CRA holds outreach event for telecom consumers

TheCommunications Regulatory Authority (CRA) has announced that it isorganising an outreach event at Aspire Park on December 9.Accordingto a press statement from the authority, the event is part of the CRA’sinitiatives to educate consumers about their rights andresponsibilities.“This is an opportunity for the CRA to connect withtelecom consumers and raise awareness. CRA’s team will be on hand toprovide useful tips to help visitors better understand their rights andresponsibilities and to educate consumers on other topics related toroaming, spam SMS messages and scam calls,” the statement noted. Visitorswill also be able to lodge telecom complaints against service providersonsite and learn more about the CRA’s complaints resolution process. “CRA seeks to balance the rights of consumers withthe obligations of telecom service providers. Consumers need to be awareof their rights and responsibilities in order to make informeddecisions. I would like to invite all telecom consumers to join us atthe event to know more about their rights and responsibilities,” saidAmel Salem al-Hanawi, the CRA’s Consumer Affairs manager.The outreach event takes place next to Sugar & Spice café, Aspire Park, from 2pm to 9pm on Saturday.Oneof the CRA’s consumer protection initiatives is the ‘Arsel’ app. Theapp has a “user-friendly interface and an extensive range of usefulfeatures that gives users the ability to check if there are any networkcoverage issues reported in their area”. Additionally, the app has speedtest functionality that allows users to check Internet speed(Mobile/Wi-Fi) and report this directly to the CRA.The app alsoallows users to lodge complaints against service providers usingaccurate location-based information, follow up on their complaints, sendrelevant documents and receive updates. The CRA follow a certainresolution process for telecom complaints; consumers with a complaintare free to approach the CRA if a complaint lodged directly to theirservice provider remains unresolved for 30 calendar days, or if they aredissatisfied with the resolution offered, the statement adds.Complaintsare then assessed by the CRA against a set of criteria to determine if acomplaint is valid or not. The authority receives and investigatescomplaints by working with both consumers and service providers to find afair and mutually acceptable resolution.Consumers can contact theCRA in a variety of ways: the 24/7 hotline number is 103, e-mail CRA atconsumervoice@cra.gov.qa, the ‘Arsel’ mobile application, by tweetingdirectly to @CRAqatar, CRA’s online complaint form or by visiting theCRA headquarters at Al Nasr Tower B.