TRAI Evaluates Network Quality in Salem, Tamil Nadu

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recently conducted a comprehensive assessment of mobile network quality across Salem city and its adjoining areas in Tamil Nadu. The goal was to understand how well mobile networks actually perform in real-life situations — beyond the claims made by telecom companies.

Through a mix of drive tests, walk tests, and hotspot surveys, TRAI’s teams checked how people experience voice calls, data browsing, and video streaming on different generations of mobile networks — from 2G and 3G to 4G and 5G.

These independent assessments are part of TRAI’s continuous efforts to ensure that users receive reliable service and that operators meet their Quality of Service (QoS) standards.

How TRAI Conducted the Tests

TRAI’s network evaluation involved both long drive routes and short walk tests designed to simulate real-world conditions.

• Drive tests were conducted on major city roads, connecting highways, and busy routes. These tests capture how network performance changes while users are on the move — a key concern for people commuting between home, work, or college.
• Walk tests focused on public spaces such as railway stations, markets, shopping complexes, and educational zones — areas that usually face network congestion due to high user density.
• Hotspot checks were carried out in places known for connectivity issues or heavy data traffic.

The teams used calibrated equipment and multiple smartphones to test all available networks and technologies — 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G. They measured:

• Download and upload speeds
• Call setup time (how long it takes to connect a call)
• Call drop rate
• Latency (delay in data transmission)
• Network coverage consistency during mobility

This combination of tests provides an objective and repeatable snapshot of how each network performs under similar conditions.

Key Findings and What They Mean

While TRAI’s official report will contain detailed technical data, the general findings highlight familiar patterns seen in many Indian cities:

• Network quality varies by location and time of day. Some areas show excellent 4G and 5G speeds, while others struggle with weak coverage or slower connections, especially indoors or at the city’s outskirts.
• High traffic zones face performance dips. In crowded markets, bus stands, or residential clusters, data speeds often drop as thousands of users share limited capacity.
• 5G availability doesn’t guarantee equal experience. Even though 5G towers are operational, not all users enjoy consistent speeds because performance depends on factors like tower placement, signal overlap, and fibre connectivity.

For ordinary users, this means that a slow connection is not always due to the phone or SIM card. It’s often a local network capacity issue that operators need to address. TRAI’s tests pinpoint these weak zones so telecom companies can plan upgrades.

Why Independent Testing Matters

Telecom operators regularly share self-reported performance data, but those numbers can vary depending on test conditions. Users also raise complaints, but they usually represent isolated cases.

That’s why TRAI’s independent drive and walk tests are crucial. They give a neutral, third-party view of actual performance across networks. These audits help:

1. Verify if operators are meeting their Quality of Service benchmarks.
2. Identify weak or dead zones where coverage is poor.
3. Encourage service providers to take corrective action.
4. Inform consumers about areas with better or worse network reliability.

Once TRAI completes the study, it shares the findings with all telecom operators. Each operator must then submit a plan explaining how they’ll resolve the issues identified.

How Operators Can Improve

Following TRAI’s audit, operators are expected to strengthen their networks through a mix of technical upgrades and infrastructure improvements. Common steps include:

• Adding more cell towers in weak or uncovered areas.
• Upgrading existing towers to handle more users and higher data speeds.
• Improving fibre backhaul connectivity, which links towers to the core internet network.
• Optimising handover and radio parameters to reduce call drops during movement.
• Installing small cells or in-building solutions in shopping malls, offices, and residential complexes to improve indoor coverage.

Operators also tend to prioritise transport hubs like bus stations, railway terminals, and airports, as well as college and market areas, where traffic density is high.

Who Benefits From Better Connectivity

Improved mobile performance helps almost every section of society:

• Commuters can enjoy smoother navigation, uninterrupted calls, and faster access to online services while travelling.
• Small businesses and vendors who depend on mobile payments and delivery tracking face fewer disruptions.
• Students and remote workers get stable video conferencing and online learning experiences.
• Public services and healthcare providers benefit from reliable communication networks for emergency coordination and telemedicine.

Better connectivity strengthens the digital economy, supports financial inclusion, and enhances everyday convenience for citizens.

The Broader Context — 5G Rollout vs Ground Reality

India’s telecom sector has advanced rapidly with widespread 4G coverage and growing 5G rollouts. However, TRAI’s independent tests show that real-world experience still varies widely.

A 5G logo on a phone does not automatically guarantee a high-speed experience. Network performance depends on:

• The density of cell sites in each locality
• The quality of fibre backhaul connecting those sites
• In-building coverage and penetration levels
• Load management during peak hours

Thus, regulators and operators must look beyond large-scale announcements and focus on ground-level execution.

Frequent audits, transparent reporting, and public feedback loops ensure that the rollout of advanced technologies like 5G actually translates into improved service quality for users.

What Salem Residents Can Do

Residents facing poor network coverage or frequent call drops can take the following steps:

1. Report the issue directly to their telecom operator through customer care apps or helplines.
2. Use TRAI’s complaint portal or mobile app to lodge an official report.
3. Collaborate locally — resident associations, business groups, and institutions can jointly highlight problem zones to attract faster action.

The more people report genuine network issues, the easier it becomes for both TRAI and operators to prioritise repairs and expansions.