Georgia, Tbilisi, 20 September / Trend corr. N.Kirtskhalia /The Georgian Communication Commission fined the Russian Megafon mobile operator in the sum of 500,000 laries due to the economic annexation of frequency spectrum, which become apparent in telephone service without authorization in the territory of Georgia and illegal use of radio-frequency spectrum without license. This was the second fine by the Commission.
For the first time the company was fined in the sum of 5,000 laries in June. Despite of the fine, Megafon illegally expanded the covering territory. This zone is beyond of the administrative borders of the South Ossetia and covered Gori and Kareli.
Nona Kavelashvili, a representative from Megafon, said in the meeting that the company's trade mark is used by the North Caucasus based 'Mobikom north of Caucasus' company. Kavelashvili did not exclude that Mobikom north of Caucasus company may implement service in Georgia.
However, the daughter company has neither network nor license to operate in Georgia and has roaming with other Georgian operators.
Giorgi Arveladze, Chairman of the Georgian Communication Commission, said that "actually, the Russian Megafon communication company carried out an economic annexation of radio-frequency spectrum, which is owned by the Georgian Government."
The Georgian Communication Commission addresses to the International Telecommunication Union and administration regulating in communication sector to take measures to prevent illegal operating of the Megafon company in the territory of Georgia.
"Megafon" lodged a complaint against the commission's decision. Presumably, the company will make a court appeal due to the current decision of the commission.
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