PTA Quality of Service Survey Reveals Partial Compliance by CMOs

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) recently conducted an independent Quality of Service (QoS) survey to assess the performance of cellular mobile operators (CMOs) in Pakistan. The survey carried out in the first quarter of 2024, evaluated CMOs based on key performance indicators (KPIs) related to voice services, webpage loading times, and latency. The findings revealed that CMOs only partially met the set KPIs as stipulated in their licenses and the applicable regulations.

PTA Quality of Service Survey Reveals Partial Compliance by CMOs

Scope of the Survey

The PTA’s QoS survey covered 16 cities across Pakistan, involving extensive fieldwork and data collection. The survey team travelled approximately 2,270 kilometres for each operator over 60 days, aiming to cover the maximum areas of the surveyed cities. During this period, around 250,000 mobile broadband tests, 45,000 voice calls, and SMS tests, as well as 130,000 Ookla Speed tests, were conducted to gauge the operators’ performance.

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Voice Services Performance

Voice services were a critical aspect of the survey. A total of 20,485 call attempts were made, out of which 339 attempts failed. Among the 20,146 successful call attempts, 143 calls dropped before completing the two-minute duration, whereas 20,003 calls remained connected for the entire duration. The survey assessed five key KPIs for voice services: Network Accessibility, Call Setup Success Rate, Call Setup Time, Call Completion Rate, and Mean Opinion Score. While the operators met the criteria for these KPIs, they did so only partially.

SMS Services Performance

The survey also evaluated SMS services, conducting 20,433 SMS sending attempts. Of these, 20,372 SMS were successfully transmitted by A-Party, and 20,203 SMS were successfully received by B-Party. The survey measured two key SMS QoS KPIs: Success Rate and Delivery Time. Similar to the voice services, operators only partially met these KPIs.

Mobile Broadband and Data Performance

The performance of CMOs in mobile broadband and data services was another focal point of the survey. During data tests conducted in technology auto-detect mode, 4G/LTE signal strength samples were recorded along the survey routes. Telenor was notably behind, missing the KPI in most of the cities surveyed, while other operators managed to meet the required criteria as per PTA’s standards.

Latency, a crucial indicator of mobile broadband performance, was measured by calculating the ping between different websites and Ookla Speed Test servers. Unfortunately, none of the four operators consistently met the KPI for latency, reflecting a need for improvement in this area. Additionally, PTA also tested the webpage loading times for various national and international websites. Although operators partially met the KPIs, none of them found compliant in all surveyed areas.

Challenges and Implications

The survey’s findings highlight significant areas where CMOs need to improve. The partial compliance with KPIs for voice, SMS, and data services indicates that while operators are meeting some standards, there is considerable room for enhancement to ensure a higher quality of service for consumers. The non-compliance with latency KPIs, in particular, points to a need for better infrastructure and optimization to enhance user experience.

Conclusion

The PTA’s independent QoS survey underscores the ongoing challenges faced by cellular mobile operators in Pakistan. While there has been progress, the partial compliance with set KPIs suggests that operators need to invest more in improving their services. The PTA’s commitment to regular assessments and transparency in reporting these findings is crucial for driving improvements and ensuring that consumers receive the quality of service they deserve. Moving forward, it will be essential for CMOs to address these gaps and work towards full compliance with regulatory standards.