The Importance of the Quality of Experience (QoE) in the Telecom Industry

Abstract
The concept of Quality of Experience (QoE) since the late 1990s and early 2000s hasn’t been only limited to the telecommunications industry but also applied to a wide range of industries, such as entertainment, gaming, online services, and any industry that provides digital products or services to consumers. For these industries, QoE refers to the overall satisfaction that a customer has with a product or service and comprehends a variety of factors, such as performance, functionality, and usability. When companies improve their QoE, they increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, which may lead to improved business outcomes. Let’s try to explore the origins, why it should be considered, how do TELCO’s usually measure the QoE, what are the future trends, and how it can be implemented in the telecommunications industry. 

Keywords: Quality of Experience, QoE, Origin, Reasons to Consider, Trends, Implementing

The Origins
The study of QoE is a relatively new area of research however, some well-known authors may have earlier contributed with their work to the study of QoE. For instance, Pierre Bourdieu, with his theories on cultural capital, observed the role of cultural knowledge and cultural practices in shaping the individual’s experiences, and perceptions. Also, Anthony Giddens and his concept of the "globalized self" explored the impact of globalization, and new communication technologies on individuals and their experiences. Manuel Castells, and his work on the network society, investigated the impact of new communication technologies on social relationships, power structures, and culture. Finally, Zygmunt Bauman, with his concept of "liquid modernity", which observes the changing nature of modernity and its impact on individuals and society. Their earlier work has offered a valuable insight of an individual’s experiences and perceptions, and thus has contributed to the study of QoE. The work of these authors offered valuable insights for social and cultural factors that shaped the individual’s experiences and perceptions, and therefore, contribute to the study of QoE.

 The study on QoE raised many others to explore the definition, concept, and importance of QoE, as well as methods for measuring (e.g., MOS - Mean Opinion Score) and improving it in various contexts, such as the telecom networks and multimedia services between other human-computer interaction. This also contributes to the development of frameworks, best practices for QoE management and optimization, based on insights from human-centred strategy and customer experience management.

Why it Should be Considered?
When measuring specific Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) that may impact the overall satisfaction of the end-user for a particular product or service, companies will be able to better understand the effect of what they are delivering. This will leverage improvements to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty. It will lead to consider not only the functional performance of the service or product, but also the emotional impact it has on the user, for the achieved experience and inevitably the perceived value.

 Some of the reasons to consider for the importance it may impact are:

• Customer satisfaction: QoE is closely linked to customer satisfaction and the overall perception of the brand. Providers of high-quality services and products will likely have more satisfied customers, which can prime to increased customer loyalty and retention.

• Competitive advantage: Companies that prioritize QoE can gain a competitive advantage over their competitors by providing a better user experience. This can help attract and retain customers in a highly competitive market.

• Revenue growth: Satisfied customers are more likely to recommend a specific brand of products and services to others, which can lead to increased revenue growth.

• Network Utilization: A good QoE can help to increase the utilization of the network, as satisfied customers are more likely to use the network more often, which can also lead to increased revenue.

• Better User Experience: Focusing on QoE leads to a better overall user experience, which can attractnew customers and retain existing ones.

• Brand reputation: The companies that prioritize QoE can build a strong brand reputation by providing high-quality services and products. This can help to attract new customers and increase brand loyalty.

• Cost reduction: Companies that provide good QoE can reduce costs by reducing the number of complaints and customer service requests.

Considering the importance of Quality of Experience as one of the priorities can lead to increased customer satisfaction, competitive advantage, revenue growth, network utilization, better user experience, brand reputation, and cost reduction. In the telecom industry, the outcome may provide better services, increase customer satisfaction, loyalty, drive business growth and success.

How do TELCO’s Usually Measure the QoE?
There are several methods used for measuring the Quality of Experience in TELCO operations, which are:

• Network and service monitoring: Network and service monitoring tools to gather data on the performance of their network and services, such as network latency, packet loss, and throughput. This data can be used to identify issues that may be impacting QoE, such as network congestion or service outages.

