ANRC Launches for Public Consultation a Series of Measures in Order to Complete Romtelecom’s Reference Offer for Interconnection

In February 2003, upon assigning S.C. Romtelecom S.A. as provider with significant power on the market of the access to fixed public telephone networks, with a view to calls origination, termination and transit, and on the market of services of leased lines-terminal segments, the company published on its website the Reference Offer for Interconnection (RIO). This document contains the minimum set of services for interconnection with the fixed public telephone network, as well as the conditions, including tariff terms, under which the respective services shall be offered to alternative providers.

By the ANRC President’s Decision no.1379/2003 on the leased-lines terminal segments interconnection with the fixed public telephone network, as well as by the ANRC President’s Decision no.147/2002 on the principles and prerequisites of the reference offer for interconnection with the public fixed telephone network, modified and completed by the ANRC President’s Decision no.1384/2003, ANRC imposed on Romtelecom to modify and complete the RIO by March 1, 2004, with provisions regarding interconnection for leased lines-terminal segments and interconnection with the fixed public telephone network.

At the end of July 2004, upon ANRC’s notification, Romtelecom published the updated version of the RIO.

Given the fact that a part of the new provisions of the RIO do not comply with the provisions of the above mentioned decisions, ANRC has drawn up and launches for public consultation a draft Decision with a view to modifying and completing the RIO provisions, in order to ensure an electronic communications public networks interconnection regime grounded on the principles of economic efficiency, competition promotion and maximum benefits for the end users.

In order to optimise the process of interconnection for leased lines-terminal segments, ANRC intends to impose on Romtelecom obligations such as:

– adjusting some of the interconnection tariffs, so that it should be cost-oriented;

– including the local circuits of data transmission, consisting of one or two metallic pairs, in the wholesale offer;

– completing the available configurations of leased lines – terminal segments services, as well as enhancing their availability;

As well, the draft decision launched by ANRC for consultation proposes the addition of some issues regarding:

– modifying the tariff schedule on the wholesale market, according to the new tariffs charged by Romtelecom, starting with June 1, 2004, on the retail market; thus, for the provision of services for call origination and termination, the peak time shall be between 08-20hrs., Monday to Friday. The off-peak time shall be between 20-08hrs., Monday to Friday, respectively between 0-24hrs, on Saturdays and Sundays.

– adding specific clauses which provide the interconnection beneficiaries with the possibility to build, on the market of leased lines-terminal segments, their own facilities, for direct interconnection with other operators, in the space allotted for connection.

The draft Decision also imposes specifications regarding the interconnection tariffs for call origination from public pay telephone sets.

As S.C. Romtelecom S.A. had the obligation to modify and complete the RIO according to the ANRC President’s Decisions no.1379/2003 and 1384/2003, by March 1, 2004, and taking into account the negative consequences triggered by the unreasonable delay of this process on the electronic communications market, the draft decision is launched for public consultation under emergency procedure.

The document is available for public consultation on the website of ANRC. All interested persons are invited to send their comments until August 27, 2004. Comments and recommendations may be sent by mail to the ANRC headquarters at 14 Libertatii Blvd., Bucharest 5, or may be submitted directly to the ANRC registration office or at the territorial office of ANRC located in the nearest municipality. Comments may also be sent by fax at: +40 21 307 54 02 or by e-mail at: consultare@anrc.ro