Telecom Network KPIs and Service Level Agreements

Quality of Service Business Rules

• Issued to support Quality of Service Regulations by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
• Document effective from August, 2024

Part 1: General

• The rules support the NCC's goals for developing and monitoring performance standards for telephone and communication services while adhering to international best practices and the Nigerian Communication Act (NCA) 2003.
• The NCA vests the NCC with the exclusive right to regulate communications services.
• The rules are required to consider new technologies and operational challenges.
• Sets out Business Rules for the implementation, monitoring and effective management of Telecommunications Quality of Service by the NCC in Nigeria.
• Any changes to these Business Rules are subject to a change control procedure.
• All terms used are as defined in the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003, and the Quality of Service Regulations.
• Stipulates the minimum quality and standards of service, measurements, and key performance indicators for assessing quality of service.

Part 2: Threshold Targets and KPIs

• Defines Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for wireline and wireless services.

Wireline Service KPIs

• Includes disconnection complaint rate, resolution time, fault report rate, repair time, and service supply time.
• Disconnection complaint rate should be less than 0.002% of customers in the reporting period.
• Disconnection complaint resolution time should be less than 1 working day for the mean.
• Fault report rate should be less than 0.002% of customers in the reporting period.
• Fault repair time should be less than 2 working days for the mean in the reporting period.
• Service supply time should be less than 5 working days for the mean in the reporting period.

Wireless Services KPIs

• Includes account complaint, customer care service, network performance, and data services KPIs.

Account Complaint KPIs

• Measured per million bills/accounts.
• Resolution times vary depending on the complaint type:
  • Charging for line rental at the incorrect rate should be resolved in ≤ 5 days
  • Incorrect charges for calls/SMS/MMS should be resolved in ≤ 1 hour, and ≤ 24 hours for Roaming.
  • Charging for services not rendered should be resolved in ≤ 24 hours.
  • Uncompleted/unsuccessful calls, or access charges should be resolved in ≤ 1 hour.
  • Charges for calls beyond their duration should be resolved in ≤ 24 hours

Failed Attempts and System Failures

• Failed attempts to load recharge payments should be resolved in ≤ 3 hours for network-related faults, and ≤ 1 hour for software-related.
• System failure at Contact Centers inhibiting bill payments should be resolved in ≤ 30 minutes.
• Failed attempts to check/determine the account balance should be resolved in ≤ 2 hours.

Other Account Issues

• Losing credited amounts from the account should be resolved in ≤ 1 hour.
• Miscellaneous complaint resolution time is ≤ 48 hours.
• Inability to change tariff plan for qualified subscribers should be resolved in ≤ 24 hours.
• Credit deducted but not reflected in the receiving account (virtual top-up) should be resolved in ≤ 1 hour.
• Invalid system response for genuine service request should be resolved in ≤ 2 hours.
• Unjustified call-barring/restriction should be resolved in ≤ 2 hours.
• Inability to activate offered service should be resolved in ≤ 2 hours.
• Inability to access offered service by a qualified customer should be resolved in ≤ 1 hour.
• Inability to load credit from an over-scratched card should be resolved in ≤ 1 hour.
• A request, for blocking of SIM card, should be within ≤ 5 minutes.

Miscellaneous Account KPIs

• Request for PUK code should be met within 3 hours.
• Inability to send/receive SMS should be resolved in ≤ 1 hour.
• Inability to retrieve/send voice SMS should be resolved in ≤ 1 hour.
• Deals with unsolicited messages: service providers must provide subscribers an option to opt out.
• Recharge/bill payments should reflect within 10 seconds from mobile, 5 minutes from ATM, 1 hour over the counter, 10 minutes for internet-based transactions.

Upheld Complaints and Other Metrics

• Number of complaints upheld per day should be less than 10 and include wrongly cleared balances and incorrect system responses.
• Meeting advertisement commitments: there shall be no disparity.
• Complaints call ID: each compliant call must be given a unique reference number.
• There is a maximum of 50 per day for complaints related to audio loss, cross-talk, call misdirection, and voice quality.

