QoS: Telcos urged to follow basic pre-deployment rules

Basic network pre-deployment Radio Frequency (RF) performance verification and necessary post-deployment optimization is a sine qua non for robust service provisioning to the subscribers.

However, in Nigeria, at least in parts of Lagos, the case is different, alleges Mr. Aderemi Adeyeye, president, Enext Wireless Inc., while reacting to a statement credited to Mr. Kamar Abass, the pioneer chief executive officer of nTEL.

At Enextgen Wireless, top-notch RF engineers provide detailed RF performance analysis, verification and optimization, in support of Greenfield LTE deployment, LTE overlay on UMTS or CDMA, LTE capacity and coverage expansion and ongoing LTE network performance improvement.

Abass had stated that ‘NITEL facilities added no value to nTel’s 4G rollout’, which Adeyeye supported, but wondered why service providers are not focused on addressing customers pain-points.

Adeyeye’s response, “These are very impressive statements from a very impressive CEO. When you come to think of it, it is very likely that NITEL physical assets did not contribute much to getting Ntel off the ground. Surely, the NITEL physical infrastructure had to have been of little value to the deployment of LTE Advanced planned by Ntel.

“It is also easy to see how Ntel had to start building up its customer base from ground zero. However, I take issue with the statement that coverage is what customers mostly desire. In areas where NTEL has coverage, it has not made the necessary effort to provide its customers with the best possible benefit of that coverage.

“NTEL, like almost all other service providers (at least in Lagos) ignores basic pre-deployment Radio Frequency (RF) performance verification and necessary post-deployment optimization. As such, even in areas where it has good coverage, it has sub-optimal service quality. An award from an American company as fastest internet service provider is impressive.

“However, a little less speed and a lot more reliability and consistency of service quality which can only come from diligent RF performance engineering might be far more beneficial to the served public.

Speaking to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek recently, Mr. Adeyeye said that the Company’s primary purpose is to assist with the LTE deployment, which is the new broadband/communications standard, especially to avoid some pitfalls that have hindered quality of service in the market.

“When we started, it was only Smile Communications that had LTE deployment and it operated with a small spectrum. Though, with a nationwide licence, but they covered a handful of key cities. Then, nTel later acquired the resources of formal NITEL, while others typically had the underline networks- 2G and 3G on top of which they deployed LTE.

“But nTel started out prettily much planned, even though they purchased the assets of the defunct NITEL. They couldn’t capitalise on the assets which were left unattended to for years. So, we have been there to assist these companies to avoid some of the pitfalls others have encountered”, he said.