After almost two months of Houthi blackmailing campaigns against the telecommunication sector, the group surprised this week millions of Yemenis with a new violation represented in increasing tariffs on internet services.
A source from the General Organization for Telecommunications – ruled by insurgents – told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the institution’s heads increased the tariffs of the internet bundles by 130 percent.
The source added that the Houthis claimed to rearrange internet bundles in a way that satisfies all citizens through this step. He added that the group’s command in the institution launched several accusations against the owners of wireless companies of working illegally and reselling the internet service at higher prices.
In the same context, reliable sources in Sanaa told the newspaper that the preventative security body of the militias stands behind the hike in tariffs.
They continued that the preventative security body gave strict instructions to Yemen Net to increase the tariffs on internet services by 130 percent after facing challenges in supervising citizens on the social networks and in order to push the Yemenis away from the social networks.
During meetings with Asharq Al-Awsat, a number of wireless networking companies in Sanaa complained against this procedure – they also held the insurgents responsible for the repercussions of these decisions.
An owner of a telecommunication network told the newspaper that the General Organization for Telecommunications didn’t amend its legal condition in the first place and didn’t specify the price per mega. During the past days, several Yemeni activists launched campaigns against the Houthis who are taking over the telecommunications sector, the owner added.
