Mobile Network Streaming & Web QoE

Measure what mobile subscribers actually experience when they stream video and browse the web.

For mobile network operators, MVNOs, and drive test solution providers who need to understand real-world streaming and browsing quality across their coverage area. Our Android and iOS SDKs integrate into measurement apps for drive tests, crowdsourcing, and in-network testing.

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The Challenge

RF metrics don't tell you what subscribers experience

Your RAN dashboards show signal strength and throughput, but they cannot predict whether subscribers can watch Netflix without stalling or load a web page in under 3 seconds. Drive test tools measure network-layer KPIs, but miss the application-level quality that determines subscriber satisfaction and churn.

Our Approach

Application-level QoE testing on real mobile devices

The Surfmeter Mobile Quality SDK runs on real Android and iOS devices, executing native-player, OTT, and web browsing tests. Integrated into your drive test app or crowdsourcing platform, it measures ITU-standardized video MOS and web performance metrics alongside the network and location context available on each operating system.

Key Capabilities

Measure mobile QoE across devices, cells, and locations

Real-Device Video QoE

Test video streaming quality on real Android and iOS devices with ExoPlayer or AVPlayer. Measure P.1203 MOS, loading delay, stalling, bitrate, and resolution changes.

Drive Test Integration

SDK integrates into existing drive test tools or your own custom apps. Add QoE measurements to your established drive test workflows.

Crowdsourcing Support

Embed in subscriber-facing apps for large-scale crowdsourced QoE data collection. Measure across thousands of real subscriber devices and locations.

Cellular Context Correlation

Every measurement includes the connection, device, and location context available on the platform. Android adds detailed cell and signal metrics.

Proven in Practice

Video quality testing for drive-test and benchmarking tools

Enhancell needed to add application-level QoE metrics to their Echo drive-test and benchmarking platform. Their customers — mobile operators — wanted to go beyond RF metrics and understand actual streaming and browsing quality across their coverage areas. With the Surfmeter SDK integrated into Echo tools, they shipped ITU-T P.1203-based video quality testing for YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and Netflix.

Read how Surfmeter powers video QoE testing in Enhancell’s Echo Tools 5.0

Results

Integrated Surfmeter SDK into the Echo drive-test platform
Added ITU-standardized video MOS to drive test reports
Enabled operators to correlate QoE with RF conditions and cell handovers
Shipped video quality testing as a headline feature of Echo tools v5.0

“The Surfmeter app now enables us, for the first time, to record qualitative measurements that are comparable with the customer’s actual perception.”

Volker Libovsky, CTIO — Magenta Telekom

Magenta Telekom needed a way to measure streaming quality exactly as customers perceive it. Together with T-Labs and AVEQ, they developed a Surfmeter-based mobile app that lets service technicians measure on-site streaming quality at customer premises, producing ITU-standardized MOS scores with geodata for network-wide quality mapping.

Read how the Surfmeter app changed quality control at Magenta

Results

Deployed Surfmeter app to field technicians for on-site quality measurement
Enabled MOS-based quality scoring that matches actual customer perception
Mapped streaming quality across regions using geodata to identify weak cells

Ready to see it in action?

Get a personalized demo and see how Surfmeter fits your use case. It only takes 30 minutes.

Business Benefits

Real outcomes for your business

Understand Subscriber Experience

Go beyond network KPIs. Know exactly what quality subscribers perceive when streaming or browsing on your mobile network.

Optimize Network Investments

Target infrastructure investments where QoE data shows the biggest impact on subscriber satisfaction.

Competitive Benchmarking

Objectively compare your mobile network QoE against competitors on the services subscribers care about most.

Reduce Churn

Identify and fix quality blind spots before they drive subscribers to switch to competing operators.

Independent third-party measurement

Prove the streaming quality your subscribers get

AVEQ measures mobile streaming and web quality with Surfmeter and ITU-T P.1203 as an independent third party. The results hold up with customers, partners and regulators.

Show measured quality to customers and regulators
Benchmark against other mobile operators
Use the same tests across regions and over time

How It Works

From SDK to insights

The Surfmeter Mobile Quality SDK integrates into Android and iOS measurement apps as an AAR or Swift package.

1

Integrate the SDK

Add the AAR to your Android application or the Swift package to your iOS app. A small integration initializes the SDK and triggers tests.

2

Configure test profiles

Select native-player, OTT, or web tests. YouTube and Netflix run on Android and iOS; additional social video integrations are available on Android.

3

Run on real devices

Tests execute on real Android and iOS devices during drive tests, crowdsourcing campaigns, or scheduled in-network testing.

4

Analyze QoE data

Results flow to the Surfmeter platform. Analyze video MOS, web performance, and speed data by location, cell, RAT, operator, and time.

Data & KPIs

Mobile-specific data and metrics

YouTube (Android and iOS) Netflix (Android and iOS) Facebook (Android) Instagram (Android) TikTok (Android) Hotstar (Android) Native-player streams via ExoPlayer or AVPlayer Web browsing

Video QoE (ExoPlayer and AVPlayer)

P.1203 Video MOS

Perceptual quality score (1–5)
Initial Loading Delay

Time until video starts playing
Stalling Ratio

Playback time spent stalling
Average Bitrate

Average data rate of stream
Resolution Tracking

Resolution changes during playback
Frame Drop Rate

Frames skipped during playback

Cellular Context

Cell ID / eNodeB

Cell tower identification
RAT (2G/3G/4G/5G)

Radio access technology type
Signal Strength (RSRP/RSRQ)

Signal strength and quality levels
GPS Location

Geographic measurement location
Device & OS Info

Device model and OS version

Web Performance

Page Load Time

Total time to fully load the page
LCP / FCP

Core content visibility timing
TTFB

Server response time
CLS

Visual stability during page load

Which platforms does the Surfmeter Mobile Quality SDK support?

Android and iOS. You add it to your Android app as an AAR or to your iOS app as a Swift package. A small integration initializes the SDK and triggers tests.

Which services can be tested on mobile?

YouTube and Netflix trailers run on Android and iOS. On Android, the SDK also supports Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Hotstar. You can also test native-player streams via ExoPlayer or AVPlayer and web browsing.

Can I use the SDK in my existing drive test tool?

Yes. The SDK can be integrated into drive test tools, for example Enhancell Echo Tools, or into your own custom apps. It adds QoE measurements to your established drive test workflows.

Does it work for crowdsourcing?

Yes. You can embed the SDK in subscriber-facing apps to collect QoE data from many real subscriber devices and locations.

What network context is recorded with each test?

Every measurement includes the connection and, where permitted, location context available on the platform. Android adds detailed cell and signal metrics such as cell ID, RAT, RSRP, and RSRQ.