ISLAMABAD: The Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) have missed most of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) set in their license and applicable regulations with respect to SMS and voice services, revealed independent quality of service (QoS) survey carried out by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

The PTA has directed the operators to take corrective measures for improving the service quality up to the licensed standards.

Compliance level in broadband services is highest, the PTA added.

The PTA has carried out an independent QoS Survey in 16 cities, eight towns, and 18 roads of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), with the aim to measure the performance and service quality of CMOs.

During the survey, the licensed KPIs of voice, network coverage, SMS and mobile broadband/data were checked using automated QoS Monitoring and Benchmarking Tool "SmartBenchmarker”.

The drive test teams selected survey routes in such a manner to cover main roads, service roads and majority of sectors/colonies.

During voice calls and SMS sessions, both A-Party and B-Party mobile handsets were kept in auto detect mode, whereas, in case of data sessions the mobile handset were locked in 4G/LTE and 3G mode.

The voice calls and SMS samples were distributed as 70 percent ON-NET and 30 percent OFF-NET.

The CMOs including Jazz remained non-compliant of 4G/LTE (RSRP) Signal Strength in Narowal, Telenor in Multan and Ufone in Bahawalpur and Mirpurkhas.

The CMOs including Jazz remained non-compliant of 4G User Data Through > 2Mpbs in Nawabshah, Telenor in Larkana and Sanghar and Ufone in Sanghar.

The cities where CMOs remained non-compliant of Service Accessibility > 98 percent include Jazz in seven cities including Attock, Chakwal, Mianwali, Multan, Bahawalpur, Nowshera, Sukkur; Telenor in 13 cities including Attock, Chakwal, Mianwali, Narowal, Multan, Bahawalpur, Nowshera, Badin, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Nawabshah, Sukkur; Ufone in seven cities including Attock, Chakwal, Mianwali, Multan, Bahawalpur, Nowshera, Mirpurkhas, and Zong in 10 cities including Attock, Chakwal, Mianwali, Narowal, Multan, Nowshera, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Nawabshah, and Sukkur.

The cities where CMOs remained non-compliant of call connection time < 6.5 include Jazz in four cities including Mianwali, Multan, Sanghar, Nawabshah; Ufone in Multan, and Zong in Sukkur.

The cities where CMOs remained non-compliant of call completion ratio > 98 percent include Jazz in three cities including Multan, Larkana, Sukkur; Telenor in four cities including Chakwal, Multan, Badin, Larkana, and Ufone in Attock.

The cities where CMOs remained non-compliant of Mean Opinion Score > 3 include Jazz in 10 cities including Attock, Mianwali, Narowal, Multan, Bahawalpur, Larkana, Nawabshah, Sanghar, Sukkur, Nowshera; Telenor in 12 cities Attock, Chakwal, Mianwali, Narowal, Multan, Bahawalpur, Badin, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Sukkur, Nowshera, and Ufone in four cities including Chakwal, Mianwali, Nowshera and Badin.

The cities where CMOs remained non-compliant of SMS success rate > 99% including Jazz in 10 cities including Attock, Chakwal, Mianwali, Narowal, Multan, Bahawalpur, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah, Sukkur, Nowshera; Telenor in 13 cities Attock, Chakwal, Mianwali, Narowal, Multan, Bahawalpur, Badin, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah, Sanghar, Sukkur, Nowshera; Ufone in 12 cities Attock, Chakwal, Mianwali, Narowal, Multan, Bahawalpur, Badin, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah, Sanghar, Sukkur, and Zong in 12 cities Attock, Chakwal, Mianwali, Narowal, Multan, Bahawalpur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah, Sanghar, Sukkur and Nowshera.

The CMOs have been prioritised/placed at 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th position in each category i.e. Mobile Network Coverage, Mobile Broadband Service, Voice Service and SMS Service, based upon the compliance level against each QoS KPI in each category in surveyed cities.

The categorisation of CMOs as per QoS KPI i.e. Signal Strength of 4G/LTE and 3G Networks in 13 surveyed cities Zong remained 1st with 26 compliance level, Jazz 2nd with 25 compliance level, Telenor 2nd with 25 compliance level, and Ufone 3rd with 23 compliance level.

In order to measure the performance and service quality of CMOs), an independent QoS Survey has been carried out on 16 different motorways/highways/Inter cities roads of Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KPK). The motorways/highways/ inter cities roads where CMOs remained non-compliant of 4G/LTE RSRP Signal Strength include Jazz on 10, Telenor on nine, Ufone 13, and Zong four.

The motorways/highways/ inter cities roads where CMOs remained non-compliant of Service Accessibility > 98 percent include Jazz on 15, Telenor on 12, Ufone 14, and Zong on eight.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021