SAMSUNG cellphone users in Eswatini cannot access Eswatini Mobile’s 5G network.
This is according to an annual report by the Eswatini Communications Commission (ESCCOM) for the financial year that ended on March 31.
It is a finding by ESCCOM after conducting the mobile service provider’s 5G network tests. According to the report, the commission conducts network wide or targeted drive-tests to measure the actual network performance that is experienced by end-users in an effort to supplement and complement the Regulatory Performance Management (RPM) system that it uses to measure the quality of service (QoS) for mobile services.
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The 5G network tests at Eswatini Mobile was after its significant milestone of rolling out a total of 36 base stations for 5G technology, covering 70% of the Matsapha-Manzini corridor. “The commission conducted its own drive test and speed test exercise. This is in line with the commission’s mandate to ensure that all communications services are provided in a manner that will best promote economic and social development,” reads the report.
The results from the tests recorded the average download speed achieved by Eswatini Mobile’s 5G network at 293 Mbps.
“Moreover, the exercise also revealed that Samsung phones cannot access Eswatini Mobile’s 5G network at the moment, yet about 46% of devices on the mobile operator’s network are Samsung devices,” adds the report. On another note, the QoS offered by Eswatini Mobile and MTN were monitored and evaluated against the key performance indicators (KPIs) as set out Amateur in the Electronic Communications (quality of service) Regulations. The monitoring of these network operators in the FY 2024/25 was focused on four network KPIs across all 2G, 3G and 4G/LTE technologies.
These KPIs were network availability (cell availability), service accessibility in terms of the call setup success rate (CSSR), data access success rate (DASR), service retainability as measured on call drop rate and data session drop rate, as well as service integrity as per average user data throughput.
“Eswatini Mobile failed to meet the accessibility KPIs for 2G and 3G, 4G user throughput download speed, and the target of more than 99% on 4G cell availability,” states the report.
Meanwhile, MTN Eswatini reportedly complied with its license obligations for 2G and 3G, but failed to meet the set target of 20 Mbps on 4G user throughput download speed and the target of more than 99% on 4G cell availability.
…Unapproved phones sold to citizens
ABOUT 62% imported communication devices were found not to meet standards set by Eswatini ESCCOM.
The commission made this disovery when conducting on-site inspections among 18 licensed dealers of electronic communications equipment. The exercise served to establish whether the equipment used and sold by these dealers meets type approval standards for safety, emissions, interference, as well as frequency spectrum usage.
During the inspection which targeted the 18 importers and distributors of electronic communication equipment (ECE), random samples from the dealers were reportedly selected and inspected to verify compliance with technical standards and other regulatory requirements.
“A total of 69 electronic communications equipment devices were inspected and only 26 devices were approved by ESCCOM.
This implies that only 38% of the tested equipment was type approved while the remaining 62% was unauthorised,” reads the report.
It further states that this highlighted that a significant amount of equipment being imported and used in Eswatini has not been type approved, and this poses a challenge mainly to consumers who effectively purchase devices that do not meet the set standards.
The commission reported that to minimise the importation of non-type approved equipment and to operationalise a memorandum of understanding between itself and Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS), the commission capacitated officials from ERS on the regulation of equipment imports, including how to conduct verifications through physical verifications or use of the ASYCUDA customs management system.
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