A face-off between SA's mobile operators and the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) looms as the regulator is determined to clamp down on poor service quality.
ICASA has released a report that finds three of SA's largest cellular operators - Vodacom, MTN and Cell C - failed to meet minimum requirements relating to call success and dropped call rates.
However, MTN has rubbished ICASA's methodology, Vodacom previously questioned ICASA's method of using drive-by tests, and Cell C says the survey is not a true reflection of its performance.
Spokesman Paseka Maleka says the regulator stands by its findings, and will publish more reports, based on the same methodology, to cover all of SA in the near future.
ICASA conducted the sampled quality of service survey on the MTN, Vodacom and Cell C networks between 10 and 15 November last year in “parts” of Gauteng. It investigated the success of rates of call set-up (CSSR) and dropped call rates (DCR).
CSSR looks into how many calls are successfully connected, while DCR relates to how many calls are cut off before one of the “speaking” parties hung up.
The results of the survey found MTN did not meet the target in terms of call success rate, while Vodacom and Cell C complied with this requirement. However, all three operators failed to meet the target in terms of the dropped call rate, says ICASA.
Maleka says the regulator will not forward this report to its Complaints and Compliance Committee, but if operators continually fail to provide good levels of service, they will be sanctioned.
“At the end of the day, it's not about us [ICASA], it's about the public. They [operators] must improve their networks and provide a good quality of service,” says Maleka.
Fundamentally flawed
MTN chief corporate service officer Robert Madzonga is “surprised” by ICASA's report. He points out MTN has already told the regulator its methodology contains fundamental flaws.
The test was done in isolation, sampled only a statistically irrelevant number of calls and does not reflect the overall quality of MTN's network, says Madzonga. “In fact, the report does not follow the criteria set down in ICASA's own regulations.”
MTN continually assesses the quality of its network and “believes that it meets world-class standards,” comments Madzonga. MTN previously indicated it would pump R5.7 billion into infrastructure this year.
ICASA's “methodology is not only scientifically unsound, but the imprecise results thereof unfairly put MTN in a bad light,” notes Madzonga. MTN will engage with ICASA on its report, he adds.
Cell C CEO Lars Reichelt points out the survey was conducted while the operator was re-farming and re-assigning frequencies as part of its network rollout in Johannesburg and Pretoria.
“This unfortunately resulted in more dropped calls and ICASA was informed about the situation at the time.” Cell C spent more than R5 billion rolling out its new network last year, he adds.
“We have already seen vast improvements in call clarity, in-door reception and dropped calls on our new network,” says Reichelt. “We take note of the regulator's report and will engage with them further to ensure that where we fall short, corrective action is taken and services improved.”
Vodacom was unable to comment on the latest report as it was still studying the document. The operator, which saw a widespread network failure affect millions of subscribers on its network last Thursday, previously said it is spending R6 billion on its network this year.
ICASA's method of using drive-by tests to measure network quality has previously been called into question by Vodacom, after a survey during last year's Soccer World Cup.
The regulator's report on coverage during the tournament found Vodacom, MTN and Cell C all missed quality of service targets. Vodacom hit back at the report, arguing it was only based on 10 out of 64 games and based on the statistically inaccurate method of driving around stadiums on match days.
After the 2010 report, released in November, the operators and ICASA were to meet and agree on a methodology. However, despite meetings between the parties, it is unclear whether a standard measure of network performance was agreed upon.
ICASA admits that “drive-test results represent only a snapshot of the mobile service providers' network performance, based on the specified routes during a particular time of day when the measurements were carried out and using a particular type of handset”.
The regulator adds the “reported level of quality of service may, therefore, not be exactly comparable with the consumer's own experiences at a different time and different location”.
Classified information
ICASA says it discussed its latest report with operators on 25 February and incorporated some of the networks' comments in the findings, leading to delays in its publication. It did not clarify what the comments were, nor whether the methodology was accepted by the operators.
The survey gives ICASA a “sense of the level of quality of service being provided by operators,” says the regulator.
In the middle of 2009, ICASA launched an end-user and subscriber service charter, which tasks operators with providing bi-annual reports showing that service availability is at 95% or above, or face fines.
However, despite ICASA's promise two years ago - reiterated last month - that statistics from the reports would be made publicly available, consumers still have no way of checking the integrity of the information.