MADRID, 23 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -
The group of Citizens in the Congress of Deputies has asked the Government if it will take measures to alleviate a "possible sharp increase in costs" of mobile, landline and Internet bills in the event that clauses are activated that link prices to the Index of Consumer Prices (CPI).
Vodafone and Avatel have announced the arrival of these clauses in their new telephony contracts, as a way of alleviating the drop in profitability in the sector, which has turned to 'low cost'.
In fact, the prices of telephone services have fallen by 1.3% so far this year, according to the National Institute of Statistics, although there are more and more voices in the sector that do not rule out a rise in prices in coming months if the situation continues.
The parliamentary initiative, registered by the deputies María Muñoz and Guillermo Díaz, also questions the Government about whether measures will be taken to make the consumer see that the price increases are not related to the new General Telecommunications Law.
In the last of their points, the deputies also ask to know if the Executive has met with the companies in the sector to facilitate their adaptation to the new requirements and prevent them from imposing financial penalties on customers.
The new telecommunications law includes some new obligations for operators such as the limitation of the duration of contracts to 24 months and the extension of portability rights and the conservation of the balance of a prepaid mobile when changing operator.
The approval of the new Telecommunications Law and the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, of which the law was one of the reforms committed to with Brussels, have brought about a reform of the telecommunications accessibility model for vulnerable groups.
Thus, the Recovery Plan incorporates a bonus to pay for part of the Internet of people at risk of exclusion that must be launched by the autonomous communities, a process that is expected to be completed this year.
These bonuses will mean a subsidy of 240 euros per year to families who request it with a national allocation of 20 million euros for 2022.
In addition, the new legislative text brings with it the reform of the universal telecommunications service that is currently in regulatory development and that, among other points, ends with the cabins and forces the operator to offer features that allow the use of a browser or to look for a job.
