CHICAGO-A wireless network benchmarking study comparing the call quality of digital and analog cellular and personal communication services networks in metropolitan Manhattan found the Code Division Multiple Access network recorded the best mean quality score and the lowest number of blocked calls, said SAFCO Technologies Inc., which conducted the survey.
SAFCO used voice quality, dropped calls, blocked calls and no service as the four measures of network performance. The company surveyed CDMA, Time Division Multiple Access, Global System for Mobile communications, integrated Digital Enhanced Network and analog technologies.
On a scale of one to five, five being the best, the CDMA network scored a 3.38 in voice quality. The iDEN-based network’s voice quality was second.
SAFCO said one of the digital networks had capacity and noise issues.
SAFCO did not disclose the names of the operators of networks it tested. AT&T Wireless Services Inc., Bell Atlantic Mobile, Nextel Communications Inc. and Omnipoint Communications Services are the wireless carriers operating in Manhattan.
