Summary:
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India released findings from its January 2026 Independent Drive Test in Samastipur, Bihar, where teams assessed mobile network performance across 272.2 km of city routes, multiple hotspots, and walk-test locations. The results showed strong voice and data performance from Airtel and Reliance Jio, with Jio delivering the highest 5G download speeds and lowest latency, while Airtel led in upload speeds. In contrast, BSNL recorded lower call setup success rates, higher drop calls, and weaker signal strength in several areas. Overall, the report highlights progress in 5G rollout in the Bihar Licensed Service Area, while indicating the need for improved coverage consistency and call reliability by some operators.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has published the results of an Independent Drive Test carried out in January 2026 along major routes in Samastipur district, Bihar. Conducted under the supervision of TRAI’s Regional Office in Kolkata, the exercise evaluated real-world mobile network performance across institutional hubs, administrative areas, residential neighborhoods, and commercial centers.
From January 20 to January 23, 2026, testing teams covered 272.2 km through city drive routes, assessed 10 hotspot sites, and completed 1.9 km of walk tests within the district.
Broad Assessment Across Key Locations
The survey spanned prominent areas such as Musrigharari, Sarairanjan, Patori, Mohiuddinagar, Dalsinghsarai, Satanpur, Barbatta, Tajpur, Pusa, Saidpur, Kalyanpur, Basudeopur, Satmalpur, Khanpur, Ballipur, Singhia, Lagma, Deodha, Rosera, Belsandi Tara, and Mohanpur.
Static evaluations were performed at important public institutions including Dalsingh Sarai Railway Station, District Court Samastipur, Government Bus Stand Uttarayan Samastipur, Government Engineering College Samastipur, Govt ITI Mordewa, Head Post Office Sakra Bazar, Subdivisional Civil Court Dalsinghsarai, Sub Divisional Hospital Rosera, UR College Jarahi Khaira, and V2 Mall on Tajpur Road.
Walk tests were undertaken at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agriculture University, Pusa, and Samastipur Junction Railway Station.
Voice Service Performance: Airtel and Jio Lead
Under auto-selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G), overall city-route voice performance showed the following:
Call Setup Success Rate
- Airtel: 100.00%
- BSNL: 36.89%
- Reliance Jio: 99.76%
- Vodafone Idea: 98.82%
Drop Call Rate
- Airtel: 0.00%
- BSNL: 10.04%
- Reliance Jio: 0.24%
- Vodafone Idea: 1.67%
Call Setup Time
- Airtel: 1.70 seconds
- BSNL: 4.77 seconds
- Reliance Jio: 0.65 seconds
- Vodafone Idea: 1.01 seconds
Call Silence/Mute Rate on Packet-Switched Network (5G/4G)
- Airtel: 0.34%
- BSNL: 1.89%
- Reliance Jio: 0.00%
- Vodafone Idea: 4.56%
Mean Opinion Score (MOS)
- Airtel: 3.98
- BSNL: 2.78
- Reliance Jio: 4.52
- Vodafone Idea: 4.58
The data indicates consistently strong voice service from Airtel and Reliance Jio, whereas BSNL recorded comparatively low call setup success and higher call drops along the tested routes.
Signal Strength Findings
During voice testing in auto-selection mode, the proportion of poor signal strength across the total route was:
- Airtel: 3.42%
- BSNL: 51.32%
- Reliance Jio: 2.20%
- Vodafone Idea: 7.10%
For data testing, weak signal percentages were:
- Airtel: 16.52%
- BSNL: 37.25%
- Reliance Jio: 13.10%
- Vodafone Idea: 11.92%
These results point to coverage deficiencies, particularly in BSNL’s network across several urban segments.
Data Performance: Reliance Jio Tops 5G Downloads
Average Download Speeds
- Airtel (5G/4G/2G): 101.10 Mbps
- BSNL (4G/3G/2G): 12.13 Mbps
- Reliance Jio (5G/4G): 158.64 Mbps
- Vodafone Idea (4G/2G): 27.24 Mbps
Average Upload Speeds
- Airtel (5G/4G/2G): 21.39 Mbps
- BSNL (4G/3G/2G): 4.18 Mbps
- Reliance Jio (5G/4G): 18.55 Mbps
- Vodafone Idea (4G/2G): 11.98 Mbps
Reliance Jio achieved the highest average download speed at 158.64 Mbps, while Airtel recorded the fastest average upload speed at 21.39 Mbps during the drive test.
Latency Results
The 50th percentile latency figures were:
- Airtel: 59.13 ms
- BSNL: 52.56 ms
- Reliance Jio: 32.38 ms
- Vodafone Idea: 43.24 ms
Lower latency on the Reliance Jio network suggests improved responsiveness for streaming, video conferencing, and other digital applications.
Hotspot Performance
At selected hotspot locations, recorded speeds were:
Airtel
- 4G: 45.48 Mbps download, 9.88 Mbps upload
- 5G: 111.62 Mbps download, 28.97 Mbps upload
BSNL
- 4G: 7.78 Mbps download, 7.32 Mbps upload
Reliance Jio
- 4G: 42.42 Mbps download, 7.77 Mbps upload
- 5G: 131.06 Mbps download, 16.51 Mbps upload
Vodafone Idea
- 4G: 21.01 Mbps download, 11.03 Mbps upload
The hotspot analysis further confirms Reliance Jio’s leading position in 5G data speeds across Samastipur district.
Enhancing Network Quality in Bihar
The Independent Drive Test findings from Samastipur reflect notable progress in 5G deployment and network optimization within the Bihar Licensed Service Area, especially by Reliance Jio and Airtel. At the same time, the report underscores the necessity for certain operators to strengthen coverage reliability and call performance in specific parts of the district.