• Customer feedback surveys: Conduct customer feedback surveys to gather feedback on the quality oftheir services and identify areas for improvement. Surveys can be conducted online, by email, or overby phone and can include questions on various factors such as call quality, internet speed, and overallsatisfaction.

• Call quality monitoring: Using call quality monitoring tools to gather data on the quality of voice calls, such as call clarity and background noise. This data can be used to identify issues that may beimpacting QoE, such as poor network coverage or faulty equipment.

• Video Quality Monitoring: Video quality monitoring tools to gather data on the quality of video streaming services, such as video resolution, buffering, and frame rate. This data can be used to identify issues that may be impacting QoE, such as network congestion or service outages.

• A/B testing: Using the A/B testing model to compare the performance of different versions of their services and identify which versions provide a better QoE for their customers.

• Social Media monitoring: Social media monitoring tools to gather feedback about their service and product from customers on different platforms.

The imperative is to use the best combination of different methods to measure the QoE to get acomprehensive understanding of the customer's experience and identify areas for improvement.

Future Trends
In general, it is expected that QoE will continue to play a critical role in the telecom and multimedia industries, becoming increasingly complex and challenging to manage as new technologies emerge and customer expectations evolve. It’s also predicted that the future of QoE will be shaped by factors such as the Internet ofThings (IoT), big data, artificial intelligence (AI), and extended reality (XR), which will create new opportunities, and challenges for operators and service providers.

The Quality of Experience is a relatively new field that, in the future, is expected to become an increasingly important factor for the telecom industry as customers continue to demand high-quality, seamless experiences with their digital services and devices. Some of the key trends and developments that are likely to shape the evolution of QoE in the upcoming years are:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) - Technologies expected to play a critical role inimproving QoE by automating network optimization and customer experience management processes, and by providing real-time insights into network performance and customer behaviours.

• 5G Networks - The adoption of 5G networks is expected to significantly improve the speed, reliability, and coverage of telecom services, which will in turn enhance the QoE need.

• Internet of Things (IoT) - The growth of IoT devices and services is expected to drive demand for high-quality, low-latency connectivity, which will further increase the importance of QoE in the telecom industry.

• Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) - The increasing popularity of VR/AR applications is expected to drive demand for high-quality, low-latency networks that can support these immersive experiences, further highlighting the importance of QoE in the telecom industry.

It’s likely that the future of QoE in the telecom industry realm is characterized by ongoing innovation, investment, and optimization as operators strive to meet the evolving needs and expectations of their customers, and to deliver the highest-quality experiences possible.

QoE Implementation
Several crucial elements are necessary for a good and effective implementation for Quality of Experience. Start by having a customer centric approach. It is essential to understand the needs and expectations of users to design and deliver services that meet those needs. To achieve this, it is necessary to define the measurable KPIs, which will track the network speed, reliability, and many others that depend on the offered services and may impact customer satisfaction. This creates a critical need for data-driven decisions due to the demand to measuring QoE initiatives.

Fast decisions will also mean the need for real-time monitoring and analysis of network performance and customer behaviour. It is essential to identify and resolve issues quickly and then proactively improve the QoE. User-centred design methodologies, such as ethnographic research, prototyping, and usability testing, are crucial for understanding the user experience and designing services that meet their needs.

A continuous improvement mindset, with a focus on testing, learning, and iterating, is essential for adapting to changing customer expectations and staying ahead of the curve in terms of QoE. For that collaboration and communication between teams, departments, and stakeholders is crucial for aligning goals, sharing information, and creating a cohesive and integrated QoE strategy. That will imply data-driven decision making, using data from network analytics, customer feedback, and market research. This is crucial for making informed and effective decisions about the QoE.

In summary, by developing the next crucial elements such as: a customer centric approach, measurable KPIs,data-driven decisions, real-time monitoring, user centred design methodologies, continuous improvement mindset, collaboration and communication between teams. Organizations can implement a comprehensive, and effective QoE strategy that delivers high-quality experiences to customers and helps them to retain customers and grow their business.

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Related Info:
Knowledge Base: What is QoE?

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