If you’ve ever been frustrated with a dropped call near Unkal Lake or slow data speeds on your way to Sirsi, here’s some news you’ll find interesting. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recently carried out a big network quality check across Hubballi, Dharwad, and the surrounding highways.
The drive tests happened between 5th and 8th August 2025, covering everything from crowded city markets to quiet stretches of the highway. This was no small survey — teams drove and walked through 249 km of city roads, 261 km of highways, 10.5 km of pedestrian zones, and also checked 9 hotspot locations.
And yes, they didn’t just stop at 4G. The test covered 2G, 3G, 4G, and even 5G, to see how each operator is doing in real-life conditions.
What Did They Check?
- Voice calls: How often calls connect, how quickly they start, how many get dropped, whether calls go silent in between, and overall voice clarity.
- Data: Download and upload speeds, how long it takes for data to travel (latency), video streaming smoothness, and packet losses.
Voice Call Experience
| Operator | Calls Connected Successfully | Avg. Call Setup Time | Dropped Calls | Silent/Mute Calls | Voice Quality (MOS) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airtel | 93.3% | 1.15 sec | 1.66% | 1.69% | 3.94 |
| BSNL | 87.9% | 1.93 sec | 4.96% | 5.76% | 3.02 |
| Jio | 99.6% | 0.68 sec | 0.71% | 4.95% | 3.75 |
| Vi | 86.1% | 1.42 sec | 2.09% | 6.18% | 3.78 |
Local insight:
- Jio clearly stands out with the highest call connection rate and lowest drop rate.
- Airtel users in Hubballi enjoy better voice clarity overall (highest MOS).
- BSNL customers, especially in places like Byahatti or Sattur, may notice more drops and longer wait times when making calls.
- Vi sits somewhere in the middle but has the highest rate of “silent calls,” which can be very frustrating.
Mobile Data Speeds
| Operator | Avg. Download | Avg. Upload | Latency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airtel | 141.7 Mbps | 40.2 Mbps | 23.8 ms |
| BSNL | 1.3 Mbps | 2.7 Mbps | 51.0 ms |
| Jio | 244.8 Mbps | 25.4 Mbps | 22.8 ms |
| Vi | 20.6 Mbps | 13.6 Mbps | 27.6 ms |
Hotspot Speeds (Bustling Areas Like Markets, Bus Stands, etc.)
| Operator | 4G Download | 4G Upload | 5G Download | 5G Upload |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airtel | 53.4 Mbps | 20.4 Mbps | 178 Mbps | 57.9 Mbps |
| BSNL | 1.7 Mbps | 4.5 Mbps | — | — |
| Jio | 31.5 Mbps | 6.3 Mbps | 354.5 Mbps | 31 Mbps |
| Vi | 31.6 Mbps | 26.3 Mbps | — | — |
Local insight:
- In hotspots like APMC market or KSRTC bus stand, Jio’s 5G is blazing fast at over 350 Mbps.
- Airtel’s 5G also packs a punch, hitting nearly 178 Mbps downloads with stronger uploads than Jio.
- Vi does fairly well on 4G uploads in busy areas (26 Mbps).
- BSNL, sadly, is way behind the pack — both citywide and in hotspots.
Where Did TRAI Test?
TRAI didn’t just stick to one or two locations — they checked across city neighbourhoods, institutions, and highways to mimic where we actually use our phones.
- Neighbourhoods covered: Kavalgeri, Dharwad, Kelgeri, Gulaganjikoppa, Malmaddi, Saptapur, Gandhi Nagar, Amargol, Rajnagar, Keshwapur, Kasugal, Hebsur, Byahatti, Shivahalli, Yerikoppa, and more.
- Hotspots checked: APMC Market Hubballi, Chandramouleshwara Temple (Unkal), DC Office Dharwad, High Court Bench Dharwad, HDMC, KIMS Hospital Hubballi, KSRTC Bus Stand, RTO Dharwad, and Saptapur Circle.
- Walk tests: Hubballi Railway Junction, KSRTC Old Bus Stand Dharwad, Unkal Lake, and University of Agricultural Sciences.
- Highway routes: Hubballi–Haveri–Sirsi–Yellapur stretch, covering towns like Gabbur, Shiggaon, Sirsi, Sonda, and Yellapur.
Personal Views on Mobile Data Performance
Looking at the overall download and upload speeds, Jio is clearly ahead in the game. Their 5G download speed of 354.5 Mbps is on another level compared to Airtel’s 178 Mbps.
Am I the only one who thought Airtel would win in all categories? May be not!
But interestingly, Airtel is giving a much better 5G upload speed (57.9 Mbps) which can make a big difference if you’re someone who uploads videos or uses cloud storage often.
On the 4G side, Airtel also performs the best with 53.4 Mbps download and 20.4 Mbps upload, while Jio’s 4G feels decent but not outstanding. Vi is somewhere in the middle – not the fastest in downloads, but their 4G upload speed (26.3 Mbps) is actually the strongest among all. That might surprise many!
BSNL, on the other hand, is struggling badly. With just 1.7 Mbps download on 4G, it’s simply not reliable for daily use, especially when compared to what Airtel and Jio are offering. The absence of 5G for BSNL and Vi also makes them less attractive options for anyone looking to future-proof their data experience.
In short:
- Best for speed lovers → Jio (because of insane 5G download speeds).
- Best for uploads → Airtel (5G) and Vi (4G).
- Needs serious improvement → BSNL.
Final Word for Hubballi Users
- If you’re on Jio, you’re enjoying the most consistent call connections and the fastest 5G speeds.
- Airtel balances things out with good overall quality and excellent call clarity.
- Vi can still be a decent option for 4G uploads, but struggles with call silence issues.
- BSNL customers in Hubballi and Dharwad may face frequent issues in both calls and data.
TRAI has already shared these results with all operators, so hopefully, we’ll see improvements soon. Until then, if you’re thinking of switching networks in Hubballi, the numbers above should make your choice a little easier.
