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

On February 15, the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) launched public consultations on a new draft (.pdf) Administrative Board Decision - on counteracting the unauthorized termination of telephone traffic originated from abroad. The project provides a set of measures to be taken to combat this fraudulent practice. The public consultation will last through March 15, 2017, which is the deadline for submitting recommendations on the document.

The draft Decision was developed by ANRCETI pursuant to the provisions of Article 5 of the Law on Electronic Communications, which prohibits changing the phone calls origin and the unauthorized telephone traffic termination. In the Explanatory Note, the authors state that the unauthorized telephone traffic termination is a fraudulent practice, prevailing in mobile networks worldwide, including in our country, which is achieved by using devices like VoIP-GSM Gateway, generically SIMboxes. These devices allow simultaneous use of a large number of SIM cards (Subscriber Identity Module).

The use of SIMboxes affects the quality of services due to the overloading of base stations (cells), serving the mobile networks, by generating a high and disproportionate volume of outbound voice traffic in these networks. Thus, by unauthorized termination of telephone traffic, originated abroad, in mobile networks in our country, by using VoIP-GSM Gateway (SIM boxes), along with changing the call origin, it qualifies as a violation of the Law on Electronic Communications.

The draft Decision provides for a set of minimum measures to be taken by providers of public mobile networks and services, such as a) fast detection, by means of efficient methods (procedures, techniques based on advanced technologies), of VoIP-GSM Gateway (SIMboxs) and similar devices, connected to the network and used to carry out unauthorized telephone traffic termination; b) round-the-clock identification of MSISDN numbers used in VoIP-GSM Gateway (SIMbox) devices for unauthorized termination, the profiles and parameters of the telephone traffic from those numbers and of subscribers to whom these numbers were assigned (IMSI, IMEI, location information, etc.), c) thorough control of bulk trading of SIM cards by individuals (including by distributors), etc.

Interested stakeholders are invited to provide written comments and recommendations on the draft Decision under public consultation by post to ANRCETI address: 134 Stefan cel Mare blvd., Chisinau mun., MD-2012, by fax: 022-222-885 or by e-mail at: office@anrceti.md. Additional information about this project is available by calling: 022 251 320, 022 251 322.

Draft Decision versions: word:  pdf: 

February 15, 2017