The Australian Communications and Media Authority has issued Lycamobile with a $186,480 penalty for public safety failures.
Las year, the British telco was fined $604,800 after failing to provide customer data to the Integrated Public Number Database used by police and emergency services.
All telcos operating in the country are required to submit this information to the IPND.
The company was also directed to undertake proper ID checks when activating prepaid mobile services, which it had failed to do.
Under remedial direction, Lycamobile was required to provide written reports to the ACMA about how it would improve its ID verification for prepaid SIM owners, the staff training it would undertake and the independent auditor it would appoint.
It failed to do this.
“Lycamobile has shown an ongoing disregard for its obligations and the commitments it has made to the ACMA,” said Chair Nerida O’Loughlin.
“It consistently missed deadlines, provided inadequate reports and, when we raised these matters on multiple occasions, gave subsequent commitments that it then failed to meet.
“We take these types of commitments very seriously and will act when telcos fail to meet them.”
O’Loughlin said the payment of this penalty is a sign that Lycamobile is starting to take its obligations seriously.
“Breaching obligations and not fulfilling commitments to the regulator has been costly for the company and caused potential harm to its customers,” she said.
“We will continue to watch Lycamobile closely to make sure it’s doing the right thing by its customers and the public.”
Should Lycamobile fail to comply again, the ACMA can commence proceedings in the Federal Court for civil penalties of up to $250,000 per contravention.
