UAE’s General Authority for Regulating the Telecommunications Sector (TRA) has published the results of its annual benchmarking survey which evaluates mobile networks and services provided by licensees Etisalat and du.

The survey “UAE Cellular Mobile Networks Benchmarking 2014” provides the TRA with an opportunity to assess and track the current status of mobile networks and identify the main issues that need to be addressed in order to ensure better quality and reliability, a statement said.

Key findings:

Outdoor

Voice Indicators

Call Completion Success Rate where results placed Etisalat at 98.59 per cent and du at 98.55 per cent, Call Setup Success Rate where Etisalat scored 98.83 per cent and du 98.84 per cent, and Call Drop Rate where Etisalat was at 0.25 per cent while du was at 0.30 per cent. In regards to Voice Quality, Etisalat scored 95.33 per cent and du 97.02 per cent, and in terms of Double Service Coverage (for both 2G and 3G), both Etisalat and du exceeded 99 per cent.

Data Transfer Indicators

Data Transfer Rate in Dual Mode (2G / 3G) showcased Etisalat at 5724 kbps and du at 4583 kbps for FTP DL, while for FTP UL Etisalat scored 681 kbps and du 796 kbps. Moreover, for HTTP browser protocol, Etisalat scored 5630 kbps and du 5570 kbps for HTTP DL, while for HTTP UL, Etisalat scored 721 kbps and du 857 kbps.

LTE Data Transfer Rate, Etisalat scored 17116 kbps and du 10786 kbps for FTP DL while for FTP UL Etisalat scored 2100 kbps and du 1614 kbps. Moreover, for HTTP browser protocol, Etisalat scored 11968 kbps and du 7858 kbps for HTTP DL, while for HTTP UL, Etisalat scored 2111 kbps and du 1624 kbps.

Indoor

Voice Indicators

As for the Indoor user experience; Call Completion Success Rate results put Etisalat at 98.89 per cent and du at 98.80 per cent, and for Call Setup Success Rate, Etisalat scored 99.24 per cent and du 99.42 per cent, for Call Drop Rate, Etisalat was at 0.36 per cent while du was at 0.63 per cent, and Voice Quality placed Etisalat at 97.73 per cent and du at 97.48 per cent.

Data Transfer Indicators

Data Transfer Rate in Dual Mode (2G / 3G) showcased Etisalat 8287 kbps and du 6922 kbps for FTP DL, and Etisalat 763 kbps a du 327 kbps for FTP UL. Moreover, for HTTP browser protocol, Etisalat scored 6516 kbps and du 6836 kbps for HTTP DL, while for HTTP UL, Etisalat 762 kbps and du 445 kbps.

LTE Data Transfer Rate, Etisalat scored 24740 kbps and du 8728 kbps for FTP DL while for FTP UL Etisalat scored 2111 kbps and du 943 kbps. Moreover, for HTTP browser protocol, Etisalat scored 12682 kbps and du 7566 kbps for HTTP DL while for HTTP UL, Etisalat scored 2128 kbps and du 900 kbps.

“The TRA gives has prioritized the evaluation of quality of the services offered by telecommunication network operators. As ICT sector organizers, we conduct testing and assessments that help track the status of mobile networks in each phase and the range of services provided in order to increase the standard of service and attain excellence in addition to promoting healthy competition amongst the operators,” said Hamad Obaid Al Mansouri, TRA director general.

 

"Conducting the annual Benchmarking Survey and concluding its results has proved reliable for developing comprehensive and improved insights. These will result in continuous improvement in the quality of service throughout the UAE and contributes in attaining Smart Government and Smart Cities while achieving the highest levels of readiness attracting investors and economic development in the country,” he added.
 
Saif Bin Ghelaita, director of Technology Development Department at TRA, said: “We are working towards performing tests that provide a fair comparison and assessment of the mobile networks services by employing state-of-the-art test equipment used in most organisations and developed countries.”

“These equipment measure key performance indicators that directly relate to the end-user experience through simulating an actual telecommunication environment in several conditions and several areas, where network coverage, dropped calls, and the clarity of calls are measured," he added. – TradeArabia News Service