide transparent quality-of-service information to consumers.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Scope and Methodology**
* Testing covered 440.5 KMs of city drives, 761.0 KMs of railway routes, 12 hotspot locations, and 8.7 KMs of walk tests.
* The assessment included 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks using multiple advanced test handsets and real-time analysis software.
* Areas covered included Karwar, Sirsi, Bhatkal, Kumta, and various public hubs such as bus stands and hospitals.
* **Voice Service Performance**
* **Coverage Gaps:** Measured by poor signal strength samples. BSNL had the highest gap (10,378 samples), followed by RJIL (7,089), VIL (6,626), and Airtel (5,104).
* **Dropped Calls:** BSNL recorded the highest number of dropped calls (28), while VIL recorded the lowest (12).
* **Call Silence:** Airtel recorded the highest number of call silence instances (17) lasting over three seconds, while BSNL and VIL recorded the lowest (8 each).
* **Data Throughput Performance**
* **Download Speeds:** RJIL recorded the highest average download speed at 229.12 Mbps, followed by Airtel (109.02 Mbps) and VIL (25.04 Mbps). BSNL recorded the lowest at 5.73 Mbps.
* **Upload Speeds:** Airtel achieved the highest average upload speed at 26.02 Mbps, followed by RJIL (18.19 Mbps) and VIL (10.78 Mbps). BSNL recorded the lowest at 2.07 Mbps.
**Impact Analysis**
**Telecom Service Providers (TSPs: Airtel, BSNL, RJIL, VIL)**
**Impact**
The report publicly highlights specific performance deficiencies in their coverage, call stability, and data speeds within the Karnataka LSA.
**Action Required**
TSPs must review the shared IDT findings and take "further necessary action" to improve their Quality of Service (QoS) parameters.
**General Telecom Consumers**
**Impact**
Consumers gain access to verified, real-time performance data regarding the quality of mobile services (voice and data) in their specific geographic area.
**Action Required**
Consumers are encouraged to use these published findings to make informed decisions about their telecom service choices.
**Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)**
**Impact**
TRAI serves as the monitoring body, utilizing these tests to encourage TSPs to improve services and ensure transparency in the telecom sector.
**Action Required**
The TRAI Regional Office in Bengaluru and the central agency must continue to facilitate public access to detailed reports and maps via their official website.
Key Entities Referenced
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI): The primary regulatory body that conducted the assessment and released the findings on mobile network quality.
Independent Drive Test (IDT): The specific initiative and technical assessment method used to verify real-time quality of service for voice and data services.
Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka: The central geographical location and Licensed Service Area (LSA) where the network performance tests were executed.
Ministry of Communications: The oversight ministry under which the telecom quality assessment findings were published.
Ministry of Communications
TRAI Assesses Mobile Network Quality Across
Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka LSA
प्रव तथ: 16 JUL 2026 2:15PM by PIB Delhi
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released findings of Independent Drive Test (IDT)
conducted across Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka LSA, during the month of May 2026, for
information of general telecom consumers. The purpose of this drive test is to assess and verify real time
quality of mobile network services (both voice & data) provided by Telecom Service Providers (TSPs).
During the IDT, TRAI captures performance of TSPs for key Quality of Service (QoS) parameters like
Coverage, Call Drop Rate (CDR), Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR), data Download (DL) and Upload
(UL) throughput etc., which are then published to inform Consumers and encourage TSPs to improve their
services.
These IDTs have been designed to capture on ground mobile network performance of all TSPs across
diverse usages environment like cities, hotspots, public transport hubs, etc. In this type of drive testing,
live data and voice sessions are established using SIM cards from all TSPs over 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G
networks. Multiple advanced test handsets are used, and the sessions are monitored and analysed in real-
time using advanced Software Systems.
TRAI, through its appointed agency, conducted drive tests across City drive – 440.5 KMs, Hotspot
locations - 12, Walk Test – 8.7 KMs, Railway – 761.0 KMs, in Karwar city & nearby areas from 18th May
2026 to 21st May 2026 in Karnataka LSA. These tests were conducted under the supervision of the
TRAI Regional Office Bengaluru. The observations presented in drive test reports represent the
performance of the TSPs on the area/ route under test on the day/ time of conducting the drive test.
