Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission Network Performance Report 2017 Measuring Malaysia Broadband and Voice Performance Published: 29 January 2018 Network Performance Report 2017 About this document The report contains data and analysis regarding the performance of Malaysia Public Cellular Services (PCS - voice), Wireless (mobile) and Wired (fixed-line) broadband services delivered to consumers in year 2017. Generally, the report provides information on the average performance of voice call, mobile broadband including fixed wireless services such as WiMAX, fixed broadband of Digital Subscriber Line (DSL- copper) and fibre packages, presented at a national level. The Network Performance Report draws on data from measurement surveys and analysis conducted by the MCMC on a nationwide scale from January to December 2017. This report is produced to provide consumers with useful information on the performance of the mentioned services. The publishing of this report is in accordance with the MCMC effort to carry out and publish research on the quality of service experienced by the consumers based on the relevant Commission Determination on the Mandatory Standards for Quality of Service. 2 Network Performance Report 2017 Contents Section Page 1 Executive summary 1 2 Key metrics 2 3 Wireless broadband service performance 5 3.1 Background 5 3.2 Nationwide overall performance 5 3.3 Regional results 8 4 Wired broadband service performance 62 4.1 Background 62 4.2 Nationwide overall performance 62 4.3 Regional results 63 4.4 Results by speed subscribed 66 4.5 Results by location 68 5 Public cellular service performance 70 5.1 Background 70 5.2 Identified Route Results 74 5.3 Nationwide Results 77 6 Conclusion 83 6.1 FAQ 84 3 Network Performance Report 2017 Section 1 Executive Summary Over the course of 2017, the MCMC embarked on another nationwide network performance measurement following last year’s similar assessment activities, based on criteria stipulated in the three (3) Commission Determination on the Mandatory Standards (MS) for Quality of Service (QoS). The 3 Determinations are: 1. Mandatory Standards for Quality of Service (Wireless Broadband Services); http://www.skmm.gov.my/skmmgovmy/media/General/pdf/Comm-Det-MS-QoS-Wireless-Bb- Access-Service-No-1-of-2016.pdf 2. Mandatory Standards for Quality of Service (Wired Broadband Services); and http://www.skmm.gov.my/skmmgovmy/media/General/pdf/Comm-Det-MS-QoS-Wired-Bb- Access-Service-No-2-of-2016.pdf 3. Mandatory Standards for Quality of Service (Public Cellular Services). http://www.skmm.gov.my/Sectors/Celco/Quality-of-Service-%281%29/Public-Cellular-Quality- of-Service/Commission-Determination-on-the-MSQoS-for-Public-C.aspx As we are moving towards a digital nation, more people are able to be connected to the communications they need and indirectly expectations on quality of service will likely increase as mobile and fixed services becomes intertwined in their daily lives. The results provide snapshots of performance from January to December 2017. During which all operators involved in the assessment may have carried out varying degree of network maintenance and modernization on their network which may have impacted the measurement results. All results were gathered based on the offered service at the particular tested areas. This report will focus on the results of the assessment and for ease of reference the report will also be segregated into the performance on a regional level. The respective regions are Central, Southern, Northern, Eastern, Sarawak and Sabah. The average performance for each region will be discussed state- by-state where it matters. Service providers involved in the assessment were Celcom, DiGi, Maxis, U Mobile, Webe and YES1 for mobile broadband. As for fixed wireless broadband service (WiMAX), the only service provider involved was YES. Therefore, YES is the only provider that have both data for mobile and fixed wireless broadband - where YES (LTE) measurements involved. For wired broadband network performance, service providers involved were Maxis, Time DotCom and Telekom Malaysia (TM). Lastly on voice call performance, four (4) of the service providers evaluated were Celcom, DiGi, Maxis and U Mobile. For mobile broadband, the test user equipment (UE) or mobile phones were not locked into any particular technology band but measurements were done in 3G and LTE coverage areas. Meanwhile for fixed wireless broadband, measurements were conducted in areas having WiMAX coverage. For wired broadband, the measurements were conducted at customer’s premises who had subscribed to either fibre or Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) type of broadband internet service. 1 This year, YES mobile broadband measurements were only conducted starting August 2017 due to the non-availability of TDD-LTE supported test UE during early part of the assessment. Therefore, not all states were assessed for YES TDD-LTE performance. 