Yesterday, May 26, 2004, the National Regulatory Authority for Communications launched for public consultation the draft Decision on the conditions and procedure for the designation of the universal service provider in the field of electronic communications. This decision comprises the first set of measures to be undertaken by ANRC in order to implement the universal service mechanisms.
The right of access to universal service represents the right of all the users, irrespective of their geographic location, to have access to a minimum set of services, at a certain level of quality and accessible tariffs. Access to these basic services constitutes a fundamental factor for the economic development of communities as well as for achieving personal success, considering that the information society is an increasing presence in the day-to-day reality. Promoting universal service has become one of the major policies of the European Union and, also, an obligation pertaining to the member states as well as to the candidate countries.
According to the document submitted yesterday to public consultation, ANRC will designate a group of universal service providers empowered to ensure users’ access to public telephony networks at fixed locations and at accessible tariffs, by means of telecentres installed. The designated universal service providers will also install public payphones serving isolated communities.
Telecentres are locations where access to a public communications network is provided to a certain community, allowing its members to benefit from telephony and Internet access services. These telecentres must observe certain minimum requirements as regards the endowment with electronic communications equipments.
The universal service providers having the obligation to make available telecentres and public payphones will be designated based on a public tender that will observe the principles of full competition, transparency, non-discrimination, competition as well as the principle of technological neutrality.
ANRC will also designate as universal service providers, ex officio, all the operators who provide services of access to public fixed telephony networks or to public mobile telephony networks. Therefore, the subsidies and facilities destined for the most disadvantaged categories of users for the purpose of ensuring the right of access to universal service can be granted to all the eligible users, irrespective of the telephony network they use.
The draft Decision of the President of the National Regulatory Authority for Communications on the conditions and procedure for the designation of the universal service provider in the field of electronic communications is available for consultation on the website of ANRC. All interested persons are invited to send their comments until June 7, 2004. Comments and recommendations may be sent by mail to the ANRC headquarters on 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.