Beirut- Lebanon on 9 Nov 2022: Minister of Telecommunications Johnny Corm said “that the plan for the mobile sector is proceeding in the right direction. The objective we have set and pledged to achieve 2 months ago has been proudly accomplished now. Our results show that we have overcome barriers and our promises are not only words but are translated into action”.
Minister Corm, speaking at the regular meeting with the officials in two mobile companies, “thanked the two companies on their efforts and the exceptional work spirit and cooperation through which we ensured sustainability and continuity of the telecom sector in Lebanon which is vital to individuals and corporations and many, many others”.
Nassif
Alfa CEO and Chairman Jad Nassif announced that Alfa has reached all the KPIs set in the plan with Minister Corm weeks ahead of the deadline. “The result has beaten the expectations which is a testimony of the seriousness we work within to implement the technical solutions and solve problems on the network. It also reflects the commitment of the Alfa team to achieve goals and set the bar and expectations high”.
Nassif stressed that the goal is to maintain this enhancement in terms of network performance and look forward to the future by working on a technology agenda that contributes to the national economy. He revealed that Alfa conducted a 5G trial in the Ministry of Telecom headquarters on one of its live 5G sites achieving an exceptional speed of 1.8 Gigabits/sec, which represents a simulation of the great speeds and capacities and opportunities 5G will bring upon commercial launch.
He listed the KPIs achieved to date which include an increase in network availability to 98.5 percent especially during peak consumption hours vs. 87.30 percent in June 2022. The target was to achieve a 95 percent availability and we have crossed it already, Nassif said. He added: “mobile speeds, on the other hand, hit 30.69 mbits/ sec vs. 18.43 mbits/sec in June 2022, much beyond the targeted 28 mbits/sec. Drop call rate dropped to 0.21 percent vs. 0.41 percent in June 2022, and we have exceeded the set target of 0.25 percent. Call setup rate reached 99.78 percent vs. 98.50 percent in June 2022, also ahead of the targeted 99.70 percent”.
Nassif revealed that “network availability has even reached 100 percent on 900 sites of the network with these sites facing 0 outages. These sites represent 67 percent of the total network. Furthermore, 1143 sites or 85 percent of the total number of sites achieved an availability exceeding 90 percent”.
Nassif outlined the solutions implemented by Alfa which helped achieve the targets ahead of time, among them “equipping 255 sites with solar power (+40 sites vs. the existing ones), power enhancements in more than 600 sites and optimization in 1000 sites. The power solutions included exchanging batteries in 155 sites, ensuring 24/7 electricity supply in 30 sites and installing a 2nd power source in 30 sites as well as implementing Alfa-customized power solutions in 400 sites”. He explained that “Alfa has also executed maintenance works in 100 sites to bolster the network’s capacity, solved issues with landlords in 100 sites, and conducted drive tests across Lebanon on an area that covers 20k kilometers as part of the ongoing quality control”.
As a result, network availability hit 98.5 percent during peak hours between 8-12pm, Nassif added “which resulted in an enhanced customer experience and quality of service”.
Nassif explained that this outcome comes as part of the ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of service and daily monitoring of KPIs. “As part of our commitment to the highest quality of performance standards, Alfa team conducted drive tests across Lebanon to compare drop call rates and mobile speeds between June and Nov 2022. The results showed improvements in internet speeds in all regions, and we have crossed the 28 Mbits/sec objective in many areas such as Beirut (38.3 mbits/sec), Rachaya (45.7 mbits/sec), Marjeyoun, Jbeil, Bint Jbeil, West Bekaa among others. On the other hands, a notable drop in DCR rate was also noticed across Lebanon”.
