Kyivstar backs mandatory registration of subscribers, insists on amending relevant bill
Kyivstar mobile communications operator backs the legislative idea of mandatory registration of subscribers, although the company criticizes the bill on electronic communications and insists on amending its provisions.
An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reported that Kyivstar President Petro Chernyshov gave the information to reporters in Kyiv on Wednesday.
"We would like to have a period when we register everything in a calm way for the existing base and to start registering people who buy SIM cards," he said.
He said that the operator will insist that no ID should be required to register subscribers.
"If people start bringing their passports and we take copies of them, store them somewhere we would simply perish. There are many other ways of registration," he said.
He said that the bill solves neither the first nor the second problem.
"We are backing the idea, but we oppose the details mentioned in this bill," he said, adding that if the registration of subscribers starts they should not worry that the spending on the registration would be laid on their shoulders.
Earlier in February 2017, Chernyshov titled at the bill, pointing out a hurry in the terms of the registration of subscribers.
He also said that the registration of subscribers will cost about UAH 260 million for the operator, which could be invested in the development of new technologies.
At the same time, he said that the bill also contains a negative rule for business about the regulator's influence on retail prices for telecom services, as well as the provision that the consent to transfer subscriber data should be signed offline.
Chernyshov urged the lawmakers to hold a public discussion of the document on the basis of the profile committee of the Verkhovna Rada or the telecom committee of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine.
Kyivstar is the largest Ukrainian mobile communication operator, servicing 26.1 million subscribers by the end of June this year.
Kyivstar's shareholder is international group Veon Ltd. (formerly VimpelCom ltd). The shares of the group are free floating on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
