The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa’s (Icasa’s) quarterly Quality of Service (QoS) monitoring test report has found that telecommunications group Vodacom’s call success rate and retainability performed best in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

The authority examined the accessibility and retention of voice calls of South Africa’s three main mobile operators, Cell C, Vodacom and MTN, in the two provinces, during the first quarter of 2014 and the last quarter of 2013.

In terms of the call setup success rate (CSSR), the QoS report found that MTN provided the lowest quality of service in four of the five areas tested in the Western Cape and Vodacom had delivered high quality in all the areas tested.

MTN’s overall call success rate reached 92.15% – below Icasa’s stipulated 95% minimum CSSR – while Cell C and Vodacom passed Icasa’s threshold with overall call success of 96.27% and 99.05% respectively.

However, MTN recorded the best retainability in the Western Cape with an overall drop call rate (DCR) average of 2.3%.

However, Vodacom and Cell C both surpassed the Icasa-stipulated maximum drop rate of 3% with 4.44% and 5.36% of the respective company’s calls disconnecting before they were completed.

Icasa performed the tests in Somerset West/Stellenbosch, the Cape Town central business district, Worcester and at Cape Town International Airport.

Meanwhile, tests undertaken in the KwaZulu-Natal-based areas of Msinga, Empangeni, Richards Bay, Durban North/KwaMashu and Port Shepstone during the final quarter of 2013, showed Vodacom recorded overall call success rates of 97.48%, topping MTN at 91.1% and Cell C at 94.54%.

However, South Africa’s largest mobile operator failed to maintain a DCR at below 3%, reporting an average rate of dropped calls of 3.46%.

MTN had performed well in KwaZulu-Natal, leading the pack with an overall DCR of 2.19%, with Cell C falling behind with 6.99%.