Tuesday, August 27, 2003 ANRC launched the public consultation for the Draft Decision on the Ammendment of and Addition to the ANRC President’s Decision no.147/2002 on the Principles and Prerequisites of the Reference Offer for Interconnection with the Public Fixed Telephony Network
The provisions completing the Decision nr. 147/2003 regulate the conditions under which the subscribers of S.C. Romtelecom S.A. shall have the possibility to access the intelligent network services offered by the authorized telephony services providers (as well as the ISPs providing dial-up services), but also the conditions under which the users of other operator’s networks shall be able to access the intelligent network services provided by Romtelecom. This constitutes an important step ahead towards the full interconnectivity between the Romanian electronic communications networks.
The project submitted to public consultation today sets those conditions for the interconnection with the public network of S.C. „Romtelecom” – S.A. that will create the possibility for other operators to provide telephony services (international calls) by the means of prepaid cards. Another thing intended was facilitating the access to call free number services and premium rate services, as well as insuring the interconnection required by the dial-up Internet access service. S.C. „Romtelecom” – S.A. will thus have the obligation to grant its users access to the intelligent network services provided by different operators, by implementing the interface between its subscribers and the intelligent network services provided by different operators, and simultaneously, to grant other operator’s users access to its own intelligent network services, in rule governed conditions.
The issuing of this draft decision was imposed by the fact that interconnection for the access to intelligent network services provided by a different operator supposes several peculiarities. More specifically, the operator terminating the call and using its intelligent platform is the one that provides the added value to that service. The procedures for transfer charges and billing set up by the present ANRC draft decision aim at stimulating investment in intelligent network facilities and increasing the number of users that can access this type of services, regardless the network they are connected at. The billing towards the final user will be provided by the operator where the call originates.
Call free number provide all final users (callers), subscribers of Romtelecom or any other operator, the possibility to call free of charge 08 00 xxx xxx form numbers, the call being routed by the operator having the intelligent platform and providing the call free number services (Romtelecom or any other operator) to the destination specified by the company that was granted that call free number (service beneficiary), destination where the final user can listen to a recorded message or where his call can be routed to a geographical number specified by the company.
Shared-cost services are intelligent network services that offer users the possibility to call a national non-geographical number, the call being routed to the specified destination, national or international. The costs of the shared-cost are split between the final user (connected to a different operator network) and the service beneficiary (connected to a different interconnected operator).
One particular case of shared-cost service is the prepaid card service for international or long distance calls. The service beneficiary is identical here to the interconnected user and the call costs for the final user – intelligent platform segment are directly paid by the final user or by the interconnected operator, and have to be later recovered form the sale price of the prepaid card, or is shared between the two according to the commercial policy of the interconnected operator.
The premium rate services are services implying an additional fee for the calling final user (who pays both for the local or long distance call and the provided service). In the category of premium rate services are included: weather forecast, stock exchange information, horoscope, sports news, adult entertainment, career counseling, medical advice and so forth. The final users can access these services by calling a 0900 xxx xxx form national number.
Following the entry into force of the decision, „Romtelecom” – S.A. will have to modify its RIO until the 1st of November 2003, facilitating this way the access to its own intelligent network services to the operators willing to offer the final user the above mentioned services, as well as the access of its own users to the intelligent network services provided by different operators.
The consultation for the Draft Decision on the Ammendment of And Completions to the ANRC President’s Decision no.147/2002 on the Principles and Prerequisites of the Reference Offer for Interconnection with the Public Fixed Telephony Network ends on 1st of October 2003.
We remind all those interested that can send their comments and remarks on at consultare@anrc.ro or at fax no. +40 21 30 75 402. The explanatory memorandum and the draft decison are available for consultation on ANRC Internet page.