Brazil’s telecom regulator, Anatel, levied a fine of U.S.$17.4 million (R$34.265 million) on the national telecom operator Oi because of poor service quality. According to the watchdog agency, Oi breached twelve indicators specified in the country’s mobile service quality regulations, which were enacted in 2010.
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The fine, published on February 15 in the Official Gazette, applied to TNL PSC and Brasil Telecom Celular, which are both part of the Oi Group and operate in the Amazon region, the Federal District, and the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Parana and Santa Catarina.
Anatel determined that the telecom opeator did not meet quality goals for customer complaint rates, the number of completed calls to the call center and responses to customers as well as the recovery rate of failures or call defects.
Oi said that it is evaluating Anatel’s decision, and it may appeal. As Convergência Digital reported, the operator can no longer appeal the resolution administratively, but Oi can still take the issue to court.
Last year, Anatel banned three telecom operators—TIM, the Brazilian unit of Telecom Italia; América Móvil’s Claro; and the national carrier Oi—from selling mobile services for ten days in some areas due to the volume of customer complaints. At that time, Oi had its sales suspended in five states.
