By ; Adel Farig

In light of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority’s “NTRA” efforts to improve the quality of telecom services provided for users, the National Telecom Center for Monitoring Service Quality, subordinate to NTRA, has issued its report on quality measurements for the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2021 (from October to December 2021).

The report covers voice and data service indicators as provided by telecom operators in Egypt’s market. In fact, quality-measuring tests were conducted on mobile phone service over 81 cities and districts, where phone call and data transfer samples were tested. This process took place via measuring equipment and vehicles, and for distances of about 115 thousand Km. across major and sub roads of urban and rural areas, during the fourth quarter of 2021.

Report-findings entailed the Key Performance Indicators of voice and data service as follow: 

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of voice service:

Call-Blocked Rate: Rate of unsuccessful attempts to start a phone call 

Call-Dropped Rate: Rate of disconnected phone calls for technical issues, before being ended by either side. 

Call Access Time: Rate of calls requiring a long time or taking long seconds, from the time the dial button is pressed until a ring is heard by the other side. 

Voice Quality Rate: Level of voice purity during phone calls. 

Data service KPIs:

Average http Download Throughput: Minimum download speed is monitored for the lowest 10% of sample.

Average http Upload Throughput: Minimum upload speed is monitored for the lowest 10% of sample.

Below is the total number of cities and districts where voice quality issues were monitored in 2021-Q4

Vodafone: 15 areas, out of 81, were monitored to have voice quality issues; with Delta on top, followed by Upper Egypt and the Suez Canal.  20 violations were actually observed in December 2021 in comparison to 25 violations observed across 21 areas, back in October 2021.

Orange: 28 areas, out of 81, were monitored to have voice quality issues; with Alexandria on top followed by Delta and Cairo. 40 violations were actually observed in December 2021, in comparison to 54 violations across 38 areas, back in October 2021.

Etisalat: 29 areas, out of 81, were monitored to have voice quality issues; with Cairo on top followed by Upper Egypt and Delta respectively. 36 violations were actually observed in December 2021, in comparison to 43 violations observed across 32 areas, back in October 2021.

WE: 37 areas, out of 81, were monitored to have voice quality issues; with Cairo on top followed by Upper Egypt and Delta. 46 violations were actually observed in December 2021, in comparison to 76 violations observed across 56 areas, back in October 2021.

Below is the total number of cities and districts where data quality issues were monitored in 2021-Q4:

Vodafone: Out of 81 cities and districts, 40 areas were monitored to have poor data service in December 2021, in comparison to 42 areas having issues in data quality back in October 2021. On the top of affected areas came Delta, followed by Cairo and Upper Egypt respectively. Furthermore, Average download speed reached 29 Mbps/ second in December.

Orange: Out of 81 cities and districts, 34 areas were monitored to have poor data service in December 2021, in comparison to 30 areas having issues in data quality back in October 2021. On the top of affected areas came Delta, followed by Cairo and Alexandria respectively. Furthermore, Average download speed reached 26 Mbps/ second in December.

Etisalat: Out of 81 cities and districts, 17 areas were monitored to have poor data service in December 2021, in comparison to 20 areas having issues in data quality back in October 2021. On the top of affected areas came Cairo, followed by Upper Egypt and Giza respectively. Furthermore, Average download speed reached 27 Mbps/ second in December.

WE: Out of 81 cities and districts, 13 areas were monitored to have poor data service in December 2021, in consistency with the number observed back in October 2021. On the top of affected areas came Upper Egypt, followed by Alexandria and Giza. Furthermore, Average download speed reached 29 Mbps/ second in December.

Measures taken by NTRA to improve service quality for users:

Fine of EGP 17.1 million was imposed on telecom operators for violating quality standards

NTRA imposed a fine of about EGP 17 million on mobile operators for trespassing telecom quality standards in 2021-Q4.

 2. Deployment of 693 cell-sites was approved by NTRA in 2021-Q4

Deployment of 693 cell sites, during 2021-Q4, was approved by NTRA by a 114%-increase compared to 2020-Q4. This process has actually contributed to improving the standards of telecom service provided in Egypt’s market.

 3.New radio-frequencies were provided for mobile services

Post NTRA’s approval, 80 MHz were provided for mobile phone services within 2600 MHz, via Time Division Duplexing (TDD), in December 2021. In fact, this process would contribute to improving data and voice services.

 4. Inspection campaigns were launched to seize unlawful signal boosters in Egypt’s market

Campaigns were launched, in coordination with telecom police, to seize unlawful signal boosters harming telecom quality. In fact, 1750 illegal repeaters and boosters were removed and seized across 7 Governorates. Citizens are actually called upon by NTRA to use the NTRA-authorized signal boosters available at the outlets and stores of mobile operators.

5. EGP 1.5 billion were paid to uphold telecom service in the countryside within “Haya Karima” initiative

Procedures to deploy mobile cell-sites in 500 villages, within the initiative of “Haya Karima”, were initiated by NTRA at a cost of EGP 1.5 billion funded by Universal Service Fund. 

 6  My NTRA application was launched entailing a service quality map for Egypt’s market  

  NTRA launched its interactive app; My NTRA, to help users identify the level of service-quality provided by operators, via a quality interactive map as well as internet speed-tests.