April 22 (BTA) - The week between April 8 and 15 saw a slight decrease in the use of telephone and Internet services in Bulgaria compared with the previous week, the Communications Regulation Commission (CRC) reported on Wednesday. Nevertheless, telephone and Internet service use remained more intensive than it was before a state of emergency was proclaimed in the country on March 13, prompted by the spread of COVID-19.

During the week in review, the use of such services exceeded the levels in a standard week before the state of emergency as follows: mobile network voice traffic - up by 21 per cent; mobile network data traffic - up by 14 per cent; landline network voice traffic - up by 13 per cent; and landline network data traffic - up by 30 per cent.

Operators conduct round-the-clock monitoring to ensure that their networks are functioning normally and their services are accessible without interruption. The CRC continues to watch the radio frequencies used by mobile network operators and takes service quality measurements.

There were no interruptions or deviations from the normal functioning of mobile networks during the week from April 8 to 15. Some 4,000 tests showed good coverage levels and a 99.54 per cent call setup success rate for voice services. Speeds of access to Internet files using 4G (LTE) mobile networks were similar to those recorded in the previous period. They ranged from 12-22 Mbps in some areas to 54-139 Mbps in Sofia.

Mobile operators continue to provide extra services during the state of emergency.

No changes were observed in the postal services provided in Bulgaria between April 8 and 15 compared with the previous week.

By order of the Sofia City Prosecution Office, the CRC is working with the Consumer Protection Commission and the National Revenue Agency to check the lawfulness of additional fees charged by postal operators during the state of emergency. RI/VE

/СН/