Coverage and quality of service testing tools
Postal and Electronic Communications Regulatory Agency initiated a test protocol for measuring quality of service on mobile networks
This protocol makes it possible to:
- Assess the quality of the services being supplied by mobile operators;
- Ensure that mobile operators are complying with the thresholds set in the specifications attached to their licence;
- Assess the availability, maintainability, mobility, accessibility and integrity of the networks and services being supplied by mobile operators;
- Rank operators by the quality of service provided to customers across the country.
The measurement tools being used include:
- SWissQual: a tool for measuring and acquiring data in the field that collects information on the quality of service between two telephones, one fixed and one mobile, for each operator;
- QoS tracker: a tool for processing data collected from probes installed close to mobile operators’ networks, for each locale/site/cell.
Quality of service measurements are taken for voice, data and video streaming services, at least twice a year.
A barometer of the measured indicators makes it possible to assess whether operators are fully meeting their obligations. ARPCE can put operators face to face with the collected indicators, after having conducted testing in the field, especially when the results are critical.
These indicators enable ARPCE to identify the technical problems that are causing the deterioration in network quality. They are not an integral part of the data published for users who are not experts in this area.
