Communication authority fines providers for shortage after Istanbul earthquake
Turkey's top communication technologies authority has fined two cell phone carriers and the country's top communications infrastructure carrier for shortages following the 5.8-magnitude earthquake that shook Istanbul on Sept. 26, 2019. Turkcell and Vodafone were fined a little over two million Turkish Lira while Turk Telekom received two fines amounting to a total of nine million TL.
Duvar English
Turkey's communications technology authority fined two major cell phone carriers and the country's primary communications provider Turk Telekom for infrastructure failings during the Sept. 26, 2018 earthquake of 5,8 magnitude in Istanbul, the news broadcaster NTV reported.
Turkey's leading domestic phone carrier Turkcell was out of service for 15 minutes on the day of the quake.The Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) fined Turkcell for this with almost 2.09 million TL (about $340,000).
The services of the international cell phone provider Vodafone were unavailable for an hour and 15 minutes, which the BTK fined with 2.5 million TL (about $409,000).
Turkey's primary communications services and infrastructure provider Turk Telekom was out of service for 27 hours following the quake, which BTK fined with 5.2 million TL (approximately $850,000).
Turk Telekom was also fined 4.5 million TL (about $730,000) for turning off various radio network connector elements around Turkey without the necessary authority's instruction.
BTK's 2018 Communications Industry Report points to 21,939,056 cell phone users in Istanbul alone, and some 80 million nationwide.