NTC quality of service benchmark rates Smart vs. Globe

Regulator National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has come up with the low down on which of the top telcos – Smart Communications Inc. or Globe Telecom Inc. – offers better service to its tens of millions of customers.   The results prompted Globe and Smart to slug it out in a war of words using the media to mirror their best side for consumers to see. Both telcos have spent and are still spending tens of billions of pesos to up grade and modernize their respective networks.   In its 3rd Quarter 2012 Quality of Service Benchmarking tests, NTC representatives took their mobile phones for a ride and made 2,189 test calls while driving through the streets of Metro Manila.   It was a measure of how the networks would perform in five categories or parameters: Blocked Calls or Grade of Service, Drop Call Rate, Average Receive Signal Level, Average Signal Quality, and Average Receive Signal Level.   According to Globe, results of the 3rd Quarter 2012 Quality of Service Benchmarking tests showed the Globe legacy network met the standards in four of five parameters: grade of service or blocked calls, call set-up time, average received signal level, and average signal quality.   “There’s a marked improvement in our own grade of service, ease of calls getting through and signal strength which are early indications that the network improvements are happening because of our ongoing modernization,” said Globe president and CEO Ernest Cu.   Ramon Isberto, head of Smart Public Affairs, told reporters his network outperformed Globe – five-to-zero – in all parameters.   Globe said, however, it “achieved a marked enhancement in its grade of service from the previous quarter.”   With only 2.54 percent of calls made on the Smart network unable to connect successfully, Smart claimed it recorded a definite edge in Blocked Calls or Grade of Service.   At 2.75 percent, Globe registered more blocked calls with the same percentage of incoming calls dropped or terminated involuntarily on its network.   Against the 2 percent NTC standard for Dropped Call Rate, Smart came in at 2.15 percent.   On that note, Globe said the NTC prescribed parameter was not more than 4 percent for ease of calls or getting connected at first try. Its 2.75 percent rating was a definite improvement from 4.45 percent in the second quarter test.   Based on the 2 percent NTC standard, the difference between Globe’s 2.75 percent and Smart’s 2.15 percent in dropped calls is one in 100, Globe added.   Smart claimed its service dominated the Average Receive Signal Level, registering -61.14 dBm (decibel-milliwatt) against Globe’s -69.21 dBm, saying it simply means that Smart provided stronger signal strength in the course of voice calls.   But Globe noted the signal strength of its cellsite to users’ mobile handset are “well within the NTC’s minimum of -85dBm – at -69.21 against last quarter’s -69.83 – while the average signal quality was at 1.03, where the ideal figure should be less than 4 and closer to 0.”   Smart heralded its score on Average Signal Quality category at 0.65, noting Globe scored 1.03.   The minimum acceptable range is 0 to 4, or the closer to 0 the better. This shows that Smart network provides better voice quality transmission than Globe, according to Smart.   In terms of Call Set Up Time, or how fast domestic calls get connected, Smart said it met quality standards at 11.23 seconds, versus Globe’s 11.56, with the acceptable industry standard at under14 seconds.   “What these numbers mean is that Smart subscribers enjoy better-quality service,” Isberto said. “We are able to deliver superior voice, text, and data services even though we have the largest subscriber base,” he added.   Globe said its 11.56 seconds Call Set Up Time was faster than 11.90 a quarter earlier and was well within the NTC directive of less than 14 seconds.   “While a good portion of our legacy network is still operational as these tests are being done, we are confident that we will achieve better results as soon as we approach completion of our brand new network, said Globe’s Cu.   “We expect to be ahead of our commitment of 70 percent completion by yearend 2012,” he added. — VS/TJD, GMA News