Сподели:

?

Agency for Electronic Communications proved to be the biggest inhibitor for development of better and cheaper internet services, is stated in the press released issues by the Internet Macedonia, Association for better internet.

Internet users in Macedonia are paying the most expensive internet in South Eastern Europe, they constantly complain about low quality of the services, and the internet remains luxury for most of the citizens – said Aleksandar Nikolov, president of Internet Macedonia, at the press conference on December 1, 2006.

He added that AEC failed to pass the bylaws that should increase market competition. “Even the bylaws that AEC have passed clearly put Makedonski Telekomunikacii above the interests of citizens and other operators," said Nikolov.

The Agency doesn’t observe its legal obligation to publish data on quality and prices of services, in order to assist the citizens to make an informed choice. It tolerates misleading advertising designed to bait the citizens, and it approves of the new ADSL services agreements based on illegal conditions, rather unfavourable to the users.

Internet Macedonia will file a petition on this situations to the Office of the Ombudsman and will inform the diplomatic representative offices of the U.S. and the European Commission, having in mind their active involvement in the preparations for reform of the telecommunications sector.

Nikolov said that the Agency’s independent should not transform in a situation of no responsibility and accountability for its results. For that aim, Internet Macedonia will propose to the Sobranie (the parliament) and the Government to introduce the obligation to prepare quarterly reports and parameters for quality of internet services which will be obligatory for subscription agreements.

Finally, the organization advises the Government to secure funds to invest in new broadband capacity, instead of procurement of new offices or furniture, having in mind that it is obvious that the existing capacities are already on the verge of exhaustion and are easily clogged in rush hours of internet use.

Source: NGO Info Center (01.12.2006)