The National Regulatory Authority for Communications (ANRC) has settled the dispute filed by Intersat against RCS & RDS. Intersat had requested ANRC to compel RCS & RDS to negotiate and conclude an interconnection agreement. The Authority was also requested to establish the technical solution for interconnection, as well as the tariffs for the services of call termination on the two networks.
In order to allow its own users to communicate with those of RCS & RDS, Intersat had initiated negotiations for concluding an interconnection agreement with the former company’s network. As RCS & RDS did not answer Intersat’s request, the latter addressed ANRC for mediation and settlement of the dispute.
In order to determine the most efficient technical solution for interconnection, ANRC compared the costs estimated for the interconnection solutions proposed by the two parties, respectively for direct interconnection between the two operators’ networks and for indirect interconnection through the transit service offered by Romtelecom. Considering – among other things – the fact that both parties already had interconnection agreements with Romtelecom, ANRC found that, up to a certain volume of interconnection traffic, the solution of indirect interconnection through the network of Romtelecom is the most efficient.
Furthermore, based on the two providers’ proposals, ANRC established the interconnection tariff for the purpose of call termination in the RCS & RDS network at the level of 2 Euro cents/minute, excluding VAT. As regards the tariff to be paid by RCS & RDS for call termination on Intersat’s network, ANRC applied the reciprocation principle, thus imposing a level of 2 Euro cents/minute.
The ANRC decision provides a maximum term of 20 days for negotiating and concluding the interconnection agreement between the two companies.
„Ensuring the communication between the subscribers of different networks is an important goal of communications regulation and the regulatory authority has the role of establishing the interconnection terms when the negotiations between the two parties fail. ANRC will always take, without hesitation, all the measures required by the achievement of this purpose, both within its regulatory agenda, as well as during the dispute settlement activity,” the ANRC Vicepresident, Ms. Alexandrina Hirtan declared.
Decision no. 2302/2006 on settling the dispute between Intersat and RCS & RDS is available here on the ANRC website, in the section containing the Decisions for the settlement of the disputes brought in front of ANRC.