TRAI Releases Mobile Network Quality Report for Leh, Nubra, Pangong Routes; Highlights 5G, 4G Performance Gaps

Leh, August 4: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released its Independent Drive Test (IDT) findings for the Jammu & Kashmir Licensed Service Area (LSA), evaluating real-world mobile network performance across urban zones, educational hubs, public transport points, and high-speed corridors between Leh, Nubra Valley, and Pangong during June 10–12, 2025.

The tests, covering over 345 kilometers of city and highway routes and hotspot locations, assessed mobile service quality on 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks, capturing both voice and data performance metrics across leading telecom service providers—Airtel, BSNL, and Reliance Jio (RJIL).

Voice Service Performance

• Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR) in auto mode (5G/4G/3G/2G):
  • Airtel: 57.11%
  • BSNL: 47.03%
  • RJIL: 49.78%
• Call Drop Rate (DCR):
  • Airtel: 9.70%
  • BSNL: 4.67%
  • RJIL: 7.17%
• Call Setup Time (CST):
  • Airtel: 1.90 seconds
  • BSNL: 4.36 seconds
  • RJIL: 1.56 seconds
• Call Silence/Mute Rate (in packet-switched networks):
  • Airtel: 6.82%
  • BSNL: 4.97%
  • RJIL: 14.18%
• Speech Quality (MOS Score):
  • Airtel: 3.81
  • BSNL: 2.53
  • RJIL: 3.56

Vodafone Idea (VIL) network was not present along the test route.

Data Services Overview

• Average Download Speeds:
  • Airtel (5G/4G/2G): 95.39 Mbps
  • BSNL (4G/3G/2G): 2.62 Mbps
  • RJIL (5G/4G): 144.09 Mbps
• Average Upload Speeds:
  • Airtel: 16.59 Mbps
  • BSNL: 4.06 Mbps
  • RJIL: 13.99 Mbps
• Latency (Median):
  • Airtel: 23.30 ms
  • BSNL: 37.65 ms
  • RJIL: 15.40 ms
• Hotspot Speed Performance (Mbps):
  • Airtel 5G: 152.00 D/L | 26.45 U/L
  • BSNL 4G: 2.29 D/L | 6.55 U/L
  • RJIL 5G: 275.60 D/L | 32.73 U/L

Geographic Coverage

The assessments spanned high-density locations like Choglamsar, Spituk, Yurtung, and public sites such as Leh Market, Lamdon School, Leh Airport, and SNM Hospital. High-speed drive tests covered corridors between Leh–Nubra Valley, Nubra–Pangong, and Pangong–Leh, including Khardung La, Durbuk, Spangmik, and Shey.

TRAI emphasized that the tests were conducted using standardized equipment and protocols to replicate real-world user experiences. The findings have been shared with all telecom service providers for remedial action.

The full report is available on TRAI’s official website www.trai.gov.in. For further information, stakeholders may contact Vivek Khare, Advisor (TRAI, Regional Office Delhi), at adv.ca@trai.gov.in or call +91-11-20907772.