CITC slams telecom operators with SAR 40 mln fines on violations

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The Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) imposed more than SAR 40 million fines on a number of Saudi telecom operators due to committing violations to the telecommunications law.
 

The penalties targeted the following operators; stc, Etihad Etisalat Co. (Mobily), Mobile Telecommunication Company Saudi Arabia (Zain KSA), and Etihad Jawraa Telecommunications and Information Technology Company (Lebara Mobile KSA).
 

STC was fined SAR 31.4 million, Mobily was handed a fine of SAR 1.2 million, Zain KSA (SAR 996,000), and Lebara Mobile (SAR 366,000). Other operators were fined SAR 6.16 million.
 

The violations include making promotional offers in violation of CITC’s decisions, using frequencies without licenses, failing to comply with the CITC’s decisions with regard to a number of user complaints, using violating SIMs, failing to provide CITC with information required within the specified deadlines. Other violations include causing damage to public telecommunications networks by cutting off a communication cable, sending Spam messages, and providing SMS service without obtaining a license.