Four providers of electronic communications services won the tender for the installation of telecentres in 172 localities of the rural area, with limited or without access to telephone and Internet services. The winners of this last tender organised by ANRCTI are as follows: AccessNet International, Rartel, National Radiocommunications Company and Vodafone Romania.
AccessNet International shall install 150 telecentres in 31 counties, Rartel – 19 telecentres in 14 counties, the National Radiocommunications Company – one telecentre, whereas Vodafone Romania was designated to install two telecentres.
The list with the localities where the four universal service providers shall install telecentres is available for consultation here, on the ANRCTI website.
The 172 telecentres will be installed as soon as the contracts for the installation of telecentres concluded between the three parties – the tender’s winners, the respective localities’ local public administration authorities and ANRCTI – shall be concluded. Within 15 days from the conclusion of the contracts, the mayoralties of the localities have the obligation to make available for the winning companies the space necessary for the telecentre’s functioning. The providers shall be obliged to install the telecentres and start the service provision within the term specified in the winning offers. The maximum term provided is 120 days from the date the space was made available.
The net cost of the installation of these 172 telecentres amounts to RON 7,568,516.30, to be compensated from the special universal service fund managed by ANRCTI. On average, the total cost of the installed equipments and of the maintenance of one telecentre for 3 years, as established by the tender, amounts to RON 44,003 (approximately EUR 12,000). The cost related to the installation of the access links are different for each locality, depending on the technology used and the distance to the closest point of the winning provider’s network.
So far, ANRCTI has organised tenders for the installation of telecentres in 633 localities. 350 telecentres are already functional. Following the 7 tenders organized between 2004 and 2008, seven operators were designated as universal service providers and installed or shall install telecentres: AccessNet International – 150 telecentres, Euroweb – one telecentre, Orange Romania – 95 telecentres, Rartel – 81 telecentres, Romtelecom – 9 telecentres, National Radiocommunications Company – 199 telecentres and Vodafone Romania – 98 telecentres.
The telecentres are the key to the problems of access to the communications services in the isolated communities. Each telecentre is equipped with at least two telephones, two computers linked to the Internet and a fax. The whole community may use the services offered by the telecentre, at affordable tariffs. The telecentres are the outpost of the communications infrastructure that facilitates the deployment of the networks to the individual households.