Poor Quality Service: Communications Authority of Kenya Warns Airtel and Telkom

Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) gave Airtel and Telkom Kenya a heads-up for not meeting the Quality of Service (QoS) standards for their mobile networks. According to the latest report, only Safaricom exceeded the 80% performance target, scoring an impressive 90% on the set KPIs. The CA issued warning notices to Airtel and Telkom Kenya, stating their non-compliance with QoS.

“The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has issued warning notices to Airtel and Telkom Kenya for non-compliance with the quality of service (QoS) provided to consumers on their mobile telephony networks,” the regulator said in a statement.

Communications Of Kenya Warning Notes

According to the report, Airtel and Telkom Kenya didn’t quite hit the mark when it comes to their performance. Airtel achieved a score of 79%, while Telkom reached 65%. This resulted in an industry average of 72.4%, which is a significant drop compared to the average of 82.3% in the previous year and 75.5% in the year before that.

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) states that a mobile operator is considered compliant if they achieve at least 80% of the set Quality of Service (QoS) Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Unfortunately, both Airtel Kenya Networks and Telkom Kenya not only fell short of their coverage targets but also struggled with several critical QoS KPIs, particularly the ‘Unsuccessful Call Ratio’ and ‘Data Internet’ indicators. 

What The KPIs Reflect

These KPIs reflect the coverage and availability/accessibility of internet services, respectively.

According to Section 23 of the Kenya Information and Communications Act, 1998, the regulator has the responsibility to ensure that licensed telecom operators and service providers deliver high-quality services that align with their license conditions. To evaluate performance, several Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are used, including End-to-End QoS, Quality of Experience (QoE), and Network Performance (NP-QoS).

Now, during the period being reviewed, Safaricom’s end-to-end QoS, which measures the overall quality and reliability of communication services, experienced a decline for the third consecutive year. It stood at 87.6 percent, down from the 95 percent score in the 2021/2022 period and the 95.7 percent mark in the previous year. That’s what the report reveals.

In the latest release, Telkom Kenya experienced the biggest drop in performance, going from a 73 percent score in the 2021/2022 period to 54.8 percent. This decline was attributed to a network disruption in June, when the American Tower Corporation (ATC) switched off its towers due to unpaid leasing fees.

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According to the Communications Authority (CA), the assessment of end-to-end quality of service is conducted through drive tests for outdoor sites and walk tests for indoor locations. These tests were carried out across 44 counties, ensuring local security.

The report also highlights the positive impact of mobile network connectivity projects implemented by the Authority through the Universal Service Fund (USF). These projects have significantly improved the overall quality of service for consumers, especially in rural and hard-to-reach areas of the country.