Meaningful Quality, beyond Meaningful Connectivity in Africa (II)

MedUX has proudly participated in the ITU’s Workshop on “Telecommunication Service Quality" in Maputo, Mozambique, during 4th and 5th March. MedUX is committed to making relevant contributions within key institutions such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), helping with the industry’s development through the exchange of best practices, methodologies, viewpoints, and subject matter knowledge in the fields of Quality of Service (QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE) within telecommunication services. . Within our #MedUXImpact initiative, this reflects our dedication to harnessing our global expertise in QoE monitoring and testing to bridge the digital divide, being a driver for sustainable and interconnected future.

MedUX contributing to Meaningful Connectivity framework

In Maputo, Mozambique, MedUX has shared further details about its Meaningful Quality proposal and its contribution to the United Nations and the ITU concept of Meaningful Connectivity. It compiles several ideas to enrich the applicable analytical framework, focusing on the introduction of QoE as a key topic while bridging the digital divide.

Born as an analogy to the Maslow’s Pyramid, but applied to Telecoms and digital services, we envision a path towards impactful connectivity, going from basic connectivity that involves basic internet, phone or messaging connection up to the most beneficial usage of connectivity to achieve societal development, as we reviewed in our previous Blog Post.

The four pillars of MedUX’s Meaningful Quality are: universal access, affordability, usability and quality, embraced by our “Quality of Experience Everywhere” motto.

We believe that we have to move on along the pyramid to valuing the quality of our online experiences as an essential part of the society development.

And here is where we introduce Quality of Experience into the pyramid as "Meaningful Quality". It entails not just having a good connection but also ensuring that what you do on the internet functions well and is enjoyable. To learn more, have a look at the complete presentation, available here.

In general, we suggest that stakeholders introduce quality standards for internet services to ensure consistent and high-quality online experiences for all internet users.

Multi-stakeholder discussions about universal and meaningful connectivity could be considered incomplete without ensuring that end-users have resilient, reliable, and fast services, delivering an enriching, satisfying, and productive digital experience. In other words, Quality of Experience (QoE) is critical in the Digital Era.

Speed is not everything. The industry is attempting to adapt to meet the needs of customers, taking into account real service usage and needs based on local circumstances and particularities. There are multiple service experience categories, such as Reliability (how consistently a network performs) and CDN performance (how effectively content is delivered), that are key to ensuring end-users enjoy resilient, reliable, and fast services, thereby delivering an enriching, satisfying, and productive digital experience.

However, as a first step, it is widely accepted at the international level to approach the discussion of minimum speed and latency guarantees to a minimum set of services, from a regulatory and public policy perspective.

In the evolving digital landscape, discussions on universal access to online services are gaining prominence. As we strive for inclusive digital societies, there is an emerging consensus on the necessity for a foundational level of connectivity. This includes ensuring that essential online services—ranging from education and eGovernment platforms to health information and financial services—are accessible to all.

For example, in Europe, there have been several discussions about the "minimum bandwidth requirements" for an essential set of online services as part of universal access and universal service provision. Indeed, Directive (EU) 2018/1972 , establishing the European Electronic Communications Code, includes the following list of services that the broadband internet access service shall be capable of delivering to ensure the bandwidth necessary for social and economic participation in society:

• (1) E-mail
• (2) search engines enabling search and finding of all type of information
• (3) basic training and education online tools
• (4) online newspapers or news
• (5) buying or ordering goods or services online
• (6) job searching and job searching tools
• (7) professional networking
• (8) internet banking
• (9) eGovernment service use
• (10) social media and instant messaging
•  (11) calls and video calls (standard quality)

As part of the "Review of the Scope of Universal Service"  a study prepared for the European Commission and published in 2016, a primary basket comprising online services (in line with the above) and used by most consumers was analyzed to provide social and digital inclusion and to estimate the connectivity levels and investment needed for their provision.

Although detailed quality requirements and KPIs were not elaborated, the study defined the minimum download bandwidth requirements for the most bandwidth-intensive services provided. Sample providers of services for each of the basket items in the UK can be seen on the left of the following table. The central column provides the minimum download bandwidth requirements (Mbps). 

