Digital Transformation Ministry Issues Final Warning to Telecom Operators to Improve Service Quality or Face Penalties

Ministry of Digital Transformation Issues Final Notice to Telecom Operators for Service Quality Improvement

The Ministry of Digital Transformation and Administrative Modernization has published a memorandum on its website regarding the quality of services provided by electronic communications operators. The memorandum, excerpted from a report posted by the regulatory authority on its site, highlights ongoing deficiencies in service quality.

According to the memorandum, recent inspections by the regulatory authority revealed that the quality of services from electronic communications operators does not meet the required standards. Despite observed improvements, significant shortcomings persist in several cities and towns.

In response to these findings, the National Regulatory Council (CNR) has issued a final notice to the operators, setting a deadline of September 22, 2024, to address the identified deficiencies. Failure to comply will result in the imposition of financial and administrative penalties.

The decision made by the National Regulatory Council on March 14, 2024, stipulates that if the operators fail to meet the specified deadline, they will face financial penalties exceeding 530 million Ouguiyas, and their current licenses will be shortened by three months.

To ensure high-quality telecommunications services, the regulatory authority dispatched an inspection team between August 1 and September 7, 2023, to evaluate the service quality of electronic communications operators. The inspection results revealed a significant shortfall in service levels across various cities, residential areas, and major roadways, which fell short of established standards.

Based on these results, the regulatory authority issued warnings to the concerned operators on September 15, 2023, mandating compliance with quality requirements within 30 days. Between December 18, 2023, and January 24, 2024, the authority sent a new team to assess the extent of compliance in the warned areas.

Although the second round of inspections indicated notable improvements, the National Regulatory Council observed continued deficiencies in service quality, attributing them to insufficient investment by the operators.

In this context, the council has granted the operators an additional opportunity to enhance their service levels, urging them to make the necessary investments by September 22, 2024. Non-compliance will result in severe financial and administrative penalties, including a reduction in the duration of current licenses by a quarter of a year.