BSNL 4G vs Jio, Airtel 4G: How it performed in our tests across multiple cities

We tested BSNL 4G download and upload speeds in various cities across India and compared them to Jio 4G and Airtel 4G. Here is our comprehensive review to help you decide if switching to BSNL is the right choice.

BSNL is again gaining its lost popularity after the recent tariff hike by private telecom operators in the country. Recently, Jio, Airtel, and Vi hiked their both postpaid and prepaid mobile recharge plans by up to 15 percent on average. Considering this, lakhs of subscribers switched from these operators to BSNL. The state-owned company has also paced up its 4G rollout to further attract new subscribers. In addition to this, the operator is also rolling out new services regularly. 

In the past month, we used BSNL SIM extensively to test its 4G and network availability in a few cities of Northern India and also compared that with those of Airtel and Jio. Here is our review of the BSNL 4G service. 

BSNL 4G speed review

In Ghaziabad

In Delhi NCR, BSNL 4G is available in Ghaziabad. We tested the speed on BSNL 4G in Spring Meadows society and compared it with that of Airtel 4G. During our test, BSNL 4G delivered a peak download speed of 7.31 Mbps and an upload speed of 844 Kbps. In comparison, Airtel 4G delivered a download speed of 5.73 Mbps and an upload speed of 0 Kbps. 

Image Source : FILEBSNL 4G vs Airtel 4G in Ghaziabad

In Agra

We also found BSNL 4G availability in Agra City. We were in Raja ki Mandi railway station when we conducted the BSNL 4G speed test. Here, we compared its speed with that of Jio 4G. During our test, we found BSNL 4G to deliver a download speed of 9.03 Mbps and upload speed of 373 Kbps whereas Jio delivered a download speed of 54.8 Mbps and upload speed of 0 Kbps.

Image Source : FILEBSNL 4G vs Jio 4G in Agra

In Sagar

We also tested BSNL 4G speed in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh. BSNL 4G is not yet available in the city. So, we got the opportunity to test the state-owned company’s 3G services in the city. During our testing, BSNL 3G delivered a download speed of 2.57 Mbps and an upload speed of 893 Kbps. However, we did not test 3G services from other companies in the city as they were also offering their 5G services there. 

Image Source : FILEBSNL 3G in Sagar

BSNL 4G speed review: Verdict

We got mixed results in our review. In Ghaziabad, Airtel delivered a lower speed compared to BSNL 4G. However, Jio 4G in Agra was way ahead when compared to BSNL 4G. Overall, BSNL 4G delivered satisfactory speed wherever the services were available. 

ALSO READ: BSNL SIM: Is it reliable now, and should you switch? A complete review