Fediienko warns fewer telecom operators could threaten information access in Ukraine

A reduction in the number of telecom operators in Ukraine increases the likelihood that the public may lose access to critical information, according to Oleksandr Fediienko, Head of the Cybersecurity Subcommittee of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security and Defense. 

Speaking at a briefing at Media Center Ukraine, Fediienko emphasized that Ukraine stands out as the only country in the world with its high number of providers, which has enabled reliable access to information even under difficult circumstances. This success, he noted, stems from a competitive market and the absence of monopolies. However, proposed regulations on telecom operators could jeopardize this balance.

“The issue is that the fewer telecom operators there are in Ukraine, the more likely it is that the population will lose access to information. Any legislative changes, regulatory documents, any regulation at all will never regulate whether the operator will have generators, additional batteries, and, most importantly, people to maintain it all,” explained Oleksandr Fediienko.

He warned that the executive authorities’ ongoing efforts to tighten control over Internet service providers could result in fewer operators, market monopolization, degrade communication service quality, and ultimately higher costs for users, potentially reaching European levels of about 60-70 euros per month.

Read more: https://mediacenter.org.ua/news