Announcements by several mobile network operators in Uzbekistan regarding imminent price increases on subscriber tariffs have sparked widespread public dissatisfaction. In response to mounting consumer complaints, the Competition Promotion and Consumer Protection Committee has officially launched an inquiry into whether the tariff increases are economically justified.

The regulatory body pointed out that while mobile companies boast of larger internet data bundles, the actual quality of connectivity frequently fails to meet expected standards. Consequently, subscribers are often unable to utilize their allocated traffic before it expires without rolling over to the subsequent billing cycle, exposing a stark disparity between deteriorating service quality and escalating costs.

Authorities are currently reviewing the financial and legal grounds behind the price revisions. The committee explicitly cautioned that should any anti-competitive behavior or infringement upon consumer rights be verified, formal enforcement proceedings will be initiated, followed by legal penalties under existing national statutes.

The regulatory agency also highlighted previous interventions aimed at reigning in unfair practices within the telecom sector. Past regulatory mandates compelled Beeline to eliminate automatic, unnotified shifts to daily billing and make calls to over 100 government hotlines free of charge. Similarly, Mobiuz was required to dismantle technical hurdles regarding tariff transitions, while Ucell revised its standard user agreements to include legal liability for material and non-material damages caused to subscribers.

Source: kun.uz