Today, April 8, 2008, the National Regulatory Authority for Communications and Information Technology (ANRCTI) held the Consultative Council, during which the Position Paper on the Regulatory Strategy For the Romanian Electronic Communications Sector for 2007-2010, ANRCTI Action Plan for 2008 and the Decision on the allocation and use of national short number for harmonised services at European level were adopted. As well, ANRCTI presented the results of the national public consultation, which precedes the European consultation, the stage of the draft decisions on the identification of the relevant markets of fixed call termination, the designation of the providers with significant market power (SMPs) and the imposition of remedies on these markets.
“The regulatory framework in the electronic communications sector becomes more predictable and more transparent with the adoption of the strategy paper. The measures to be taken by ANRCTI during the next three years shall consider the objectives, the principles and the regulatory policies established by the strategy paper adopted today”, the President of ANRCTI declared during the meeting with the electronic communications industry.
The review of the relevant markets in the Romanian electronic communications sector, which aims to analyse the competitive environment and establish the required regulations, is closely connected to the elaboration of the regulatory strategy in the field. The first market submitted to analysis is that of fixed call termination on the public telephone networks. Within the Consultative Council, the Authority showed to the industry the results of the public consultation carried out at the beginning of this year. Following the public consultation, as well as based on the market data available at end-2007, ANRCTI added to the list of SMPs in the markets of fixed call termination on the public fixed telephone networks 6 more providers and eliminated one, and consequently proposed to designate 38 SMPs. By this regulatory initiative, ANRCTI envisages to review the interconnection regime with two largest fixed telephony operators, Romtelecom and RCS & RDS, and to impose, for the first time, obligations on the interconnection regime with other 36 operators.
In April, ANRCTI shall notify the European Commission and the other similar regulatory authorities from the Member States on the measures proposed for these markets. These may send their comments and remarks within a month from the notification date. When adopting the measure proposed, ANRCTI is obliged to take into account the comments and remarks received.
Furthermore, during today’s Consultative Council, ANRCTI presented the final version of the decision on the allocation and use of the national short numbers (116(xyz) – short numbers for social harmonised services and 118(xyz) – short numbers for directory enquiry services) for harmonised services at European level.
After the entry into force of the second decision, 3 short numbers for social harmonised services shall be available for allocation: 116000 – emergency telephone line for missing children, available 24/24; 116111 – support telephone lines for children; 116123 – emotional support telephone lines – dedicated to persons dealing with personal difficulties and needing moral support or to persons intending to commit suicide. Moreover, the 118(xyz) numbers, used at European level for the directory enquiry services, may be allotted.