The Alliance of Technology Industry (ATI), representing the telecom sector in Bulgaria, expresses its categorical disagreement with the irresponsible and incompetent statements of the Chairman of the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC), calling for the revocation of mobile operators' licenses. The CPC's statement of January 20, 2025 is not only devoid of objectivity and legal reasoning, but also sends a disturbing signal to foreign investors and strategic partners of Bulgaria. The imposition of populist suggestions against a key sector is an unprecedented act that threatens the security and economy of the country.
This is stated in an official position of the Bulgarian Telecommunications Authority.
The telecommunications sector in Bulgaria operates in a competitive and strictly regulated environment. Bulgarian consumers enjoy some of the best and most affordable telecommunications services in Europe, according to a report by the European Commission, Bulgaria is among the four countries with the most affordable prices for mobile services in the EU, and the country's networks are among the fastest in the world. However, instead of supporting digitalization and sustainable development, we see groundless attacks against one of the best regulated sectors, which invests billions of leva in the Bulgarian economy every year.
The claim of "systemic violations" by mobile operators is baseless and completely unfounded, as can be seen from the official data of the Communications Regulatory Commission (CRC). In its latest Annual Report for 2023 It is stated that complaints from users of telecommunications services have decreased by nearly 10% compared to the previous year, and a significant part of the cases examined have been resolved in favor of the users.
It is even more absurd that while the CPC attacks the operators with unproven accusations, the real problems of the users - fraud and insufficient regulation of uncontrolled digital platforms - remain beyond its attention. This calls into question the competence and true motives for the actions of the commission.
ATI calls for an immediate end to this dangerous and irresponsible behavior of the CPC. We insist on regulatory stability, an expert approach and real policies that protect the interests of the users, and not the personal image of individual civil servants. The responsible institutions must clearly state that the Bulgarian state will not tolerate populist actions that put digital connectivity, the economy and national security at risk.