A Measure of Performance – Mobile QoS Benchmarking
The Malta Communications Authority (MCA) concluded its independent benchmark on the Quality of Service (QoS) of mobile communications. The benchmark assessed the quality of voice and data services offered by mobile service providers in and across Malta and Gozo against internationally recognised standards.
Mobile Communications: An Evolving Landscape
In recent years, mobile communications have undergone significant transformation. Once viewed primarily as an extension of fixed voice services, mobile networks now support a wide array of data-intensive applications. These include real-time communications, social media, video streaming, and cloud-based services, all of which rely on a high quality of service to deliver optimal user experiences, especially when on the go.
In this context, an independent QoS benchmark of mobile services becomes increasingly important to evaluate and ensure service performance from a user perspective.
The Benchmarking Exercise
Following a public tender in 2024, the MCA commissioned Systemics-PAB to carry out the mobile QoS benchmarking exercise. This assessment served two primary objectives:
- To provide users with a snapshot of mobile network performance at a given point in time.
- To support the MCA in evaluating whether regulatory measures relating to network performance may be warranted in the future.
The Benchmarking Exercise: Some Facts
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The measurements were conducted in December 2024. Importantly, operators were not informed of the specific testing period to ensure objective results.
The benchmarking covered both voice and data services. Voice tests included standard voice calls, VoLTE and WhatsApp voice calls. Data tests focused on browsing speed, data throughput, latency, video streaming, and eGaming performance.
Benchmarking Results: Performance Highlights
Epic emerged as the top overall performer in this benchmarking exercise, with Melita and GO taking second and third place, respectively.
Furthermore, analysing the results in more detail:
- Voice services: Epic led in voice call experience, followed by Melita. Indeed, Epic had the highest percentage of successful calls together with the best rating for the quality of the call. In the case of GO, voice services were measured against the new VoLTE technology which was launched by GO in 2024.
- Data throughput: Epic again led in data throughput, closely followed by GO. The highest throughputs were observed in the Northern Harbour region with Epic achieving throughputs of approximately 327Mbps, higher than those recorded by GO and Melita.
- Browsing, Streaming and eGaming: GO took the spotlight in this category and ranked first in browsing performance, video streaming quality, and eGaming. In all three scenarios, GO achieved 100% success in the tests for most of the regions. GO’s performance was very closely followed by Epic.
- Geographical Consistency: Epic stood out for its uniform performance across Malta and Gozo, demonstrating minimal variation, and ensuring a stable user experience regardless of location.
Score Ranking per Type of Test
 |  |  | |
| Voice | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Data Throughput | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Data Browsing | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Online Gaming and Video Streaming | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Consistency in the scoring in the different regions | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Concluding Remarks
The benchmarking results offer important insight into the performance of Malta’s mobile network operators, empowering consumers with transparent and data-driven comparisons. Beyond informing public choice, these evaluations act as a driver for continual service enhancement across the sector.
Looking ahead, the Malta Communications Authority will conduct the next mobile Quality of Service benchmarking exercise in Q4 2025, reaffirming its commitment to monitor progress and support the ongoing improvement of mobile services throughout Malta and Gozo.
Definition of data parameters:
Browsing Average Time to 1MB: The time, in seconds, needed to approximately load a web page.
DL Date Rate: The download speed, that is, the speed with which data is downloaded from the Internet. It is measured in Mbps (Mega bits per second).
UL Date Rate: The upload speed, that is the speed with which data is uploaded onto the Internet. It is measured in Mbps (Mega bits per second).
Voice Qualified Calls: The percentage number of successful calls made on the operator’s network in a specific region.