1 Network Performance Report 2017 Section 2 Key Metrics The report focuses on the key metrics being measured based on the Mandatory Standards imposed by MCMC which are relevant to the consumer experience. The network performance metrics being measured for wireless and wired broadband were throughput (download and upload speeds), network latency and packet loss. In terms of voice call performance, the parameters measured were call setup success rate (CSSR) and dropped call rate (DCR). This report will present the average results across all regions, as well as the distributions, to give a glimpse of the performance for the particular test areas. Wireless broadband MS requirement – The proportion of tests that produced download throughput greater than 650 kbps is considered as an addition to the overall averages. The required proportion for the minimum throughput is 80% of the measured time for time division duplex (TDD) and 65% of the measured time for frequency division duplex (FDD) type of services. Network latency requirements were mandated to be less than 250 ms for at least 70% of the time, while packet loss must not be more than 3%. Wired broadband MS requirement – Throughput measured must not be less than 70% of the subscribed level for DSL and must not be less than 90% of the subscribed level for fibre. For both DSL and fibre, the required proportion for the minimum throughput is 90% of the measured time. Network latency requirements for fixed broadband were mandated to be less than 85 ms for at least 95% of the time, while packet loss must not be more than 1%. Voice call MS requirement – The minimum CSSR level required is set at 95% while the DCR must not be more than 3%. What we measured Throughput – It refers to how much data can be transferred per unit of time across a network from one location to another. In our measurement context, download throughput refers to the internet speed experienced by the end user when data is transferred from a server to the end user equipment. While upload throughput refers to the internet speed experienced by the end user when transferring data to the server. Higher throughput means better internet speeds. Network Latency – It refers to the timing of data transfers on a network, how long it takes for the data to travel to its destination. Round trip time (RTT) refers to the time taken for a packet to travel and return across the network between end user and the server. Low latency is considered better than high latency. Packet Loss – It refers to amount of data sent which are unable to reach its intended destination. Low packet loss indicates the network able to transfer data from the user end towards the destination host with high reliability. Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR) – Voice calls made by user and successfully established, allowing communication. High CSSR indicates good network accessibility. Dropped Call Rate (DCR) – Voice calls made by user and successfully established but was cut off before the speaking parties able to finished the intended call or before any one of them hang up. Low DCR indicates good network retainability. 2 Network Performance Report 2017 Limitation of this research This report focuses on the relative performance of 4G, 3G and WiMAX networks (wireless broadband), fibre and DSL (wired broadband), 2G and 3G networks (voice services), in the areas in which the MCMC tested, in 2017. These results provide valuable insight into each related service performance, but there are limitations of this research, including: The information presented in this report concerning wireless and wired broadband only relates to download speeds, upload speeds, network latency and packet loss. Other factors relating to the consumer experience of using broadband services (such as traffic management policies, web browsing, Over-the-Top (OTT) applications, data allowances, customer service, billing etc.) are not covered in this report. In terms of mobile broadband and voice performance, the results may vary which is dependent on a number of factors including distance from the base station, whether the user is inside a building or outdoors, and whether stationary or in motion. The number of people concurrently using a network in the same location or area can affect service performance, and this means that the performance available to any individual consumer will vary both by time and by location. This report presents information on recorded results of the related service performance during the measurement period in the locations in which the MCMC tested. However, the service providers are continuously expanding and optimizing their networks, so the general performance results set out in this report may not represent current or future performance. It is important to note that the results shown here does not reflect the Malaysian-wide performance and is limited to the areas being measured. However, the measurements were done in major cities for each regional areas to reflect on the performance in high demand areas. Causes of mobile network degradation that could affect quality in 2017 Performance of mobile broadband and voice performance may also be influenced by radio frequency (RF) environment at the particular location.