TRAI's Test In West Bengal: Jio Tops 5G Data Speeds, Airtel Leads In Calls Reliability, BSNL Trails

New Delhi: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has announced the results of its latest Independent Drive Test (IDT) covering the licensed service area of West Bengal, comprised of major urban, semi-urban, rural, and tourist areas in Asansol, Durgapur, Bardhaman, Tamluk, Haldia, Contai, and Digha.

The testing, conducted in July 2025, provides a comprehensive picture of how India's major telecom operators are delivering on voice and data services, with the results revealing a spectrum of strengths and weaknesses.

Between July 1 and July 19, TRAI teams, operating under the Regional Office in Kolkata, carried out testing activities covering 691 kilometres of drive routes, 7 kilometres of walk routes, and 23 hotspots. The teams assessed network quality across 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G technologies, and were tasked with evaluating user experience across a diverse range of devices, from legacy handsets to the latest 5G smartphones.

The assessment included significant commercial and residential districts, transport hubs, schools, hospitals, and tourist hotspots. The results have been shared with telecom service providers (TSPs) to show operator-wise performance with respect to important quality of service (QoS) parameters, such as call success rate, dropped calls, latency, voice quality, download/upload speed, and video streaming experience.

Voice Services: Airtel maintains leadership, Jio trails closely, BSNL lags behind

To many users in semi-urban West Bengal, reliable voice service is still an essential service. The TRAI investigation focused on examining Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR), Drop Call Rate (DCR), Call Setup Time, Call Silence Rate, and Mean Opinion Score (MOS) score for call clarity.

• Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR): Airtel delivered an exemplary 100 per cent CSSR, and Jio followed closely with 99.92 per cent. Vodafone Idea/Vodafone (Vi) and BSNL produced an average of 96.74 per cent and 93.73 per cent, respectively.
• Drop Call Rate (DCR): Airtel provided optimal paging, achieving no call drops. Jio registered only 0.08 per cent dropped calls and Vi recorded 0.16 per cent. Again, BSNL trailed considerably with 2.34 per cent, indicating connectivity issues in many areas.
• Call Setup Time: Jio recorded the quickest call connection time, averaging 0.64 seconds, followed by Vi (1.0 seconds), Airtel (1.9 seconds), and a lengthy 5.7 seconds for BSNL.
• Voice Quality (MOS): Vi also surprisingly rated highest in clarity, achieving 4.5 for MOS, followed by Airtel (4.02), Jio (3.91), and BSNL (2.67).

The results demonstrate that, while Airtel remains the most reliable for initiating and maintaining calls, Vi users had the clearest call quality. BSNL still has significant quality gaps to address.

Data Services: Jio’s 5G notched blazing speed, Airtel was solid, BSNL struggled

Driven by user needs such as video streaming, online gaming, and remote work, the most compelling data service rating was TRAI’s overall assessment. This evaluation measured download and upload speeds, latency, packet loss, jitter, and last-mile streaming delays.

At high-footfall hotspots such as malls, stations, and beaches, Jio’s 5G clocked an average of 226.65 Mbps download and 22.59 Mbps upload, while Airtel’s 5G reached 140.69 Mbps download and an impressive 40.68 Mbps upload. Vi’s 4G hovered around 21 Mbps download, while BSNL continued to struggle even in hotspots.

Test locations

In Asansol, Durgapur, and Bardhaman, TRAI tested coverage across industrial belts (Burnpur, Andal, Panagarh), educational campuses (Burdwan University, NIT Durgapur, St Xavier’s College), public spaces (City Centre Durgapur, Curzon Gate Burdwan), and hospitals (Burnpur Hospital, DSP Main Hospital, Burdwan Medical College). Walk-tests were also carried out at malls, government offices, and railway stations.

In Tamluk, Haldia, Contai, and Digha, they took a more expansive view to include the Haldia port zone; beach destinations like Mandarmani, Tajpur, and Digha; religious destinations, such as the Bargabhima Mandir; education institutions, such as Haldia Institute of Higher Studies and Research; and transport nodes, including Digha Railway Station and Tamluk District Court.

This wide coverage gives a fair representation of user experiences in urban, semi-urban, rural geographies, and other high-footfall tourist areas.

City-wise observations

• Asansol & Durgapur: Industrial and educational clusters showed strong Airtel and Jio performance, especially around NIT Durgapur and City Centre. BSNL experienced frequent call connectivity and slow speeds, and Vi was strong in voice but slow in data.
• Bardhaman: In areas near Burdwan University and Curzon Gate, Jio provided consistent high-speed coverage. Airtel provided both voice and data solutions. The BSNL network was diminished during peak times.
• Tamluk & Haldia: Port areas had unsatisfactory coverage. Jio provided seamless streaming solutions at Haldia International Port, while Airtel performed well with upload speed, which is necessary for business users. Vi offered acceptable speeds when taking into account the area, while BSNL was below average.
• Contai & Digha: Heavy tourist zones such as New Digha and Mandarmani had disparate and accepting coverage. Jio/ Airtel was supportive when streaming video/ video conferencing, Vi provided sufficient performance, and BSNL was subjected to multiple disruption events.

Consumer implications

TRAI’s independent Drive Tests play a crucial role in holding operators accountable to service quality standards, especially through evaluations conducted in real-world environments—such as bazaars, railway stations in urban areas, rural regions, and popular tourist destinations—where network issues cannot be concealed.

For urban smartphone users in West Bengal who own a 5G-capable smartphone, Jio provides faster browsing, video streaming and gaming experiences, while Airtel offers the best quality in calling and upload speeds for hybrid workers/students. Vodafone Idea lags behind in all areas, except for voice, as it provides clearer sound. BSNL's performance raises concerns, especially since it is the only public-sector operator expected to serve areas with no connectivity.

Representational image of a person using a smartphone (ETV Bharat)

The July 2025 IDT showcase the increased digital divide between service providers. Private sector players like Jio and Airtel forge ahead with a stronger 5G rollout, while BSNL's network continues to operate under strain despite modernisation attempts backed by the government.

Some telecom analysts suggest these types of findings could result in impacts on consumers in terms of choices, as well as regulatory responses. "Transparency of performance is essential in competition", says one telecom analyst. "If BSNL does not rectify their service issue, it risks losing relevance even in the semi-urban belts where it had once sustained its operating relevance."

Next steps for operators

With TRAI sharing results with telecom companies, operators are expected to respond with corrective measures. Industry watchers anticipate:

• Airtel will focus on expanding 5G coverage deeper into semi-urban towns.
• Jio may leverage its speed advantage to consolidate market share among high-data users.
• Vi could attempt to differentiate with better voice clarity and affordable bundles.
• BSNL will face mounting pressure to fast-track 4G and upcoming 5G upgrades.