site.btaContinue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria Lawmakers Move to Shield Consumers from Mobile Price Hikes

Members of Parliament from Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) filed amendments to the Electronic Communications Act in Parliament, CC-DB's press service said here on Wednesday. These amendments enable consumers to cancel their contracts without penalties if telecom operators raise prices unilaterally, including through indexation.

Currently, mobile operators are carrying out the fourth round of contract indexation. When prices are raised unilaterally within long-term contracts, consumers face unfair conditions. After the coalition initially introduced this bill, industry representatives suggested they would allow contract terminations without penalties and without the need for legislative action. However, it has become evident that this promise was short-lived for some of the telecom operators.

The sponsors of the amendment argue that a permanent solution is needed to encourage more competition. They believe that if operators know consumers can switch providers at any time, it will change the business model, prompting companies to compete rather than collude.