By ; Bakinam khaled 

In light of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority’s “NTRA” efforts to enhance the quality of telecom services provided for users, the National Telecom Center for Monitoring Service Quality, subordinate to NTRA, issued its quality measurement report for the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2022 (from October to December 2022).

Measurement methodology entailed conducting quality-measuring tests on samples of voice calls and data services to determine the quality of telecom services provided for users within Egypt’s market. To this end, measuring equipment and vehicles were used for distances of 122 thousand kilometers, across major and sub roads of urban and rural areas, during the fourth quarter of 2022.

Report findings were based on measuring the Key Performance Indicators of voice and data services as follow:

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of voice service:

• Call-Blocked Rate: Rate of unsuccessful attempts to start a phone call, out of the overall sample during a specific period of time. 

• Call-Dropped Rate: Rate of disconnected phone calls for technical issues before being ended by either side, out of the overall sample during a specific period of time.  

• 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, out of the overall sample during a specific period of time.

• Voice Quality Rate: Level of voice purity during phone calls for measurement samples within a specific period of time.

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 average number of areas where voice and data quality issues were monitored in 2022-Q4, compared to the same period of 2021:

• The average number of areas affected by voice quality issues was reduced by 34% in the fourth quarter of 2022 to reach 38, in comparison to 58 areas in 2021-Q4.

• The average number of areas affected by data quality issues was reduced by 41% in the fourth quarter of 2022 coming up to 24, in comparison to 41 areas in 2021-Q4.

Indicators of mobile service consumption, in terms of voice and data, during 2022-Q4 came as follow: 

• Number of voice calls via 4G Generation technology (VoLTE) increased by 200% during 2022-Q4 reaching 3 billion, compared to 1 billion in 2021-Q4.

• Consumption of mobile internet packages increased by 273% in average to reach 377 thousand TB during 2022-Q4, in comparison to 101 thousand TB in 2021-Q4.

VoLTE is considered a highly-efficient wireless technology providing high-quality voice calls for subscribers in terms of voice purity and clarity. Furthermore, this service does not require any additional fees to the current cost of service to be incurred by users. 

Furthermore, VoLTE can be operated via mobile sets compatible with such a technology, in addition to a SIM card supporting 4G service within an area where VoLTE is provided and supported by operator. This service could also get automatically operated by some mobile schemes, whereas it should be activated from phone settings in other schemes. Rate of mobile sets supporting phone calls via VoLTE reached 51% within Egypt’s market.

Below is the total number of cities and districts where voice quality issues were monitored in 2022-Q4, compared to 2021-Q4, per operator:

• Vodafone: Out of 81 cities and districts, the total number of areas having poor quality indicators with respect to voice service reached 15 during 2022-Q4. In fact, an improvement was monitored regarding the number of areas suffering from voice quality issues by 25% during 2022-Q4, compared to the same period of 2021.

• Orange: Out of 81 cities and districts, the total number of areas having poor quality indicators with respect to voice service reached 22 during 2022-Q4. As monitored, the number of areas having poor quality indicators with respect to voice service improved by 31% during 2022-Q4, in comparison to the same period of 2021.

• Etisalat: Out of 81 cities and districts, the total number of areas having poor quality indicators with respect to voice service came up to 14 during 2022-Q4. As monitored, the number of areas having poor quality indicators with respect to voice service improved by 53% during 2022-Q4 in comparison to the same period of 2021.

• WE: Out of 81 cities and districts, the total number of areas having poor quality indicators with respect to voice service reached 27 during 2022-Q4. As monitored, the number of areas having poor quality indicators with respect to voice service improved by 36% during 2022-Q4, in comparison to the same period of 2021.

Below is the total number of cities and districts where data quality issues were monitored in 2022-Q4, compared to 2021-Q4: 

• Vodafone: Out of 81 cities and districts, the total number of areas having poor indicators with respect to data service improved by 54% during 2022-Q4, compared to the same period of 2021, to record 19. 

• Orange: Out of 81 cities and districts, the total number of areas having poor indicators with respect to data service improved by 13% during 2022-Q4, compared to the same period of 2021, recording 26. 

• Etisalat: Out of 81 cities and districts, the total number of areas having poor indicators with respect to data service improved by 83% during 2022-Q4, compared to the same period of 2021, reaching 3.  

• WE: Out of 81 cities and districts, the total number of areas having poor indicators with respect to data service improved by 42% during 2022-Q4, compared to the same period of 2021, reaching 7.

Data Transfer Rate (DTR) improved post activation of new frequency bands. 

• Vodafone: Out of 81 cities and districts, average download throughput improved by 14% to reach 33 Mbps/ second in December 2022, compared to 29 Mbps/ second in December 2021.

• Orange: Out of 81 cities and districts, average download throughput improved by 12% to reach 29 Mbps/ second in December 2022, compared to 26 Mbps/ second in December 2021.

• Etisalat: Out of 81 cities and districts, average download throughput improved by 52% to reach 41 Mbps/ second in December 2022, compared to 27 Mbps/ second in December 2021.

• WE: Out of 81 cities and districts, average download throughput improved by 17% to reach 34 Mbps/ second in December 2022, compared to 29 Mbps/ second in December 2021.

Measures taken by NTRA to improve service quality for users:

1. New 2930 cell sites were approved in 2022.

NTRA approved the deployment of new 2930 cell sites in 2022, by an increase of 33% in comparison to 2021. This would actually contribute to improving telecom service quality and expand the capacity of mobile infrastructure to take in the increasing traffic in Egypt’s market.

2. Fines of about EGP 118.7 million were imposed on mobile operators for violating telecom quality standards.

NTRA imposed fines of about EGP 118.7 million on mobile operators for trespassing telecom quality parameters in 2022.

3. Several major roads in different governorates were covered.

Procedures to provide mobile coverage for 9 new major roads in 8 governorates, with total lengths of 887 km, were finalized by NTRA. Furthermore, coverage was also enhanced for 13 roads in 19 governorates nationwide, with total lengths of 2429 km.

4. 199 Law enforcement campaigns were executed to remove unauthorized repeaters and boosters

NTRA executed 199 law enforcement campaigns within 20 governorates in 2022 to remove unauthorized repeaters and signal boosters which harm the service quality. In fact, this step came in line with the latest amendment of Telecommunications Law, acknowledged in December 2022, stating that tough sanctions against the possession, marketing and unlicensed importation of unauthorized mobile boosters shall be imposed.