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

Last year, 123 applicants obtained the right to provide electronic communications networks and/or services, based on the general authorization regime currently applied by the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI). So, the total number of market players, entered by ANRCETI in the Public Registry of Providers before December 31, 2011, reached 713.

52 of the 123 persons authorized last year – are new market entrants and 71 – experienced „players” acting on the market on basis of licenses per activities in telecommunications and informatics, issued before 2008, under the Law on Telecommunications, who subsequently renounced them in favor of general authorization regime, thus keeping their right to perform on the market.

Generally, in 2008 - 2011, 276 holders of „old” licenses acted similarly. Currently, 253 more persons are holders of those licenses. Upon expiry of their license validity (5 years), their holders will have to get their authorization, as required.

The majority of the 123 persons authorized by the Agency in 2011 – (102) – applied for the right to provide both networks and services, whereas 13 persons notified the Agency about their intention to provide only networks, 8 – only public electronic communications services. Such services as audiovisual program retransmission and Internet access enjoyed highest demand.

As compared to 2010, in 2011 the number of authorized persons registered in the single Public Registry of Providers reduced by 46 or by 27,2%, due to the phenomenon of saturation on some of the market segments and due to the increase of the number of persons requesting their deletion from the Registry.

According to the Law on Electronic Communications, ANRCETI has applied the general authorization since September 2008, which means that a legal or natural person, intending to provide electronic communications networks and/or services, has to lodge a notification with the Agency and then launch the operation. The Agency, in maximum 7 days from the date the notification was submitted, provides the applicant with the general authorization conditions which prescribe the provider’s right and obligations and an informative declaration to confirm notification receipt and his being registered in the Public Registry of Electronic Communications Providers. The general authorization procedure is free of charge, the right to provide networks and services being granted for an unlimited timeframe.

January 17, 2012