Drive Test Route Map: The following map provides overview of drive test routes indicating City drive,
Inter-operator calling, Hotspots and Walk tests, as per the legends shown on the map:-Key Parameters Assessed
a. Coverage Gap: Percentage of samples, for which signal strength observed less than the minimum
prescribed signal strength for respective technology (2G/ 3G/ 4G/ 5G).
b. Voice Services: Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR), Drop Call Rate (DCR), Call Setup Time, Call
Silence Rate, Speech Quality (MOS).
c. Call Silence Instance: Number of call silence instance occurred during the calls.
d. Data Servies: Download/ Upload Throughput, Latency, Jitter, Packet Drop Rate
The overall mobile network performance in Uttara Kannada District for the key parameters has been
summarised below:-
a) Coverage Gap - The signal strength observed during voice testing on the drive test route
in auto-selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G), measured as the number of samples having poor
signal strength out of the total samples collected, was 5104/34323 for Airtel, 10378/35480 for
BSNL, 7089/37941 for RJIL and 6626/28580 for VIL. Details of the coverage gaps have
been provided in the map Annexed.
b) Dropped Calls - Dropped calls, measured as the number of dropped calls out of the
number of successfully established calls, were 14/311 for Airtel, 28/306 for BSNL, 17/346 for
RJIL and 12/260 for VIL. Details of the dropped call locations have been provided in the map
Annexed.
c) Call Silence Instance - Call silence instances, measured as the total number of silence
instances observed for > 3 seconds out of the total calls established, were 17/ 304 for Airtel, 8/
274 for BSNL, 12/331 for RJIL and 8/230 for VIL. Details of the call silence instance
locations have been provided in the map Annexed.
d) Data Download and Upload Throughput:i) Data Download performance (Overall): Average download speed was observed as
109.02 Mbps for Airtel (5G/4G), 5.73 Mbps for BSNL (4G), 229.12 Mbps for RJIL
(5G/4G) and 25.04 Mbps for VIL (5G/4G/2G). Detail of Download throughput has been
provided in the map Annexed.
ii) Data Upload performance (Overall): Average upload speed was observed as 26.02
Mbps for Airtel (5G/4G), 2.07 Mbps for BSNL (4G), 18.19 Mbps for RJIL (5G/4G) and
10.78 Mbps for VIL (5G/4G/2G). Detail of Upload throughput has been provided in the
map Annexed.
Locations of Dropped Calls and Call Silence instances can be seen by clicking red dot on the map
Annexed.
Details of drive test route and area covered during the IDT is as under:-
a) City - The areas covered in the city drive are Shirwada, Kodibag, Hattikeri, Ankola,
Mirjan, Bhatkal, Anantwadi, Kasarkoda, Kumta, Devimane, Sirsi, Manchikere, Yellapur,
Bhagavati, Ambikanagar, Dandeli, Bapeli, Ganeshgudi and Haliyal etc. in Uttara Kannada
District.
b) Railway Route - Bengaluru to Karwar passing through Hassan, Mangaluru, Udupi,
Murdeshwar and Ankola etc.
c) Hotspot - The hot spot locations, capturing stationary user experience, are Ankola Bus
Stand, Bhatkal Bus Stand, Dandeli Bus Stand, District Hospital Karwar, Government Hospital
Dandeli, Government Hospital Haliyal, Haliyal Bus Stand, Honnavar Bus Stand, Karwar Bus
Stand, Kumta Bus Stand, Sirsi Bus Stand, and Yellapura Bus Stand.
d) Walk Test - The walk tests conducted on 19th to 20th May 2026, covered Bhatkal Old
Town Walkway, Karwar Beach Promenade Stretch, Kumta Town Bazaar Walk, Murdeshwar
Beach & Temple Walkway, and Sirsi Sri Marikamba Temple.etc.
The findings of this IDT report have been shared with respective TSPs for taking further necessary action
at their end. Detailed reports of IDT are made available on the TRAI website at www.trai.gov.in. For any
clarification or additional information, an email can be sent to adv.bengaluru@trai.gov.in or Regional
Office of TRAI at Bengaluru RO can be contacted on telephone No. +91-80-22865004.
Click here for annexure
***
NJ/AR
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