Introduction
In today’s constantly changing environment of India’s telecommunication industry, TRAI is the guardian of service quality and consumer Prosperity. By the Government of India, TRAI has issued a Decree to regulate telecom services, monitor licensing terms compliance, and encourage fair competition across service providers. TRAI’s regulation is its Independent Drive Tests and a sequence of intense field tests to determine mobile network performance under different parameters.
The IDT report of the most recent data, from September through October 2024, and IDTs are not technical evaluations, thorough audits, or measures of crucial performance metrics like call setup success rate, call drop rate, call mute rate, and data speeds to Performed across various cities like New Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmednagar, and Hyderabad to offer valuable insights into the operational effectiveness of telecom operators.
Jio data service and call setup time are superior, while Airtel is supreme in call quality and reliability.
This piece digs deep into the machinations of these results, comparing Jio and Airtel’s performance metrics in terms of a range of parameters and considering what these mean for consumers in the complicated world of telecoms.
The Call Setup Race (Speed vs Reliability)
The TRAI revealed significant performance parameters of telecom operators through its September-October 2024 Independent Drive Tests (IDTs).
The call setup success rate is a key performance indicator that reflects the percentage of call setup attempts that are successfully connected.
- Airtel: 99.25%
- Jio: 94.00%
These statistics reflect Airtel’s better reliability in voice calls. Airtel has a better success rate since it indicates a more extensive network infrastructure that ensures users don’t have failed call attempts.
- Jio: 0.73 seconds
- Airtel: 0.82 seconds
Jio dominating the category with call setup times of the large operators, like a rapid setup, can be instrumental in high-stakes communication situations. Airtel, although a little slower, still delivers good performance.
The combination of call setup success rates and setup times has direct implications for user experience:
Airtel provides a high success rate and competitive setup time with a balanced and dependable voice-calling experience.
Jio’s lower success rate provides the best setup time by increasing the rate of failed calls.
The Call Drop Conundrum
In the mobile telecom business, call drop rate is one of the most important measures of network quality. The TRAI and its IDTs in September and October 2024 have brought to light the performance of key telecom operators and call drop rate, defined as the ratio of calls not completed, differed considerably between operators:
- Airtel: 0.12%
- Jio: 0.23%
These values confirm Airtel’s excellent performance in offering uninterrupted voice services. Jio’s drop rates are more significant than Airtel’s.
A lower call drop rate is directly proportional to higher user satisfaction. Airtel’s successful call drop figure of 0.12% proves its commitment towards rendering stable and consistent voice services to its customers.
Airtel’s performance in the IDTs demonstrates its focus on building a solid network infrastructure and maintaining high-quality services by focusing on reliability for other operators.
In September-October 2024, IDTs, the TRAI, provided information on how large telecom players perform.
The mute rate, i.e., the ratio of calls where no audio is heard even in the case of successful establishment of connection, varied widely among operators:
- Airtel: 0.55%
- Jio: 3.01%
These figures reflect how well Airtel performed in providing clear audio during calls. Meanwhile, Jio showed more excellent mute rates, which reflected problems in maintaining quality audio.
Airtel’s success in achieving a rate of merely 0.55% indicates a dedication to providing customers with voice services.
Airtel’s showing in the IDTs demonstrates its work in improving its network infrastructure and service quality. By offering a clear voice during a call, Airtel leads by example for other operators to emulate so that users face little disturbance and communicate well.
The Speed War Between Jio Data and Airtel
In the age of the Internet, where streaming, gaming, and real-time collaboration are part of daily life, the speed of data stands at the top as a determinant of the user’s satisfaction level. The TRAI, in its Independent Drive Tests (IDTs) of September-October 2024, has shed light on the data performance of the leading telecom operators. In an article presented below, information regarding average data download speeds is noted:
- Jio: 231.82 Mbps
- Airtel: 171.44 Mbps
Jio tops the list with the highest average download speed, providing users with fast downloads, uninterrupted streaming, and faster browsing. Although at a slightly lower position, Airtel still provides decent speeds for most data-hungry activities. In the article provided below, the average data upload speeds are shown:
- Airtel: 34.37 Mbps
- Jio: 23.91 Mbps
Airtel has the highest upload speeds, which support quicker uploads for creators, professionals, and users who work with video conferencing or cloud-based work. Jio lags slightly behind Airtel in upload speeds but remains competitive. Airtel’s performance makes it a suitable challenger since it addresses many user requirements.
