All mobile operators in Kenya have failed to comply with the country’s network quality of service (QoS) standards for the period 2012 to 2013.

This is according to the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK’s) latest ‘Report on the Quality of Service (QOS) Performance Assessment for Cellular Mobile Networks’.

All four mobile operators failed to meet a compliance target of 80%, according to the CCK.

The telecoms watchdog says that Telkom Kenya had the highest QoS score of 62.5%, while the country’s three other operators Airtel Kenya Limited, Essar Kenya Limited and Safaricom Kenya Limited were rated at 50% out of the set minimum score of 80%.

Areas where the telecom firms fell short included key performance indicators (KPIs) such as call block rate, completed calls and call set up success rate.

However, the CCK says all operators met KPI targets with regard to RX Level, call set up time, handover success rate and call drop rate in the assessment period.

Graphs in the report also point to declining network quality over the years.

Safaricom, Airtel and Essar all scored 75% in the period 2010-2011. Meanwhile, Telkom Kenya scored 87.5% in 2011-2012.

“The overall performance in the period under review shows a general downward trend with none of the operators achieving the minimum KPI compliance target of 80%,” says the CCK in the report.

“It is also important to note that five (5) of the eight (8) KPIs were enhanced during the period under review and this could have contributed to the outcome,” says the regulator.

The CCK has further said that it “will continue to engage the operators with a view to
ensuring quality services are provided to the consumer”.

“In addition, we are working on a number of regulatory measures to improve mobile cellular quality of services and it is hoped this will be reflected in the next report,” says the CCK.