In compliance with the principle of fostering a transparent and predictable regulatory framework, the National Regulatory Authority for Communications (ANRC) released today the 2006 Action Plan for consultation with the public and the profile industry. This year, the Authority is to commit its efforts to promoting competition and the end-users’ interest in the sector of electronic communications and postal services, to improving dialogue with the industry and the consumers. Furthermore, ANRC envisages organising, in 2006, a series of public consultation sessions in order to adopt, in the fourth quarter, a Regulatory Strategy Document for the electronic communications sector during 2007-2010.
In the first half of 2006, the ANRC efforts for promoting competition will materialise in the regulation of cost-oriented tariffs for call termination in the mobile public networks of Mobifon and Orange Romania, defining the regulatory framework for number portability, establishing a mechanism of control for the retail tariffs of Romtelecom and reviewing the Reference Unbundling Offer (RUO).
Another priority for 2006 is reviewing the Reference Interconnection Offer (RIO) and monitoring the implementation of the carrier pre-selection procedure, a facility through which a Romtelecom subscriber may choose that all or certain types of calls should be transported to the destination by another service provider. These measures, together with the cost-orientation of the interconnection tariffs with the Romtelecom networks imposed in 2005, will have a major impact in stimulating competition in the fixed telephony sector.
ANRC will continue the implementation of Universal Service and will take specific steps in view of informing the users and stimulating their awareness of the multiple choices in the communications market. The Authority will monitor the installation of more than 100 telecentres for which tenders were launched in 2005 and will launch new tenders for the installation of telecentres in 200 other eligible localities. As well, ANRC will organise a pilot-tender for the installation of public pay telephones in the localities with low penetration of communications services.
Moreover, in 2006, ANRC will prioritise the adoption of a regulation on the information-related obligations of the providers of electronic communications networks and services, as well as the creation of a website dedicated to informing the users on the market offer (including on the tariffs for roaming services). The communication and information regime initiated by ANRC will be further confirmed by the “ANRC Caravan”, consisting of 4 regional meetings with the communications industry throughout the country. ANRC will elaborate and distribute a new edition of the “Providers’ Guide”, a brochure presenting the rights and obligations of the providers of electronic communications and postal services.
2006 is the year of enhancing the dialogue between ANRC and the associations of providers and consumers, which should result in updating the Authority’s regulatory agenda in the context of their problems and priorities, as well as in stimulating the associative initiative of the users of electronic communications and postal services.
The draft ANRC Action Plan for 2006 is available on the ANRC website. All interested persons are invited to send their comments and suggestions by February 3rd, 2006. Comments and suggestions may be submitted by mail to the ANRC headquarters (14 Libertatii Blvd., Sector 5, Bucharest) or directly to the ANRC registration office or to the closest territorial office of ANRC. Comments may be sent also by fax to +40 21 307 54 02 or by e-mail to consultare@anrc.ro.