Latvia’s Public Utilities Commission (SPRK) has fined telecommunications company Tet 14 000 euros for failing to provide mandatory contract summaries to customers before signing electronic communications service contracts—including distance contracts.
Tet is ordered to pay the fine of 14 000 euros, which will be paid into the state budget, the SPRK said.
Since December 2020, service providers are legally required to give consumers a written summary of contract terms before signing any agreement. In 2024, SPRK inspections revealed that most large operators, including Tet, were not fully compliant with these rules.
SPRK initiated an administrative case against Tet in August 2024 for breaching the Electronic Communications Law. Although Tet appealed, both Riga City Court and Latgale Regional Court upheld the regulator’s decision, making the fine final and binding.
SPRK chair Alda Ozola advises all consumers to insist on receiving the contract summary—in writing or electronically—before agreeing to any mobile, internet, or TV service.
Ozola says that this obligation applies even to personalized offers and remote contracts.
In practice, SPRK found that many sales representatives only explain terms verbally, despite customers having a legal right to a written summary. The regulator continues monitoring service providers in 2025 through on-site inspections.
In 2023, SPRK focused oversight efforts on the largest telecom providers covering at least 15% of the market: Tet, “Latvijas Mobilais Telefons” (LMT), Tele2, “Bite Latvija”, and Balticom.
Despite legal issues, the Tet group reported a revenue increase of 10.2% in 2023 to 321.4 million euros, with group profit rising by 63.2% to 18 million euros. However, Tet itself saw a slight decline in revenue and a 35.3% drop in profit to 12.3 million euros.
Ownership of Tet is shared between the Latvian state (51%) via “Possessor” and Swedish telecom company Telia’s subsidiary “Tilts Communications” (49%).