Rival mobile operators Cell C, Vodacom and MTN were found to have higher call set-up success rates (CSSR) and limited drop call rates (DCR) in Gauteng than in other provinces.
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) on Thursday published the results of monitoring tests on the quality of certain network aspects of Cell C, Vodacom and MTN in the Eastern and Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Gauteng.
The focus of the authority’s drive test – Quality of Service Monitoring Test Report for 2012/13 – the results of which were released on Thursday, was on network performance in terms of accessibility and retention of voice calls.
Icasa found that, of the four provinces in which the test took place, MTN only failed to meet the authority’s set targets of CSSR in the Western Cape, while Vodacom and Cell C lagged behind in two other provinces.
South Africa’s third-largest mobile operator Cell C failed the CSSR testing in the Western Cape, while Vodacom failed the same test in the Eastern Cape.
When it came to dropped calls, Cell C and Vodacom both failed to meet Icasa’s set target in KZN.
All operators met the targets in Gauteng, according to the statement.
Icasa sampled the mobile service providers’ network performance based on specified routes, at a particular time of day and a particular type of handset.
Telkom Mobile was not included in this round of monitoring but was expected to be included in future test samples once the smaller player increased its mobile coverage.