Regional Realities
Network performance across India’s vast geographic area varies widely across regions based on infrastructure, user population density, and geography-related issues. In September-October 2024, the TRAI, via its Independent Drive Tests (IDTs), evaluated voice and data service quality in four varied cities: New Delhi, Jaipur, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad.
New Delhi provides a complex city environment for telecommunication services. With IDTs, Airtel performed better in voice services with higher call setup success rates of more than 97% and minimal call drop rates. Comparing data performance, Jio topped with a download speed of 231.82 Mbps and Airtel at 171.44 Mbps
Jaipur’s distinctive combination of heritage and contemporaneity presents challenges for telecom networks in a different form. Jio delivered 100% call setup success, but Airtel’s success rates were 98.92%, respectively. Jio led in data performance speed of 356.68 Mbps, while Airtel logged 216.93 Mbps.
In Hyderabad, Jio recorded a 100% call setup success rate and Airtel data performance at 119.88 Mbps; Jio leads with a speed of 164.19 Mbps.
In Ahmednagar, Airtel has a 100% setup success rate compared to Jio’s 99.70% success rate.
User Experience
In the telecom sector, the accurate measure of a network’s quality lies in its users’ everyday experiences. Through its Independent Drive Tests conducted in September-October 2024, the TRAI provides the performance of major telecom operators across various cities.
Airtel had a rate of 0.55% against Jio’s 3.01%. Regarding data performance, Jio was the best, with the highest average download speeds, with 231.82 Mbps, and Airtel, with 171.44 Mbps, provided quicker downloads, smoother streaming, and better browsing for consumers.
- Airtel: 97%
- Jio: 94%
While the IDTs provide valuable quantitative data, user testimonials offer qualitative insights into the real-world impact of network performance, for instance, with Airtel’s user feedback call. It’s reliable during peak hours. A Jio user remarked that Jio’s data speeds are impressive but sometimes experience call drops and audio issues.
Conclusion
TRAI’s IDTs from September to October 2024 offered valuable performance insights for leading telecom operators in different cities. These tests gauged essential parameters such as call setup success rate, call drops, mute rate, and data speed by providing a holistic overview of every operator’s service quality.
Airtel provides balanced performance, and users get consistent service in all aspects. Jio’s reference point of strength is data services, which offer high data rates to attract users.
The telecommunications sector still uses performance metrics to standardize the quality of service. Customers require data speed, call dependability, and quality of service when choosing a telecom service provider.
FAQs
- What was the TRAI report testing?
The TRAI report tested call setup success rate, call drop rate, call quality, and mobile internet performance (download & upload speeds) on major highways and cities of India.
- Which telco had the best overall data performance?
Reliance Jio led the pack in both download and upload speeds, beating all others in most test routes.
- Who had the best call setup success rate?
Jio and Vodafone experienced the greatest call setup success, indicating fewer dropped calls.
- Which network registered the minimum call drops?
Airtel performed worst in terms of call drops and best in 5 out of 7 test routes.
- What is “call setup time”, and who was the quickest?
Call setup time is the time it takes for a call to connect after dialling. Jio always had the lowest call setup times.
- How did BSNL fare in the TRAI test?
BSNL trailed behind all private players in nearly all parameters, including data speed and call reliability.
- Did any operator perform better in voice call quality?
Yes, Airtel performed better in reducing silence during voice calls, reflecting clearer and unbroken audio quality.
- Are these test results pan-India or city-based?
The tests were carried out on seven key routes spanning highways and city roads, providing a general regional performance overview that is not urban-centric only.
- Do I change to Jio or Airtel according to this report?
- If you are concerned about quick data and immediate call connectivity, Jio is the best choice.
- If voice clarity and dependability are your concerns, Airtel might be a better fit.
- How frequently does TRAI publish these reports?
TRAI usually performs independent drive tests several times a year, both on urban and rural coverage quality.
