Contact Information

Address:
bd. Ştefan cel Mare, 134 MD-2012, Chisinau Republic of Moldova

Reception:
of. 503
tel.:  +373 22 251 317
fax: +373 22 222 885
e-mail: office@anrceti.md

Information and Anti-Corruption
Hotline: 080080080

 

State Institutions from the Republic of Moldova

28 March, 2024

ANRCETI presented results of its activity in 2012 and priorities for 2013

In 2012, the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) took a number of specific steps to remedy the competition on the electronic communications market and stimulate investments in infrastructure, so that service consumers can perceive competition through respect for their rights and the possibility to take advantage of new technologies and services. This was the message that ANRCETI Director, Sergiu Sîtnic, delivered at today’s press conference, summing up ANRCETI’s activity in 2012 and emphasizing the priorities for 2013.

Sergiu Sitnic mentioned that ANRCETI performance in 2012 was focused on three main priorities:
(i) regulation of spectrum use for the development of public electronic communications services based on broadband wireless access and the issuance of two licenses for the provision of such services 4G);
(ii) conclusion of the legal procedures necessary for the implementation of number portability;
(iii) conclusion of the first cycle of identification and analysis of nine relevant markets, entailing imposition of specific ex-ante obligations on SMP providers, and initiating the second market analysis cycle.

ANRCETI Director declared that the issuance of the two licenses for the use of 2500 - 2690 MHz channels/frequencies to companies "Moldcell" and "Orange", for the provision of public electronic communications networks and services, based on wireless broadband access (4G) and the launch of those services in Chisinau last November is the main event of 2012 for the electronic communications sector of Moldova. "The new technologies significantly improve the quality of access to the global network and provide mobile Internet connection speed of up to 100 Mbps, which makes us believe that 4G services will be in ascending demand." Sitnic said that ANRCETI is planning to organize, in 2013, a contest to select the third owner of a 4G license, noting that the entry of a new 4G provider on the market will enhance competition and increase the accessibility of these services to more consumers.

With reference to the implementation of telephone number portability, Sergiu Sîtnic stressed out that ANRCETI is currently finalizing the normative framework for this exercise. In August 2012, as a result of an international tender, ANRCETI designated the Administrator of the Centralized Data Base (CDB) for number portability implementation, who is currently developing the Technical and Commercial conditions for this project, jointly with the mobile and fixed telephone providers. This document is to be approved by ANRCETI Administrative Board, and then the mobile providers and the CDB Administrator will start the testing of porting system in mobile networks. Sitnic also mentioned that, pursuant to ANRCETI Plan of Actions, the mobile portability service will be launched on May 1, 2013, emphasizing that after this event mobile number portability will become a reality for mobile users in Moldova.

As for the first cycle of market analysis (2010 - 2012) and the results, Sergiu Sitnic pointed out that it was for the first time that ANRCETI performed this work, Moldova being the first country in the CIS region to apply ex-ante regulation of electronic communications markets. As a result, ANRCETI identified the competition problems existing in nine markets, designated SMP providers and imposed special ex-ante obligations to prevent the use of SMP to the detriment of competition and end-users. „These regulatory measures aim to create equal conditions for the development of businesses on the markets, regardless of network size, customer base and market entry time, so that end users are provided with high quality services at competitive rates”. In this context, Sergiu Sitnic said that the second cycle relevant markets analysis, which is performed this year, ANRCETI will focus on verifications of how SMP providers fulfill their previously imposed obligations.  

In terms of priorities for 2013, Sergiu Sîtnic mentioned that ANRCETI will continue to create the necessary conditions for the implementation of wireless broadband services. For this purpose, ANRCETI is planning to organize two more tenders (auctions) this year: (i) one – the license for the use of a sub-band from the 3600 - 3800 MHz band, for public mobile wireless terrestrial broadband services: another (ii) – the license for the use of radio frequency/channels from the 2100 MHz in the provision of 3G cell mobile communications services. These actions are in line with the provisions of the Program for Spectrum Management for 2013 – 2020, approved by the Government on 06.02.2013.

According to this Program, in March 2013, ANRCETI will issue to company „Orange Moldova” a provisional 20-month license for the use of radio frequencies/channels from 900 MHz and 1800 MHz, for the provision of 2G GSM cell mobile telephone services. The license will be issued due to the expiry of the current one, held by this company for GSM mobile service provision. Sergiu Sîtnic explained this action by the need to synchronize the “Orange Moldova” ’s license expiry date with the one of company “Moldcell” ’s license, put in place equal competition conditions for the providers on this market, as well as conditions for technological neutrality. He specified that in 2013 ANRCETI will issue and approve, based on technological neutrality, new license conditions for the use of radio frequencies/channels from the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands, for mobile networks, whereas in 2014 will issue the corresponding licenses in a tender. 

Sergiu Sîtnic also said that this year, ANRCETI will adopt a number of modifications and amendments to the Regulation on Interconnection, Dispute Resolution Procedure in electronic communications, draft Regulation on Public Electronic Communications Service Provision, a document new on principle, publicly consulted in the autumn of 2012. He specified that the first two documents refer to the regulation of providers’ activity, the last one – to consumer protection. The Director mentioned that ANRCETI attaches particular importance to this Regulation, as it provides for a set of concrete actions intended to raise the providers’ responsibility for complying with the end users’ legal rights and interests.

Additional information on the activities of the regulatory authority in the past year can be found in the Report of ANRCETI for 2012, document published today on its website: www.anrceti.md.

Photo Gallery

February 11, 2013

Changed: 3/04/2013