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 – www.anrceti.md) has placed on its Web page, for public consultations, the draft (doc. in state language) Administrative Board Decision on approving the Program for Development of ANRCETI Regulatory Documents for 2012. The consultations will last through January 16, 2012 – this being the deadline for recommendations and proposals.

The Program was developed ob basis of section 17 and 18 of the Regulations on procedures for ensuring the transparency in the decision-making process, approved by Government Decree no. 96 of 16.02.2010, and is intended to facilitate the access of interested parties to the information about ANRCETI’s initiatives in terms of development of new regulatory documents in 2012.

According to the document, in the first semester of 2012, the Agency intends to complete the analysis of the last two markets from the list of 10 identified markets, then defined as susceptible to ex-ante regulation - market 10 (physical access to facilities associated to electronic communications networks) and adopt the appropriate decisions, as well as impose special ex-ante obligations on JSC „Moldtelecom” as a provider with significant market power on market 1 (market for end-user’s access to the public telephone network at fixed locations). Also for this timeframe, the Agency plans to start the second round of market analysis for 4 relevant markets (Markets 3, 4, 5 and 7).

One of the most important exercises for the Agency in 2012 is to complete the process of adopting the regulatory documents on telephone number portability. In the first quarter, ANRCETI plans to approve the Terms of Reference for the tender to be held in order to select the administrator of the centralized data base for number portability implementation, the Procedure for organizing and conducting the tender to select the centralized data base administrator for number portability implementation in the Republic of Moldova and the Technical/Commercial Conditions for number portability implementation. The Agency will also make due amendments to the Procedure for numbering resources administration, in compliance with the amendments operated in the National Numbering Plan, and will adopt the decision to make the national short numbers (116xxx format) available to be assigned for services of social character.

In terms of end-users’ rights protection, the Agency intends to define quality indicators for the provision of audio-visual program services and make modifications in its previous Decision on quality indicators for the provision of Internet access services.

The Program specifies that when the Government adopts the policy documents in the field of electronic communications, the Agency will proceed to the development of a number of special regulations for the purpose of implementing access technologies in 3600-3800MHz and 2500-2690MHz frequency bands, terrestrial digital television, single national system for emergency calls and universal service.

The Statement of Reasons (doc. in state language) for the draft Program mentions that the implementation of the measures proposed by ANRCETI will lead to the increase of competition for the benefit of end users and will guarantee an environment for providers, in which they will be able to adapt their business models to the new reality.

Stakeholders are invited to send recommendations and comments on the draft document, in written form, by post to ANRCETI (134 Stefan cel Mare bd, MD-2012, Chisinau), by fax: (0 22) 222-885 and/or e-mail to: office@anrceti.md. Tel.: 251-346.

January 4, 2012