ESAQ: Quality Measurement in Brazilian Telecommunications

What ESAQ means for your company

If you operate an ISP, a telephony carrier, or a pay-TV service in Brazil, ESAQ (Quality Measurement Support Entity) measures and publishes indicators that directly affect how your customers perceive your company. Operated by ABR Telecom, ESAQ collects quality data, processes standardized indicators, and publishes the results to the public, including provider comparisons by municipality.

These indicators are not hidden in technical reports. They are available to any consumer through the "ESAQ - Brasil Banda Larga" app. This means potential customers can compare your company's performance with your competitors before making a purchasing decision.

ESAQ became fully operational in March 2022, after being formally constituted in August 2021. It was created by Resolution 717/2019, which approved RQUAL (Telecommunications Service Quality Regulation), replacing the old rigid goals model with a system based on transparency and consumer information.

The three indicators that measure your company

ESAQ works with three main indicators. Each captures a different dimension of quality and has specific implications for managing your operation.

IR: Complaints Index

The IR measures the proportion of complaints registered in the Anatel Consumer system relative to your customer base. It is calculated by provider and by service, making it possible to identify exactly which areas of your operation generate the most dissatisfaction.

What this means for you: the IR is a direct indicator of your customers' dissatisfaction level. A high IR signals problems that need immediate attention, whether in technical quality, customer service, or billing processes. Since the indicator is normalized by customer base, comparisons between providers of different sizes are fair.

Practical action: monitor complaints registered against your company on Anatel Consumer. Identify the most frequent types and address root causes. Every complaint avoided improves your IR.

IQS: Service Quality Index

The IQS is ESAQ's most comprehensive indicator. Calculated semiannually and disaggregated by municipality, it combines multiple technical metrics to produce a score reflecting your company's performance in each city where it operates.

For fixed broadband, the metrics include download speed, upload speed, latency, and availability. For mobile telephony, they include call drop rate, completion rate, and coverage. The disaggregation by municipality is crucial: your customers can see exactly how your company performs in their specific city, without generalizations based on national averages.

Practical action: identify the municipalities where your IQS is lowest and investigate the causes. It could be a localized infrastructure problem, network saturation, or outdated equipment. Directing investments based on the IQS is more efficient than generic improvements.

IQP: Perceived Quality Index

The IQP is based on satisfaction surveys conducted directly with consumers. It evaluates aspects such as overall satisfaction, perception of internet speed, call quality, signal quality, customer service, and value for money.

Unlike the IR and IQS, which measure objective data, the IQP captures the consumer's subjective perception. This is important because the customer experience does not always match technical metrics. You may have good download speeds, but if customer service is slow, the overall perception will be negative.

Practical action: compare your IQP with your IQS. If the IQS is good but the IQP is low, the problem likely lies in customer service, communication, or commercial processes, not the network.

Your obligations as a provider

ESAQ does not function without data. As a provider, you are required to supply information to ESAQ for indicator calculation. This supply must follow standards defined by regulation, including format, periodicity, and data granularity.

Your engineering and regulatory teams need to be prepared to meet these requirements on an ongoing basis. This involves configuring data collection systems, ensuring the integrity of reported information, and meeting submission deadlines. Failures in data supply can result in regulatory proceedings.

Beyond the mandatory supply, consider data submission as an opportunity. When your data is complete and accurate, the indicators faithfully reflect your service quality. Incomplete or imprecise data can distort your indicators for the worse.

How to use the indicators in your favor

For providers with strong indicators, ESAQ is a marketing tool. You can objectively demonstrate that your company offers superior quality in a given municipality, using official data that consumers recognize as trustworthy.

For regional ISPs that invest in network quality and customer service, ESAQ indicators are a concrete way to compete with large carriers. Instead of relying solely on price, you can show potential customers that, in their city, your company performs better.

If your indicators are not favorable, use them as an internal management tool. Identify weak points, direct investments, and track semiannual progress. Improvement in indicators translates to lower churn, more customer referrals, and better competitive positioning.

Integration with Anatel Consumer

ESAQ maintains direct integration with Anatel Consumer, the consumer complaint platform. This integration feeds the IR calculation and enables identification of complaint patterns by region, problem type, and provider.

For your company, this means every complaint registered on Anatel Consumer directly impacts your indicators. Handling complaints quickly and efficiently, resolving the customer's issue before they file a formal complaint, is the best strategy for maintaining a healthy IR.

Consider implementing efficient service channels that resolve problems before the customer feels the need to turn to Anatel. Investing in preventive service is cheaper than remediating poor indicators.

The app and what your customers see

The "ESAQ - Brasil Banda Larga" app allows any consumer to check quality indicators by provider and region. Additionally, the app lets consumers perform speed measurements of their own connection, contributing to ESAQ's data collection.

This means your customers and potential customers have easy access to information about your service quality. This transparency is part of RQUAL's philosophy: instead of relying solely on regulatory action, the model aims for competitive pressure to drive quality improvements.

For your company, the message is clear: your service quality is visible and comparable. Invest in it as a strategic priority.

References

• Resolution 717/2019 (RQUAL - Telecommunications Service Quality Regulation): https://informacoes.anatel.gov.br/legislacao/resolucoes/2019/1371-resolucao-717
• Law 9,472/1997 (General Telecommunications Law): https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/l9472.htm