National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology of the Republic of Moldova

The National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) will auction a license for the use of frequency sub-band 3750 - 3800 MHz in the provision of public radio access broadband electronic communications networks and services. The auction will be conducted by ANRCETI, in the timeframes and according to the criteria as set forth in Administrative Board Decisions on approving the Procedure (doc. in state language) for conducting and holding the auction, the Terms of Reference (doc. in state language) for the auction and the Special Conditions (doc. in state language) for this type of license for the use of radio frequencies/channels from 3600 - 3800 MHz frequency band.

These decisions were approved on November 29, in a public session of ANRCETI Administrative Board, coming into force on the same date and being published on ANRCETI Internet page.

These decisions were approved pursuant to the Law on Electronic Communications and according to Government Decree (doc. in state language) no. 365, 06.06.2012 on development of public radio access broadband electronic communications networks and services, which recommended that ANRCETI auction the license for the use of a 50 MHz sub-band from the 3600 - 3800 MHz frequency band. The license fee will be determined following the auction, the starting minimal bid being 1 million euro.

The license will be granted to the winner for a 15 year timeframe. According to the license conditions, the license holder must ensure the provision of the minimal set of public data transmission services and launch them before one year expires after the license was issued. Also, the license holder, who on the license issuance date provides public cell mobile networks, based on GSM, CDMA2000 and/or IMT-2000/UMTS (WCDMA), IMT-Advanced technologies, must ensure, by means of his individual broadband radio access network, within 18 months as of the license issuance, the coverage of at least 30% of the territory of Moldova. The license holder who does not provide such networks, shall ensure the same territory coverage within 36 months after the license issuance date.  

The license holder will be selected in an open competition, by applying the comparative selection procedure, on basis of the criteria laid down in the Terms of Reference. ANRCETI will launch the auction invitation on 10.12.2012. Legal persons from the Republic of Moldova, foreign legal entities, civil societies/associations of legal persons from the Republic of Moldova and/or from abroad will be invited to participate. In order to conduct the auction, ANRCETI will appoint a Commission consisting of ANRCETI specialists and representatives of the Ministries of the Economy, Information and Communication Technology. It will examine the files submitted by candidates, take decisions on qualification for participation in the auction and present the results to ANRCETI Administrative Board for approval.

ANRCETI specialists consider that the issuance of this license will help attract investments in the development of new Internet access technologies and will stimulate competition on the market for public broadband Internet services, especially services provided in rural areas. As a rule, the 3600 - 3800 MHz spectrum is used for WiMax technology (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), which provides quick access to the Internet via radio waves to long distances.

December 3, 2012