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) for the first time, issued to telecommunications companies JSC "Moldcell" and JSC „Orange Moldova”, at their request, two licenses for the use of radio 2500-2690 MHz frequencies/channels for the provision of public electronic communications networks and services with radio broadband access, conventionally called 4G services.

The first license was handed in on Thursday, November 8, to General Director of JSC "Moldcell", Mehmet Barkin Secen, the second license – on Friday, November 9, to General Director of JSC „Orange Moldova”, Ludmila Climoc, by ANRCETI Director, Sergiu Sîtnic.

The two companies were granted the licenses after they transferred to the state budget the 10 million euro license fee, in lei, which was set by Government Decree (doc. in state language) no.365 of 06.06.2012 on development of public electronic communications networks and services with radio access. In this decree, the Government recommended that ANRCETI issue, by the end of 2012, licenses for the use of three radio frequencies sub-bands of 2x20 MHz from 2500-2690 MHz frequency band through direct allocation to the providers who already have networks in place, are authorized and providing public mobile networks and services in the Republic of Moldova.

At the end of September, 2012, ANRCETI delivered to the mobile telephony companies (JSC „Orange Moldova”, JSC „Moldcell” and JSC „Moldtelecom”) a call for applications for 4G licenses. If the three sub-bands of radio frequencies mentioned above are not applied for by 31.12.2012 or additional radio frequencies/channels are requested from the 2500-2690 MHz frequency bands, those will be assigned by ANRCETI under a contest.

The licenses obtained by JSC "Moldcell" and JSC „Orange Moldova” attest their rights to use one sub-band each from the 2500-2690 MHz frequency band for the provision of public terrestrial cell mobile electronic communications services with broadband radio access, based on IMT-2000/UMTS (WCDMA) and/or LTE and/or IMT-Advanced technologies.

According to the license conditions, JSC "Moldcell" and JSC „Orange Moldova” are bound to ensure the provision of the minimum set of 4G services (data transmission, including mobile Internet access) and launch these services no later than one year after the license is issued. These companies are also required to ensure, through their own 4G networks, by December 31, 2015, at least 25% of populated areas of Moldova with 4G services.

4G services are broadband radio access services based on IMT (International Mobile Telecommunications) and/or LTE (Long Term Evolution) and/or IMT-Advanced (International Mobile Telecommunications) technology standards. They provide up to 100 Mbps speed for mobile Internet connection, which is several times higher than the 3G ones. These technologies considerably improve the quality of mobile Internet access and facilitate the interactivity, the data transmission capacity, the organization of video conferences through mobile Internet, the use of other mobile applications.

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November 9, 2012