Etisalat Misr and Mobinil were among the communications companies fined for violating the provisions of their licenses by Executive President of the Egyptian National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) Hisham Alayli Wednesday, according to private Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm.
Etisalat Misr was fined 250,000 Egyptian pounds, while Mobinil was fined 100,000 pounds in the decision that reportedly came after the NTRA's board of directors decided on the value of the financial sanctions after investigations into the matter and after the board had heard the companies' defense.
According to Alayli's statement, Etisalat Misr was fined for violating the provisions of its license by not adhering to the rules and procedures regarding the contracts with its customers, as it has sold and promoted services to customers without signing a contract and or receiving their information or data.
The company was also fined for not adhering to orders to close mobile phone lines that were in violation of the terms and conditions of the license and in violation of the NTRA's Law No.10 of 2003.
Mobinil was fined for violating the provisions of its license by not adhering to the rules and procedures regarding selling and promoting services without obtaining accurate information about its customers.
It was also fined for not adhering to the instructions regarding accompanying a national ID photo or passport photo with the customers' contracts, as well as for selling mobile phone lines in violation of the price approved by the NTRA.
Alayli said that these were the first financial sanctions to be levied on the communications companies that violate the rules and provisions of their licenses.
Both companies have been instructed to pay their fines within 15 days, with Alayli adding that the NTRA was working on imposing fines on other companies who are also violating the provisions of their licenses.