Nairobi - Information and Communications Minister Mutahi Kagwe officially launched the equipment, known as the Quality of Service Monitoring System (QSMS), at the CCK offices in Nairobi. Other facilities launched together with the QSMS were a specialized ICT library and a Geographic Information System (GIS) for the communication sector.
Ascom AG of Switzerland supplied the QSMS, whose brand name is Q-voice, at a cost of Kshs50 million (US$750 000). The equipment came in fixed, portable and car-mounted versions.
The Q-voice will assist the CCK to measure call drop rates, speech quality, call block role, service coverage and SMS delivery time, among other quality of service parameters.
The CCK has in the past been relying largely on the quality of service returns from the two mobile operators. The new equipment will now enable the Commission to undertake independent verification of the quality of service performance of mobile operators.
The three facilities are expected to enhance CCK's capacity to serve communications industry and improve service delivery to ICTs users.
The GIS, which is a computer-based mapping of the spread of communications network and allied services across the country, was developed with funding from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The facility will enable the industry to design targeted intervention mechanisms for service provision. The GIS was recently utilized to determine the routing of the national backbone fibre optic network.
Members of the public will be able to access the GIS from the resource centre, which has a collection of 700 books and titles to date. The centre known as CCK Information Centre will serve as a one-stop shop for information and data on ICT in the country.
