A study by Indian telecom operator Bharti Airtel and Viavi shows how 3G and 4G smartphone quality impacts users’ network experience.
The latest study is based on the big data analysis of over 8,000 smartphone models on Bharti Airtel’s mobile network in Delhi city, India — using Viavi Solutions’ Location Intelligence Platform. Viavi is a leading test and measurement (T&M) company in India.
Mobile user experience including call drops on 3G and 4G smartphones available in India varies from device to device under the same network conditions. The research report indicates that the test and measurement activity cannot stop at the mobile network, but needs to account for individual devices as well.
Airtel will provide data to smartphone manufacturers to improve future products. Prominent phone makers India include Apple, Samsung, Lenovo, Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, among others. The study shows that India is home to several cheap quality phones.
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Viavi’s location intelligence platform recorded measurements of KPIs from smartphones representing 2.2 million subscribers in Delhi city of India.
For arriving at the findings, Viavi has set benchmark for KPIs to indicate the minimum performance expected. 4G smartphone should meet set threshold in 8 out of 12 parameters or KPIs (at least four each for 4G & 3G) to qualify. 3G only smartphone would qualify upon meeting set threshold in 4 out of 6 KPIs.
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300 models accounted for 80 percent of the total smartphone population of the 8,000 smartphone models.
Around 23 percent of 4G smartphones and 13 percent of 3G only smartphones did not meet the qualification benchmarks amongst the top 128 smartphone models.
“Given the massive scale of customers served by our network, this study provides a 360-degree view on customer experience and generates insights for collaborating with device OEMs to serve the customer even better,” said Abhay Savargaonkar, director – Network Services (India & South Asia), Bharti Airtel.
The analysis
90 percent of the unique subscribers used the most popular 10 percent of the smartphones. The least popular 90 percent of the smartphones (over 7,000) covered fewer than 10 percent of the unique subscribers.
The survey said about 13 percent of 3G smartphones and 23 percent of the 4G smartphones did not meet the benchmark. Smartphones that did not meet the benchmark represented 17 percent of the smartphone population.
These smartphones generated 21 percent and 18 percent of the total voice and data volumes respectively.
Smartphones that did not meet the benchmark led to 2.2 times the drop call rate as compared to the best 10 smartphones in the study.
“To stay relevant in an evolving world, test and measurement must increasingly be able to move out of the lab and pre-activation test, and effectively monitor and assure the live network,” said Oleg Khaykin, president and chief executive officer of Viavi Solutions.
Baburajan K
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