TAS Directs Mobilelink to Improve Its PCN Coverage

Following its review of MobileLink's second quarterly Quality of Service (QoS) reports for the mobile phone services, TAS has directed MobileLink to improve the GSM and PCN coverage for areas which did not meet TAS' QoS ...

Singapore, 18 August 1996 | For Immediate Release

Following its review of MobileLink's second quarterly Quality of Service (QoS) reports for the mobile phone services, TAS has directed MobileLink to improve the GSM and PCN coverage for areas which did not meet TAS' QoS standards.

For the second quarter of this year, MobileLink's GSM network meets most of the QoS standards set by TAS. While the network was up and running near 100% of the time, a small percentage of radio channels had experienced more than 5% congestion during the busy usage hours. It was able to provide an on-street coverage of 97%. As for in-building coverage, based on a survey conducted by TAS on buildings located within and outside CBD areas, 22 (6% - see Table 1) of the 353 buildings surveyed failed the required 85% radio coverage.

MobileLink has been directed by TAS to undertake all necessary measures to resolve the radio channel congestions at the affected sites and improve coverage to the 22 buildings. In a recent re-test conducted by TAS, six buildings (see Table 2) which failed the in-building requirement test during the first quarter of 1996, have now passed. Measures have been taken by MobileLink to improve the radio coverage in these buildings, and the coverage is now well above 85%.

The PCN coverage has achieved a network availability of near 100% with no congestion problems in all radio channels. It was able to provide a 95% on-the-street level radio coverage. As for the in-building coverage, based on TAS' on-going survey, 29 (37% - see Table 3) out of the 78 buildings located within and outside the CBD surveyed, have failed the 85% standard. A high number of complaints on poor PCN coverage was also received during the quarter. Although the PCN network is new and much enhancement works are still being carried out by MobileLink, TAS has asked MobileLink to improve the quality service in areas which are lacking as well as provide radio coverage in MRT tunnels by March 1997.

For the radio paging services, PageLink was able to meet the QoS standards set by TAS in the second quarter 1996.

Background Note to the Editor:

For the mobile phone network, TAS requires the operators to maintain a network availability of more than 99%. In addition, all radio channels should not experience more than 5% congestion during busy hours, which means that in the worst case, subscribers should have at least 95 percent chance of getting a radio channel to make a call even during peak usage hours. In terms of radio coverage, which is the minimum required signal strength for subscribers to either make or receive a call, TAS has specified that radio coverage on the street should be more than 95%, while in-building or indoor radio coverage for all buildings should be more than 85%. The standard for in-building radio coverage only applies to areas in the buildings which are generally accessible to the public without any restrictions such as the main lobbies, open areas at the entrance of buildings where information counters are usually sited, podium floors of tower blocks, atriums and walkways, multi-level car parks and first-level basements.

To protect consumers' interests, TAS monitors the operators' performance on a quarterly basis and directs them to improve on areas which fail to meet TAS' QoS standards.

Currently, MobileLink is the only mobile phone operator in Singapore. MobileOne, the other licensed mobile phone operator will commence operation from 1 April 1997. For the paging industry, PageLink is the only paging operator at the moment, but three new operators, namely, MobileOne, Hutchison Intrapage and ST Messaging, have been licensed to come on stream in April 1997.

Contact: Loo Wai Ling
Corporate Communications Executive
Phone: (65) 322-1999
Fax: (65) 323-0941
E-mail: lwlg@tas.gov.sg