The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) has completed an extensive audit of mobile networks to benchmark the coverage of 2G, 3G and 4G networks in Qatar and the Quality of Service (QoS) levels offered by Ooredoo and Vodafone Qatar.
The audit, conducted from May to December 2017, benchmarked some Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of services such as voice calls, short message service and data service offered by the service providers.
The audit results indicate improvement from audits conducted by the CRA in previous years for both service providers, the authority has said in a statement. The CRA’s findings are summarised based on large sample sizes for each KPI. The summary of the 2017 network audit finding can be found on the CRA website.
The network audit was conducted during busy hours on working days and assessed the quality of coverage of both service providers in different areas, on streets and highways, in major pedestrian areas and several indoor locations, the CRA explained.
Samples of coverage were also collected from different roads of the country, including frequently accessed off-road routes popularly used for fishing and camping seasons.
To complete the audit, the authority used “state-of-the-art” measurement tools with the latest post-processing software, devices and smartphones installed on dedicated monitoring vehicles that are centrally monitored and controlled from the CRA’s Network Monitoring Centre.
The CRA has stressed that it will continue to monitor the network performance of both service providers on a regular basis in the coming years, and is currently in the process of establishing a robust QoS Framework that will ensure that the services provided to consumers in Qatar are among the best in the world.
The framework will include certain KPIs to ensure the provision of high-quality and reliable telecommunications services to the people of Qatar and that the service providers are in compliance with the regulatory framework.
