A mobile communications consumer in Ukraine has the right to quality communication services under the terms set by the contract with the operator and the applicable legislation. As RBC-Ukraine reports, citing a post by the State Consumer Protection Service on Facebook, if the connection is not working properly, if there are problems with billing or the bill, the subscriber is not left without means to protect their rights — there is a clear algorithm of actions, from the first appeal to the operator to an appeal to the regulator.
Step one: register the appeal with the operator
If the mobile service is not provided or is provided of inadequate quality, as well as if there are problems with billing or the bill, the first step is to contact the communications operator directly and register the appeal. Registering the complaint is a key stage: it creates documentary evidence that the consumer attempted to resolve the issue out of court and becomes the basis for further steps if the matter remains unresolved.
Step two: appeal to the NKES
If the operator does not resolve the issue, the consumer may appeal to the National Commission for Electronic Communications and Radio Frequency Spectrum (NKES), the body that exercises state regulation in the fields of electronic communications, radio frequency spectrum, and postal services. This is the specialized regulator whose competence includes oversight of compliance with legislation in the communications sector, and it is the logical place to send a complaint when dialogue with the operator has not yielded a result.
Oversight specifics under martial law
It is important to note that during martial law, measures of state oversight of compliance with legislation in the fields of electronic communications and radio frequency spectrum are carried out by decision of the NKES in the procedure established by law. This is provided for in paragraph 6 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Resolution No. 303 of 13 March 2022. Thus, even under martial law, the mechanism for protecting a subscriber's rights is preserved, but its implementation is subject to a specially approved procedure.
Context: new market players and debunking fake news
The topic of subscriber rights comes against the backdrop of active changes in the Ukrainian telecom market. For example, Ukrtelecom has announced the launch of U Mobile — a new virtual mobile operator: a SIM card or the "Optics + SIM" package can already be ordered on the website, with tariffs offering up to 60 GB of mobile internet. In parallel, the Center for Countering Disinformation debunked information circulating online that mobile communications would be shut down in Ukraine during air raid alerts, calling the corresponding message a fake. Against this backdrop, the State Consumer Protection Service's clarification on the procedure for protecting subscriber rights serves as a timely guide for consumers.
