In the framework of its current activities, ANACOM surveys once more the quality of the services provided by GSM mobile operators in Portugal, by analyzing technical parameters that translate the Consumer?s quality perception.
The monitoring of the quality of service of the studies made in the last five years was subject to some changes, namely with the use of new approaches.
For the first time, an analysis was made to the performance of the Short Message Service (SMS) provided to the public by OPTIMUS?s, VODAFONE?s and TMN?s GSM mobile networks.
The measurements were made between 30 May and 6 June 2005 in Lisbon and Porto, involving 51,538 test messages sent.
In the assessment of the quality of the Short Message Service (SMS), indicators of paramount importance were analyzed, considering the quality perception from the user/consumer?s standpoint:
a. Service accessibility;
b. SMS delivery time;
c. SMS delivery rate;
d. Variation in time of these indicators.
The method is based on automatic end-to-end tests, in order to identify the quality of service and to provide the most realistic perspective on the networks? performance, from the user?s standpoint.
In view of these services? penetration rate, of the diversity of the terminal equipment that is used, and given the users? subjective views themselves, it is impossible to rigorously reproduce each consumer?s conditions of interaction with the networks. The results of this study must thus be understood as an indicator of the networks? behaviour. Its transposition/extrapolation to specific situations requires some prudence, at the risk that biased conclusions might be taken.
Technical and methodological options of this study directly influenced its results and must be taken into account when analyzing these results, namely the following:
- The tests were exclusively based on a technical solution (equipment + software) and performed in a totally automatic way, thereby setting homogenous conditions for the monitoring of the 3 operators and eliminating the subjectivity inherent to the human user;
- Dual-Band terminal equipment was used;
- During the measurements, terminal equipment was kept motionless at locations with an adequate coverage and worked as both short message sender and receiver;
- Only Intra-Network Mobile-Mobile tests were made;
- The results of the study only reflect the behaviour of the networks at the locations and moments of the measurements;
- On the other hand, the operators are permanently improving their networks. The technical interventions necessary to these improvements can cause momentary degradations of the service in the geographic area of intervention.
