New Delhi, October 7 (Udaipur Kiran): If you feel your mobile calls are dropping more often these days, you’re not alone. Call drop complaints in India have risen sharply, even as telecom operators boast of 5G rollouts and faster networks. Despite warnings from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the government, the issue persists — and it’s becoming increasingly clear why.
The 5G Paradox: Great Speeds, Poor Calls
When 5G networks were introduced, they promised better connectivity, higher speeds, and superior experiences. But in reality, many users have experienced more call drops since switching. The problem lies in how 5G handles voice calls.
While data runs on the 5G layer, voice calls still fall back to 4G networks — a process called fallback switching. This constant network handover between 5G and 4G often leads to call failures.
Reliance Jio is attempting to solve this through VoNR (Voice over New Radio) — true 5G voice calling — but it’s still being rolled out and isn’t available everywhere. Meanwhile, Airtel and Vi continue to rely heavily on 4G for voice calls, leading to frequent disruptions, especially in areas where 5G coverage is patchy.
TRAI’s Concern: More Complaints, Missed Benchmarks
TRAI’s Quality of Service (QoS) reports show that multiple telecom circles are failing to meet the call drop benchmarks, particularly during peak hours. Since the launch of 5G, consumer dissatisfaction with call quality has increased, even as internet speeds improved.
What Telcos Won’t Admit
Operators are prioritising data over voice, and for good reason — data drives revenue. Most telcos focus on improving data experience, which fuels streaming, social media, and digital services, while voice quality takes a back seat.
With more users switching to internet-based calling apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram, telcos see less incentive to invest heavily in traditional voice infrastructure.
Is 5G Just a Marketing Gimmick?
So far, 5G has delivered faster speeds, but not the transformational experience it promised. Many of the futuristic use cases — smart cities, industrial automation, low-latency communication — remain largely unrealised.
For now, the seamless call experience that consumers expect still seems a distant goal, and until 5G networks are fully optimised and VoNR becomes mainstream, call drops may continue to frustrate users.
My name is Ganpat Singh Choughan. I am an experienced content writer with 7 years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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