The Role of Telecommunications Service Quality in the Digital Economy
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The role of telecommunications service quality in the Digital Economy ITU-IMDA Workshop – Singapore, 19 August 2019 Elena Scaramuzzi, Cullen International Regulatory approaches QoS: Command and control • Parameters and measurements criteria • Targets set • Data collection, validation, reporting • Compliance control, enforcement and sanctioning QoE: Consumers empowerment • Tools to compare offers • Speed testing tools • Coverage maps • Other apps • Feedback from users Encouragement and transparency • Operators set own targets • Publicise results • Industry codes of conduct Evolution from telephony to the digital economy Regulators “Service quality” Providers Users Europe Evolution of EU Framework (relevant for QoS/QoE) EECC transposition by EECC 2018 20/12/20 TSM 2015 2009 Review 2002 Framework Amendments to Universal Service and e-Privacy Directives (Citizens’ Rights Directive - 2009) Key amendments Main provisions Net Neutrality • NRAs will be able set minimum quality of service (QoS) requirements • NRAs to report annually on ‘internet freedoms’ Personal data breaches • Obligation on ECS providers to notify subscribers and other impacted individuals • Also inform NRA Data protection breaches • ECS providers must inform authorities when security breaches lead to personal data loss or misuse Use of cookies and spyware • End users to give explicit consent (opt-in) Information for end-users • any lawful conditions limiting access to or use of services and applications • minimum QoS levels offered • any restriction on the use of terminal equipment Number portability • Within 1 working day Emergency – single 112 • Broadened to all providers offering calls to national numbers. This includes number-based VoIP providers • Caller location information should be made available to the authority handling emergency calls as soon as the call reaches that authority. Before only “to the extent technically feasible”. Telecoms Single Market Regulation (TSM, 2015) Measures mainly concerning open internet access, amending Universal Service Directive and users’ rights relating to electronic communications networks and services art. 4(1a) art. 4(1b) information on how traffic management Information as to how any volume limitation, measures applied by a provider could impact speed and other QoS parameters may in on the quality of the internet access services practice have an impact on IAS, and in (IAS), on the privacy of end-users and on the particular on the use of content, applications protection of their personal data and services art. 4(1d) art. 4(1e) Information on the minimum, normally available, Information on the remedies available to maximum and advertised download and upload speed the consumer in accordance with of the IAS in the case of fixed networks, or of the national law in the event of any estimated maximum and advertised download and continuous or regularly recurring QoS upload speed of the IAS in the case of mobile networks discrepancy European Electronic Communications Code (EECC, 2018) Art. 104: Regulators should be able to collect comparable information on QoS offered by providers of publicly available internet access services and interpersonal communications services Art. 272: Regulators, in coordination with other competent authorities should set out the measurement methods to be applied by the service providers in order to improve the comparability of the data provided. To that aim, BEREC should adopt (non-binding) guidelines. Annex 8: Providers should give information on any specific quality parameters assured, as well as any compensation and refund arrangements which apply if levels of quality of service contracted by users are not met. Annex 10: QoS Parameters, Definitions and Measurement Methods referred to in Article 104. Art. 103.2: End users’ right to have access, free of charge, to at least one independent comparison tool which includes the possibility to compare the quality of service performance between available offers. EECC approach Objective monitoring Quality parameters and and publication of monitoring methodology information on quality are listed in the EECC offered by providers Regulators Transparency & empowerment “Service (Entitled to a compensation if Providers of IAS quality” and ICS (new quality assured not met. definition) Comparison tools) Providers Users 1. Who are the “providers” now possibly subject to “monitoring”? Electronic communications services (ECS) Interpersonal communications services (ICS): Conveyance of Internet access Number- Number signals services (IAS) based independent (M2M, broadcasting) “….to the extent that they control at least some elements of the network either directly or by virtue of a service level agreement to that effect.” 