The National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) hopes to convince Small-Scale Providers (PPPs) to adhere to the so-called RQUAL (Regulation on the Quality of Telecommunications Services). Approved by Resolution No. 717/2019, it establishes that the new rules are mandatory for large operators (Claro, Oi, Tim, Vivo and Sky), but optional for PPPs.
The idea of proposing optional membership for smaller companies is, for Anatel, the ideal way to encourage competitiveness in the sector. Furthermore, those who choose to follow the regulations until the end of August will, according to the agency, have greater visibility in the market in which they operate.
An extra incentive for small providers to accept Anatel's invitation and adhere to the regulation is precisely the quality seals that will be adopted by the national agency. According to a statement posted on the agency's website, starting in 2023, seals will be published divided into five categories (A, B, C, D or E). They will be arranged by service and by municipality, Federation Unit and national, for providers participating in RQUAL evaluated in the previous year.
“RQUAL standardizes and updates the rules established by the regulations on the quality of fixed and mobile telephony, broadband and pay TV services. Monitoring of the ‘Quality’ theme will move from the command and control model – based on meeting the targets of quality indicators and sanctions – to a responsive regulation model, where it is understood that the dynamics of seals and competition will provide incentives for the continuous improvement of service quality”, informed Anatel.
More Details
According to the statement, small providers, or PPPs, who wish to adhere to the quality regulation must address correspondence to Anatel's Obligations Control Superintendence. The guidelines are set out in Agency Portal, as well as other details about RQUAL, as well as estimated costs to formalize operations.
Anatel has set August 30 as the deadline, as it says there is a need for contractual arrangements with the Quality Assessment Support Entity. In addition, it is necessary to adopt operational measures for collecting and sending indicators, as provided for in the Operational Manual, so that all collection is adequate at the start of the first annual measurement cycle, scheduled for January 2022.
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