Ukraine legislates minimal mobile Internet speed

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine supported in the first reading draft law No. 12094, which aims to establish minimum standards for the quality of mobile Internet. The new document is aimed at improving the accessibility and reliability of communication throughout the country, including remote settlements and the roads between them.

Moreover, Ukrainians will be able to check the quality of mobile Internet using a special speed test on smartphones. This information will be transmitted to the regulator of the sector – NKEK, so that it can respond to problem situations.

The draft law introduces a number of key changes:

1. Minimum Internet speed. The draft law establishes standards for the minimum speed of mobile Internet, which operators are obliged to adhere to. This will ensure stable access to online services even in remote places or on the road.
2. Control of communication quality. It is proposed to introduce a mechanism for checking the quality of the Internet through special applications defined by the National Commission for State Regulation in the Sphere of Communications and Informatization (NCEC). Users will be able to test the connection, and data on its quality will be sent to the regulator for analysis.
3. National roaming. After the end of martial law, national roaming will continue to operate in crisis situations, providing access to communication in emergency conditions.
4. Evaluation of communication quality. New quality indicators are being introduced, such as connection establishment time, call success rate, signal delay, and data transfer speed.
5. Consumer rights. In the event of unsatisfactory service quality, users will be able to demand compensation or terminate the contract with the operator free of charge.
6. Fines for operators. In case of violation of the standards, operators will be required to pay a fine of 1 to 5 thousand non-taxable minimum incomes for each violation.
7. Coordination in crisis conditions. Operators are required to cooperate with the national center for operational management of communication networks to ensure stable communication.

At this stage, draft law No. 12094 has been adopted in the first reading. After finalization, it will be submitted for a second vote, and then sent for signature to the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada and the President of Ukraine.

Improving the quality of telecommunications services is certainly important, but sometimes it feels like business interests are far from being prioritized. In the summer of 2024, Ukrainian mobile operators were instructed to ensure the operability of networks in the event of a planned or emergency power outage for at least 10 hours.