In MedUX we believe that this approach provides a robust basis to define the role of Quality of Experience and provide inadequate levels of connectivity in the Digital Era. However, bandwidth requirements or throughput analysis are not enough, and a list of comprehensive KPIs are necessary to ensure reliable, enriching, satisfying, and productive experiences online.

MedUX's ethos, 'Quality of Experience Everywhere,' shifts the focus from mere connectivity to Meaningful Quality in our digital world. 

At MedUX, we believe that this approach offers a solid foundation to define the role of Quality of Experience and ensure adequate levels of connectivity in the Digital Era. However, bandwidth requirements or throughput analysis alone are insufficient. A comprehensive list of KPIs is necessary to guarantee reliable, enriching, satisfying, and productive experiences online. 

Consumers prioritize quality, and headline speed becomes far less significant if operators fail to maintain the quality of the services they typically use.

At MedUX, we know that bandwidth alone doesn't guarantee a fulfilling user experience. It's why we promote comprehensive KPIs like Reliability, Accessibility, Time to Content, and Mean Opinion Scores (MOS) to truly represent end-users satisfaction. QoE metrics offer a comprehensive view that transcends traditional Quality of Service (QoS) metrics like speed and coverage. They are required to provide a multi-dimensional perspective that incorporates metrics and KPIs directly extracted from real services and applications, offering a more authentic user experience evaluation. And that’s at the heart of promoting initiatives that cater for universal digital services provision.

In order to effectively measure Meaningful Quality, MedUX has presented a unique convergent multi-platform strategy based on Robots, Agents and Crowdsourcing data to measure Meaningful quality for Regulators, Operators and end-users.

Employing a combination of tools—a Multi-Platform QoE solution—to assess connectivity status and full quality of experience is essential. The key lies in selecting the right platforms to strike a balance between coverage, accuracy, and depth of analysis. 

MedUX QoE Scorecard and how to focus on digital experiences  

Beyond merely proposing a strategy, MedUX made a significant contribution at the ITU Telecommunication Service Quality Workshop in Maputo by introducing the MedUX QoE Score Card. This innovative tool is specifically designed to assess Meaningful Quality, marking a pivotal advancement in the way telecommunications service quality is measured and evaluated.

MedUX QoE Score Card provides an independent and international benchmarking tool to determine the best mobile and/or fixed network provider. Exploiting tests that represent the most common services used by final customers, MedUX combines and transforms the results of the measurements into an overall score.

The service category scoring model enables drill-down capabilities which make it usable and profitable by different stakeholders. Regulators and operators benefit from it with actionable insights to improve networks and ensure a better customer experience.

With proud, MedUX has also presented real international use cases and success stories considering its unique multi-platform QoE solution together with MedUX QoE Score Card references.    
We invite you to download our presentation from the ITU Workshop in Mozambique, about "Meaningful Quality, beyond Meaningful Connectivity in Africa". The event was incredibly organized and hosted by the ITU and the regulatory authority of Mozambique, Instituto Nacional das Comunicações de Moçambique (#INCM).

MedUX stands at the forefront to empower stakeholders with data-driven insights and analytics to optimize network performance and assure an unparalleled Quality of Experience for telecom subscribers.

We believe in the power of a connected and digital society for a better and more inclusive future. And with that belief and vision, we engage in initiatives, projects and actions that empower bridging the digital divide and providing universal digital service. 

#MedUXImpact reflects our strong commitment to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. Participating in the ITU Telecommunication Service Quality Workshop in Maputo marks a crucial step for MedUX. Our commitment to strategic partnerships extends the impact of our technology beyond borders, connecting communities, governments, and industries.

This not only strengthens the global digital infrastructure but also promotes digital inclusion, ensuring that innovations benefit all, particularly those in less developed regions.

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About MedUX

MedUX is the leading Quality of Experience (QoE) company, providing comprehensive and innovative solutions for measuring the performance of fixed, mobile, and TV telecommunications networks for telecom operators, governments, and digital enterprises. With a focus on delivering grand scale, end-to-end network, and service visibility, MedUX leverages real-time customer perspective data and advanced analytics to ensure quality and regulatory compliance, while also offering valuable insights for optimizing networks and improving customer experiences. With a presence in over 25 countries across Europe, America, Africa, and the Middle East, and monitoring over 60 operators worldwide, MedUX’s patented technology and expertise make it a trusted partner for improving the digital experiences of customers everywhere.