”A greater uptake of the e-Government applications requires the fulfilment of several conditions simultaneously, among which: first, the broadband communications networks, and second, the implementation of both front end and back office applications, as well as of complex security mechanisms. ANCOM takes all necessary steps to ensure the fulfilment of the first condition – access to broadband networks. This should be further supported by the development of really useful and necessary applications, which the citizens could access through these networks”, declared Mr. Catalin Marinescu, the President of ANCOM, in the opening of the Romanian e-Government Forum, this morning.
The President of ANCOM showed that the preliminary data collected by the Authority from the providers of electronic communications services reveal a growth by 12.4% in the number of fixed broadband connections at the end of 2009, compared to the same period of 2008, from 2.5 to 2.8 million connections. These preliminary data indicate a penetration rate, in this segment, of 13.1% at population level and of 34.2% at household level, at the end of last year. Moreover, in the segment of active mobile broadband connections, a real upsurge by approximately 65% occurred, from 1.5 million at the end of 2008, to 2.5 million connections at the end of 2009.
Furthermore, the President of ANCOM mentioned that the Authority will complete, this month, a national survey with a view to identifying the ”white spots”, which are not covered by broadband services, via any broadband technologies. As well, ANCOM launched a public consultation aimed at revealing the opinions of the users and of the communications industry regarding the implementation of Universal Service in the Romanian electronic communications sector. Thus, the Questionnaire published on the Authority’s website contains items on including broadband Internet access in the scope of Universal Service.