Among RATEL’s legal obligations is a commitment to ensure a high level of user protection, in accordance with the set objectives. The provision of clair details regarding the terms of use of public electronic communications services, and comparative information to end users  is therefore of utmost importance.

RATEL encourages further investments and development of the telecommunications market through the fostering of competition in the area of mobile communications network service provision, while informing the users, in a reliable and impartial way, about the quality of mobile services in Serbia. Since 2017, RATEL has conducted all-encompassing parallel measurements and quality parameter analyses of services available to the users of mobile communications networks (Benchmark), with this year’s beginning of the seventh national benchmark campaign.

When comparing the measurements and QoS parameter analyses in mobile networks carried out by RATEL, on one side, and the operators on the other, the differences are clear, visible and precise:

-RATEL funds the measurement process, thus ensuring the mobile network Benchmark independence in the Republic of Serbia,

-RATEL carries out the benchmark using standardized methodology and scoring according to ETSI TR 103559, Annex A,

-RATEL performs extensive testing of mobile network voice and data transmission services, as well as radio network parameters, on the whole territory of the Republic of Serbia, for no less than 50% of the population.

-RATEL performs measurements along all national roads of the Ia and Ib category, including roads leading to tourist and spa centers, and especially in underdeveloped parts of Serbia.

On the other hand, companies, in this case operators, carry out benchmark testings according to their own measurement and scoring methodology, which is not standardized, causing the results of diffrent campaigns not to be comparable, as they mostly use the „crowdsource“ methodology, which is based on the principle of sampling, and analyze only some of the data transmission service parameters, usually without radio parameters at all. Since the sampling process itself is not explained in detail, the presumption is that it occurs in urban areas, with the highest high-paying user concentration, taking into account that the operators naturally have no economic interest to provide services in underdeveloped areas and, accordingly, do not conduct ther benchmark screening there, which in turn creates a misconception about the presence and availability of their services on the entirety of the territory of Serbia.

This year also, RATEL will be conducting a mobile benchmark measurement in the Republic of Serbia, giving an opportunity to the mobile communications network operators in Serbia to showcase, once again and under the known, fair and transparent conditions, the accessibility, availability and quality of their services, while the users will be able to see and compare the results.