Network and VoIP

• Number of complaints regarding network-related blocking of is 5 per day. VoIP and voice call related complaints must maintain certain standards.
• Inability to make SMS is 10 complaints per day

Voice Mail, Messaging, and Cost

• Voice-mail related complaint is less than 2 per day.
• Acknowledgment of delivery of SMS/MMS/IMS messages sent is 100%.
• Cost information is at most 5 minutes of call handup.

Subscriber Disconnection Rules

• Post-paid: A text notice after reaching 75% of credit limit is required, with 1 IVR week leeway.
• Pre-paid: A subscriber line may be deactivated if it has not been used for six months, after 6-month period subscriber may lose number is RGE is not activated.

Internet Service and Credit Run-Out Alerts

• To be restored within 2 hours except for service lawfully disconnected; number of complaints is 10 per 1 million.
• Credit run-out alerts are a shot beep to alert initiator.

Customer Care and Number of Calls

• Handle call handling with a max of 3 attempts plus 5 rings.
• Accessible customer care lines to > 1 free networks, and if number > it can handle multiple calls.

Customer Care Centers

• Waiting time must be thirty minutes, or less.

Network Node Performance KPIs

• BH call completion rate: > 97% of attempted calls
• Geographical location of critical nodes: minimum 2 locations.
• Max 10% on core network usage.

Latency Measurements for 3G, 4G, and 5G Networks

• Resolution time of BTS faults impacting traffic is 2.5 hours (Rural), and 1.5 hours Urban.
• Resolution time of BSC faults impacting on traffic is 45 minutes.
• Resolution of time impacting traffic is 10 minutes

Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for colocation providers

• Power Availability: target is ≥99.5%.

Part 4: Quality of Service Index

• Aims to assess performance of mobile operators in Nigeria using an aggregation measure called the Quality of Service (QoS) Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Index.
• Provide a unified measure that can facilitate for quality of service assessment of service providers.

Part 5: External Environmental Interference

• Interference is outside of the control of licensees and requires NCC's intervention to resolve.
• Internal interference: 4 hours resolution time is needed.

Minimum number of subordinate sites dependant on Hub sites:

• Maximum number is 10.

Part 6: Reporting Prioritization List

• For Qos Regulations 2024, List of Reporting will be categorized and be issued to Licensee
• That Mobile Service Providers shall submit QoS data on a Reporting Area basis at the cell level to enable the Commission review its threshold.
• Of reporting the QoS data shall be as determined by the Commission
• Mobile Service Providers shall comply with the prioritization of Reporting Areas and KPI set for the Reporting Areas.
• That, Mobile Service Providers are needed to meet the KPI targets in all of the Priority.
• Mobile Service Providers shall meet KPI targets in at least 80% Priority 2 Reporting areas.
• Mobile Service Providers shall meet KPI targets in at least 70% Priority 3 Reporting Areas.
• Mobile Service Providers shall meet KPI targets at the national level.

Call, System and Performance Definitions

• A generic term related to the establishment, utilization and release of connection.
• Call attempt: is to a telecommunication connection.
• Successful call: has reached the desired number and allows conversation proceed.
• Busy Hour (BH): has the most amount of traffic/call attempts in a one hour period. Call completion rate = CSSR * (1 – TCHDropRate)
• Paging Success Rate = (NPAGIRESUC + NPAG2RESUC) / (NPAGILATOT + NPAGIGLTOT) *100 [%]
• Call Setup Time (Post Dialing Delay): interval from the end of user dialing, and the reception of ring back.
• Interconnect Circuit (Pol) Congestion: percentage amount of Interconnect Circuits.
• The busy hour (BH) will be as specified by the Commission.

General Telecommunication Terms

• General packet radio service (GPRS): mobile data service.
• Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) (also known as Enhanced GPRS (EGPRS): mobile phone technology that allows improved data transmission rates.
• Network Segment: is an identifiable part of a Telecommunications Network.
• The core network component of base stations and Business support subsystems.
• High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) is an the compilation of two mobile telephony protocols High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) and High Uplink Packet Access.
• Latency: network time for data packet to go from origin to destination.
• Jitter: time delay between transmitted signal against received signal.

This content covers key performance indicators (KPIs) and service level agreements (SLAs) for telecom networks. It addresses resolution times for BTS faults, conditions for announcing failures, MTTR, signal levels, SS7 utilization, and SMS delivery success rates and times. This information is essential for network operators to maintain service quality.