The Federal Network Agency has imposed fines totaling 225,000 Euros on three major telecommunications providers. The companies had violated their obligations concerning provider switching. Reportedly, the providers in question are Telefónica, Vodafone, and 1&1.
According to the Federal Network Agency, the three providers repeatedly infringed their statutory duties concerning provider switching. This exposed consumers to extended service interruptions and the associated inconveniences.
The statutory maximum fine for violations of provider switching regulations in the telecommunications market is 100,000 Euros per infringement. In mitigation for the affected providers, the Federal Network Agency acknowledged their active involvement in the cross-industry development and implementation of automated interfaces designed to enhance the switching process in the long term, although these initiatives have not yet been fully completed. Consequently, a fine of "only" 75,000 Euros was levied against each provider.
The penalties are not yet legally enforceable (as of: 20.02.2014). The companies retain the right to appeal against these decisions.
The Federal Network Agency has announced its intention to intensify efforts to address issues concerning provider switching in the future. To this end, it has established a dedicated complaints office within the agency, which consumers can contact regarding such problems. Further information on this subject is available on the Federal Network Agency's website.
Source: Press release from the Federal Network Agency
Goldberg Attorneys at Law 2014
Attorney Michael Ullrich, LL.M. (Information Law)
Specialist Attorney for Information Technology Law
Email: info@goldberg.de
