15.01.2009
“Today, we have reached an agreement with the electronic communications industry on a new set of measures on the implementation of universal service in Romania and on the first regulations in the broadcasting market”, the ANC President, Mr. Liviu Nistoran, declared after the first 2009 meeting of the Consultative Council.
Following the public consultation on the documentation in view of designating the universal service providers who are to make available for the end-users a directory enquiry service and a directory of all the telephony providers’ subscribers, ANC decided to organise two separate tender procedures simultaneously. Thus, the operators will be able to submit offers either for the provision of the directory enquiry service, or for the provision of subscriber directories, while having the possibility to be designated for the provision of both services, based on the most advantageous offer.
The universal service providers designated following the tender will have the obligation to create and manage complete databases, which should include the fax and telephone number as well as certain identification data of all the subscribers to publicly available telephone services in Romania who agree to make available their fax and telephone numbers in the subscriber directory (including prepaid card users). This database will be made available to the end-users by means of a directory enquiry service and of a subscriber directory, at the latest on the 31st of October 2009.
“The Terms of Reference will be available for purchase by the end of February and we intend to evaluate the offers and to designate the universal service providers during March. The subscriber directory and the directory enquiry service will be launched no later than 31 October 2009”, the ANC President, Mr. Liviu Nistoran, added.
During this meeting with the communications industry, ANC also concluded the national consultation on the regulations for terrestrial broadcasting of public audio-visual programmes. Thus, The National Radiocommunications Company (SNR) will be designated as an operator with significant power on the relevant markets of analogue terrestrial broadcasting of public audio and TV programmes and will be imposed tariff control obligations.
ANC will impose on SNR the tariff control obligation, as well as the cost-orientation obligation. Therefore, ANC will launch for consultation and adopt a regulation regarding the elaboration of the costing model. Within one year from the adoption of this regulation, SNR is to develop and implement this model. Until the implementation of the costing model, SNR has the right to increase the tariffs for the regulated services, no more than one time and only upon the prior agreement of ANC.
ANC is to send the regulatory measures for the broadcasting market to the European Commission and to the national regulators of the other EU Member States, that may send ANC comments and suggestions within one month from the notification date. ANC is bound to take into account the received comments and suggestions in the adoption of the proposed measure.