Telecom networks take 10 seconds for call connection

Kathmandu, July 25

All three mobile phone service providers in the country have failed to meet the standard call setup time and setup success.

A recent study conducted by the Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA) concluded that the call set up time of Nepal Telecom (NT), Ncell and Smart Telecom (ST) is higher than the threshold set by the telecom regulator in the country.

However, Ncell has almost met the call connection time threshold of 5 seconds. Its connection time is 5.27 seconds against NT’s 9.34 seconds and ST’s 10.27 seconds.

‘Report on quality test (Drive test) of mobile services’ in the Kathmandu Valley conducted from March to June 2021 showed that call setup success rate is almost identical in three service providers with NT, Ncell and ST having 90.51 per cent, 94.43 per cent and 84.47 per cent respectively. This is lower than the NTA-set standard of 99 per cent or more call setup success rate.

Likewise, NT network has the highest call drop rate with 0.87 per cent against only 0.2 per cent of Ncell and 0.45 per cent of ST. While Ncell performs best in this category all three companies fare better in terms of the NTA threshold for call drop rate of 2 per cent or less.

The NTA had tested the quality of telephone calls in mobile sets with 40 seconds call duration and the calls were made locally within the service provider’s network.

It had applied drive test method in which testing tools mounted on a moving vehicle collect key performance indicators of the cellular network by repeatedly making voice or data calls, according to the report.

“All the available service providers at the location are tested simultaneously. The tools are configured in a way so that a favourable network (4G/3G/2G) is selected for each service provider automatically as per availability,” read the report.

However, the NTA said that the results represent network conditions of the operators on the specific places during the drive test period and conditions of the network in other areas could differ.

Drive Test locations in Kathmandu district were Kamaladi, Tripureshwor, Kalimati, Kalanki, Kshetrapati, Bijeshwari, Swayambhu, Sitapaila, Chhauni, Chabhil, Gothatar, Kapan, Mandikhatar, Golfutar, Chapali, Narayanthan, Gongabu, Gaushala, Sinamangal and Shantinagar, Pepsikola and Narephant.

Likewise, the test was conducted in Teku, Kupondole, Balkumari, Imadol, Gwarko and Tikathali of Lalitpur, and Balkot and Kaushaltar in Bhaktapur. Main and access roads connected to the Ring Road in the Valley were also included in the study.

Deputy Spokesperson of the NTA Achyuta Nand Mishra said that the study will help in improving the quality of mobile services in the Valley. Very soon, the telecom sector regulator will issue directives to the companies to improve the quality of telecom service. However, the time period for the reform would be set by the NTA, said Mishra.

Till May 2021, the three telecom companies have sold 38.47 million GSM SIM which is much higher than the population of the country which is estimated at 30.4 million by Sunday.

Nepal Telecom has distributed 19.65 million SIM cards, Ncell 16.49 million and Smart Telecom 2.33 million. Percentage of mobile service is 128.38 per cent against the population.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 26 July 2021.