Performance Evaluation of Key Performance Indicators for UMTS Networks in Calabar, Nigeria

For appropriate regulation and quality assurance, continuous monitoring of cellular network services is necessary. A drive test measurement was carried out in Calabar, to investigate four UMTS networks, taking cognizance of Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR), Drop Call Rate (DCR), Handover Success Rate (HOSR), Call Setup Time (CST), Received Signal Code Power (RSCP) and Signal-to-Interference Ratio (Ec/Io). The collected data was analyzed and the obtained results was compared with the performance threshold levels of the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC). The four networks had excellent CST, with MTN leading, followed by Airtel, then 9mobile and Globacom. For CSSR, Airtel had excellent performance, as there was no blocked call. This was followed by MTN and Globacom. 9mobile failed in CSSR as it was below the NCC recommended benchmark. There was no drop call in Airtel, MTN and 9mobile, but Globacom’s performance was below the recommended threshold for dropped calls. For HOSR, the four networks showed excellent performance as they were able to handover calls between cells, as recommended by NCC. Considering the RSCP, the four networks displayed excellent services as subscribers experienced good voice and data services. However, the four networks had poor coverage quality (Ec/Io), the worst, being displayed by MTN. This shows that the equipment capability of the networks is low. The network operators are advised to monitor their services often, so as to optimize their networks for a better Quality of Service (QoS).