Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis has backed in first reading a bill raising fines for telecom operators and providers that fail to meet quality standards for internet and communication services, with penalties set to climb sharply from current levels.
The Milli Majlis has approved in first reading amendments to the Code of Administrative Offences that sharply raise fines for telecommunication operators and providers whose service quality falls short of required standards. The bill was discussed at a plenary session of parliament and governs the rules tied to the quality of telecom services.
Under the approved draft, officials of communication companies that fail to meet quality requirements set by the relevant authority will face fines of 500 manats, while legal entities will be fined 1,000 manats. That marks a steep jump from the current penalty of 80-150 manats for this type of violation.
If the same violation is repeated within one year of the administrative penalty decision taking effect, the fine will double — reaching 1,000 manats for officials and 2,000 manats for legal entities.
Amendments planned to the Law on Telecommunications
The initiative is closely tied to parallel changes being discussed to the Law on Telecommunications. Article 33.1.5 of the law currently refers to “standards, norms and rules,” a phrase that will be replaced with “quality indicators,” since the old wording failed to clearly define specific, measurable obligations.
The Ministry of Digital Development and Transport’s Collegium had earlier adopted a decision setting out specific quality indicators for communication and internet services. These indicators are mandatory for operators and providers and serve as the main benchmark for assessing service quality.
The bill’s authors said the main goal of the planned changes is to clarify the legal regulation of obligations in the telecommunications sector and ensure the principle of legal certainty.
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