Once with the launch of the telecentre in Costesti village, town of Fieni, Dambovita county, the National Regulatory Authority for Communications and Information Technology (ANRCTI) marks the 143rd operational telecentre. The Vice-President of ANRCTI, Codruta Meran, the representative of Orange Romania, Liviu Turcu, and the inhabitants of Costesti have tested together the telephone and Internet access services offered by the telecentre installed by Orange Romania in this community – an isolated one from telephony access viewpoint.
The telecentre of Costesti is part of the national programme for installation of telecentres in villages with limited access or without access to telephony services, initiated by ANRCTI in 2004. So far, ANRCTI has organised 5 tenders for the installation of telecentres in 331 localities.
“The telecentre should become a centre of knowledge, a place where both young and old people can find means to communicate and get informed, so necessary today, whether they live in the rural or the urban area. During this visit to the telecentre of Costesti, ANRCTI launches the pilot project “Open Gates Days”, which consists of establishing certain days when specialists in various fields of interest for the community – such as legal or economic – are invited to the telecentre and answer to people’s questions”, declared Codruta Meran, Vice-President of ANRCTI.
“This is the fifth telecentre Orange installed in Dambovita county. With its help, 2000 inhabitants have now access to Internet and to other technologies which enable them to find information, learn or communicate. By means of the telecentre, local economic opportunities may be promoted, people may access programmes such as long distance education, medical information, or social development, thus contributing to the reduction of isolation and of the gaps existing in the disfavoured areas”, declared Liviu Turcu – Project Manager, Orange Romania.
The telecentre is a public space equipped with at least two telephones, two computers, a fax and a UPS device. Thus, the approximate 800 inhabitants of Costesti will be able to initiate and receive local, national and international calls, including calls to mobile telephony networks. Furthermore, they will be able to call the emergency number – 112 – and have access to Internet and fax. Until now, Costesti has had only one fixed telephone.
The telecentres are installed in villages without access to communications and they are public spaces within which villages can initiate or receive calls and faxes and can use computers connected to the Internet. Their installation is part of the national programme for Universal Service implementation. After its completion, inhabitants from over 600 isolated communities of the rural areas will have access to telephony and Internet services.