GNCC fines Megafon for cellular invasion

The Georgian National Communications Commission (GNCC) has fined Megafon more than USD360,000 for operating without a licence within Georgian territory. Officials from the regulator say that despite being warned Megafon has persisted in the illegal use of Georgian airwaves to provide mobile phone services. ‘We believe that what Megafon is doing in Georgia is akin to an economic occupation and annexation,’ said Giorgi Arveladze, chairman of the GNCC. ‘Our spectrum surveys indicate that this company dramatically expanded coverage before, during, and after the war, potentially making them a war profiteer and an active participant in Russia’s military operations inside the sovereign territory of Georgia.’