With a view to providing for the implementation of universal service in the electronic communications sector by means of telecentres, ANRC has initiated an information campaign for the local authorities in the localities deprived of telephone connections, and has required these authorities to quote their would-be participation in the implementation of universal service.
This information campaign is meant to render the local authorities aware of the benefits of installing a telecentre in the localities deprived of telephone connections, as well as to assess the alternatives the local authorities have for participating in the telecentre management: ensure the location required for the operation and maintenance of the telecentre, cover the operational and personnel costs, and/or ensure the equipment security. For the success of this campaign, the information materials sent by ANRC to the local authorities will be followed, in the next weeks, by local meetings between the territorial representatives of ANRC and the representatives of the Mayor Houses in the communes identified as eligible.
The eligible localities are those localities where the publicly available telephone services are scarce or not available. The mayors of the respective localities shall fill in a Commitment in the format proposed by ANRC and send it, by June 30, 2005, to the Territorial Office of the authority where their locality belongs, so that all the citizens could have access to communications services. These Commitments certify the mayoralties’ obligation to participate in the telecentre management, for free or for a charge.
Due to the limited financial resources and taking into account the large number of eligible localities identified, the installation of telecentres shall be initiated in the localities whose local authorities intend to contribute to the development of these projects by means of ensuring the management of the respective telecentres,. Thus, upon consolidating the Commitments signed by the local authorities, ANRC will rank the eligible localities based on a key criterion: the value of the local authorities’ free contribution, thus establishing the localities for which tenders will be organised this year, with a view to installing telecentres.
During the information campaign, the ANRC representatives will be permanently available for the local authorities, explaining the process of implementing universal service, as well as the local authorities’ involvement options. For further details, the representatives of the interested mayoralties may address the ANRC Territorial Office in the capital city of their county.
In its efforts of implementing universal service by means of telecentres, ANRC is assisted by the association of Romanian communes, whose representatives participated in a series of meetings with ANRC approaching the issue of universal service. They acknowledged the rural citizens’ need for access to information and offered their support for this initiative.
ANRC submitted to public consultation the project of the new methodology for the implementation of universal service and will establish the rules of organising tenders for the installation of telecentres, upon processing the suggestions and comments received from the industry.
What are the stages of implementing universal service?