The National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications (ANCOM) submits to public consultation the Terms of Reference for the comparative selection procedures for granting the licences for the use of radio frequencies in the digital terrestrial television system in view of operating the first two DVB-T multiplexes in Romania.
The first multiplex will ensure at least the broadcasting of the television public programmes provided by the Romanian Television Company, TVR1 and TVR2. The interested persons can submit offers for both selection procedures organised by ANCOM and can obtain both licences for the use of radio frequencies in digital terrestrial system.
In order to participate in the selection, the tenderers must fulfil a series of minimum participation criteria. Thus, the tenderer must be a Romanian or foreign legal person and his commercial activities must not be suspended or under insolvency or liquidation procedures. Moreover, the tenderer must not have any payment obligations towards ANCOM, must have paid all liabilities to the state budget, to the budgets of social insurance and special funds budget, as well as the taxes, contributions and other revenues and must have an average turnover of at least EUR 50 million for the last three years.
The offers will be assessed in terms of commercial feasibility, specialisation and experience (41 points), support of the switchover process (25 points), financial capacity (18 points) and technical feasibility and coverage (16 points).
The commercial feasibility, specialisation and experience will be scored in connection with the marketing and service promotion plan, the intention to provide EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) and interactive additional services, the commercial launch term, the uninterrupted seniority in operating public wireless digital electronic communications networks, the level of specialisation in the operation of public electronic communications networks for analogue television and DVB-T or the cumulated turnover from the provision of electronic communications services for the last three years. As per the commercial launch term, ANCOM will grant the maximum score for those tenderers intending to launch the services within less than 90 days from the date of gaining the licence.
20 of the 25 points allotted for supporting the switchover process will be granted exclusively to the tenderers that will offer a number of set-top boxes additionally to the 60,000 established by ANCOM.
The coverage with digital terrestrial television services will be made in four stages, in compliance with the following timeframes: 30 June 2011 – coverage of at least 60% of the population and 50% of the territory (first development stage), 31 December 2011 – at least 80% of the population and 70% of the territory (second stage), 30 June 2012 – at least 90% of the population and 80% of the territory (third stage) and 17 June 2015 – at least 95% of the population (fourth stage). For each stage, the tenderers will undertake a commitment on the number of transmitters installed, the list of implemented allocations, emphasising the covered localities, the share of the covered population and territory.
As soon as the consultation ends, ANCOM intends to put up for sale the Terms of Reference starting 1 July 2010, receive the offers until 19 August 2010 and designate the winner of the first multiplex on 20 September 2010 and, respectively, the winner of the second multiplex on 30 September 2010. The licences will be awarded for a 10-year period.
The draft Terms of References are available for consultation on the ANCOM website, here. The interested persons are invited to send their comments and suggestions, by 25.06.2010, at the ANCOM headquarters in 2 Delea Noua Street, Bucharest 3, directly to the Registry or by means of the Authority’s regional divisions. Comments and recommendations may also be sent by fax to +40 372 845 404 or by e-mail to consultare@ancom.org.ro.