Himachal: TRAI releases network quality assessment for Una, Mandi, and key travel corridors
Babushahi Bureau
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh), July 10, 2025: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released the findings of its latest Independent Drive Test (IDT) conducted across various urban, highway, and railway routes in the Himachal Pradesh Licensed Service Area (LSA).
The extensive testing took place in May 2025 and aimed to assess real-time mobile network performance across technologies including 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G.
The test routes covered 116.6 km in urban zones (Una and Mandi cities), 283.9 km on highways (Una–Mandi via Bilaspur and return via Rewalsar and Hamirpur), and 384.8 km on railway routes (New Delhi to Una), along with five hotspot locations and a 2.3 km walk test.
Conducted under the supervision of TRAI’s Regional Office in Delhi, the tests simulated real-world usage across high-density areas, public transport hubs, and high-speed travel corridors.
Key parameters evaluated included Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR), Drop Call Rate (DCR), Call Setup Time, speech quality (MOS), and various data service metrics like throughput, latency, jitter, and video streaming delays. The network performance showed mixed results across service providers in auto-selection mode (5G/4G/3G/2G).
Airtel and RJIL had high CSSR at 98.90% and 98.70% respectively, while BSNL lagged at 93.29%. In terms of call drop rate, BSNL recorded a significantly higher DCR at 15.69%, compared to 0.66–2.03% for other providers.
TRAI also observed encouraging 5G performance in hotspot areas, with peak download speeds reaching 572.97 Mbps and upload speeds at 62.30 Mbps.
The study included prominent urban localities in Una (such as Barnoh, Dangoli, Jhalera, and Lal Singhi) and in Mandi (like Pakhri, Padhar, and Kotropi). Key institutional and transport locations such as Una Railway Station, IIT Mandi, District and Sessions Court Una, and ISBT Una were also covered in the assessment.
Highway testing on corridors passing through towns like Bilaspur, Sundarnagar, Hamirpur, Rewalsar, Barsar, and others revealed performance patterns relevant to commuters and transporters. Walk tests at Una City and Mandi City captured mobile behavior in crowded pedestrian zones.
Commenting on the results, TRAI Chairman Shri Anil Kumar Lahoti stated, “As India transitions into a digitally connected economy, TRAI remains committed to ensuring that service quality meets growing consumer expectations. These tests reflect ground realities, support benchmarking, and help guide improvements in network infrastructure.”
The tests were conducted using calibrated equipment and standardized protocols to ensure reliability and objectivity. The full report can be accessed on the TRAI website at www.trai.gov.in.