As of Nov. 1, telecom operators must provide a small compensation in the event of a network outage.
Starting Nov. 1, telecom operators will have to pay compensation to their customers if they fall without internet or phone for at least eight hours. This is due to new legislation that will soon come into effect.
The compensation scheme applies to:
- Fixed Internet outages;
- Mobile and landline telephone subscriptions, in case of outages at the point of billing;
- Prepaid cell phone cards, at the place of domicile.
The regulation (Article 113/2 of the Telecommunications Act) is based on similar legislation in the Netherlands.
Financial compensation after eight hours
The new regulation states that customers will receive a minimum of one euro in compensation when telecom services are interrupted for more than eight hours. If the interruption exceeds 24 hours, an additional compensation of one euro plus fifty cents per day will be added. The scheme is intended to compensate customers for prolonged outages beyond their control.
The compensation is higher for customers with more expensive subscriptions. If the monthly cost corresponds to an amount higher than one euro per day, the operator must pay more compensation. In this case, customers are entitled to at least one thirtieth of their monthly subscription cost.
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Telecom operators also have the option of offering in-kind compensation, such as a free movie or other service. However, this must be worth at least as much as the financial compensation. If the customer does not agree to the in-kind compensation, the operator must still pay the financial compensation.
However, the compensation scheme does not apply when the interruption is due to force majeure, such as natural disasters or other unforeseen events beyond the operator’s control. With the new legislation, the government wants to encourage telecom operators to make their services more reliable and to give customers fair compensation in case of problems.