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

Today, January 10th, David Rogerson, Director of British Company „Incyte Consulting” and consultant of the technical assistance project „Communications Regulatory Development” delivered to the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) starts his 5-day working visit to ANRCETI to review current economic issues pertaining to the electronic communications market regulation.

The Agenda of the British expert’s visit to Chisinau includes the analysis of models for calculation of costs for interconnection services, stages of relevant market analysis, of the reference interconnection offer of JSC „Moldtelecom”, and the draft review of the Interconnection Regulations. These are the current issues the Agency specialists, involved in developing competition promotion mechanisms, are dealing with.

Thus, in December 2010 ANRCETI issued a series of decisions, imposing on 18 providers designated as having significant market power on the markets for voice call termination on individual fixed and mobile networks the obligation to gradually reduce the tariffs for call termination services, making them cost-oriented. Those costs are going to be calculated according to the corresponding calculation models, due to be developed and approved by the Agency.

The reduction of tariffs for voice call termination on fixed and mobile networks will cause an impetus of competition on retail mobile, fixed and broadband markets, a factor leading to long-term benefits for the end-users of these services.

The technical assistance project „Communications Regulatory Development” is implemented by company Great Village International Consultants (GVIC) in consortium with Incyte Consulting and other three companies with the financial support of the European Bank for reconstruction and Development. The project was launched in October 2009 and will be over in October 2011. It is aimed at providing assistance to ANRCETI in the implementation of the Law on Electronic Communications and harmonization of the national regulatory practices with the EU standards and norms. The value is estimated at 898,3 thousand euro.

The following mission of project consultants to ANRCETI is scheduled for February 7-11, 2011.

January 10, 2011