2. What are the “quality parameters” that can be monitored? Providers of access to a public Providers of inter-personal Providers of internet access electronic communications communications services who services networks have control on at least some network elements or SLA 1. Supply time for initial 1. Call set up time 1. Latency (delay) connection 2. Bill correctness complaints 2. Jitter 2. Fault rate per access line 3. Voice connection quality 3. Packet loss 3. Fault repair time 4. Dropped call ratio 5. Unsuccessful call ratio 6. Failure probability (*) 7. Call signaling delays (*) ETSI EG 202 057 ETSI EG 202 057 - except (*) ITU-T Y.2617 Current situation Example: fixed voice • Transparency obligations in 20 EU member states. In 6 of them they only apply to the designated USO provider • Targets in 15 EU member states, but 10 of them only on designated USO providers Source: Cullen International 3. End-users’ empowerment tools – current situation (mobile) NRA survey NRA survey Speed test Coverage Providers’ (measurements) (users) tools maps rankings Belgium France Germany Ireland Italy Spain Sweden UK Source: Cullen International Example – end user empowerment (UK) https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0022/145525/comparing-service-quality-2018.pdf Example – end user empowerment (France) Americas Overview broadband: fixed and mobile Country Targets set? Imposed on all Measurement Obligation to Specific operators? audited publish? penalties? Argentina Brazil Canada Chile proposed Colombia (autom. comp.) Costa Rica Ecuador Mexico (mobile) Paraguay Peru United States Source: Cullen International USA: broadband maps used for different purposes (eligibility for subsidies AND user empowerment) Source: FCC In Latin America mixed approaches – example Brazil TARGETS, COMPLIANCE CONTROL, SANCTIONING 14 indicators 14 indicators 10 indicators 16 indicators Source: Anatel Example Brazil GUARANTEED BROADBAND SPEED SINCE 2012 Entitade aferidora da Qualidade (EAQ) is an external entity selected and funded by providers, to implement the measurements and certify them to Anatel on a regular basis. Example Brazil EXTENSIVE CONSUMER SURVEYS SINCE 2015 Results also by Brazilian state Reports by type of service All results in spreadsheets… Source: Anatel Example Brazil TOOLS SINCE 2012 Access to voice network Quality and User amount of Experience antennas Voice and data ranking Other examples across Latin America GUARANTEED SPEEDS Source: Cullen International Proposal in Mexico In 2018 IFT proposed minimum speed to be mandated on all broadband providers. IFT proposed minimum speeds to be offered for broadband services, and not to a percentage of the advertised speed. Other examples across Latin America TOOLS Source: Cullen International Middle East and North Africa QoS regulation - overview Targets Measurements Publication of Sanctions and reporting results Algeria Bahrain Only reference values Not Egypt available Jordan Lebanon Morocco Oman Qatar Saudi Arabia Tunisia Not available UAE Only KPIs Source: Cullen International Examples - telephony Source: Cullen International Frequency of KPI reports submitted by operators to the NRA In Bahrain some KPIs must be reported every three months and others every year. In Oman KPIs must be reported every three months, every six months, or every year depending on the the KPI. Source: Cullen International Broadband – guaranteed speeds • Tunisia: at least 25% of advertised download and upload speed (mobile) • Proposal in Qatar: 85% of contracted download and upload speed • Bahrain: reference value within the advertised speed Kingdom of Bahrain revised QoS rules in 2018 TRA revised its 2008 QoS regulation. The new rules include, amongst others: • New provisions on network outages • More precise criteria TRA may follow to set binding targets on operators • New provisions on enforcement, incl. sanctions • A review of KPIs (now fewer, but more relevant and more precisely defined) Saudi Arabia – revised QoS rules (2018) Revised rules of 2009, among the key changes, the obligation to publish geographical coverage maps for both mobile and fixed services. Source: https://www.citc.gov.sa/en/reportsandstudies/indicators/Pages/service_providers_coverage_maps.aspx A look at … Uganda… • The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) monitors, conducts performance audits, publishes results. • Targets: blocked call rate and dropped call rate: Source: UCC no more than 2% Nigeria…. • The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) established minimum Quality of Service (QoS) standards (a number of network and non-network KPIs). • Every mobile operator must report measurements to the NCC on a quarterly basis. Source: NCC Malaysia… Service PSTN Mobile Dial-up Content Pay- Digital Fixed internet app phones Leased broadband services Lines # of KPIs/