dekkingsgraden

Dekkingsgraden, literally “coverage degrees” in Dutch, refer to quantitative measures of how completely a particular service, signal, or resource reaches a defined area or population. The concept is employed across several sectors, most notably telecommunications, broadcasting, logistics, insurance and environmental monitoring. In each context the term denotes the proportion of the target zone that satisfies a pre‑established criteria for acceptable performance.

In telecommunications the dekkingsgraad of a mobile network is expressed as the percentage of geographic area or population for which the signal strength exceeds a threshold required for reliable voice or data transmission. Operators calculate it using drive‑test data, crowdsourced measurements and modelling tools, often presenting the result as a national or regional coverage map. Broadcast dekkingsgraad similarly indicates the proportion of households that can receive a radio or television signal without excessive loss.

Logistics companies use dekkingsgraden to describe the reach of their delivery networks, estimating the share of customers that can be served within a given time window. In insurance, the term may denote the extent to which a risk pool is covered by a particular policy or reinsurance arrangement. Environmental agencies apply it when assessing the spatial coverage of sensor networks monitoring air quality, water levels or wildlife habitats.

Standardisation bodies define the methodologies for calculating dekkingsgraden, specifying sampling density, signal thresholds and confidence intervals. The metric aids regulators, planners and consumers in comparing service providers, identifying underserved regions, and guiding infrastructure investment. Limitations include the dependence on measurement granularity and the potential mismatch between technical coverage and perceived quality of service.