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) reduced the number of quality parameters for electronic communications services, obligatorily measured and published by providers in commercial offices and on their Internet pages and the number of types of services covered by this obligation. The decision was taken by ANRCETI Administrative Board in a public session last week, in which Board Decision 278 of 17.11.2009, establishing quality parameters for electronic communications services, was revised. The Decision will become effective upon publication in the Official Gazette.

Until now, providers were required to quarterly measure the quality parameters for seven services: fixed and mobile telephony, Internet access, TV services, electronic communications service provided via IP protocol networks, services provided via ISDN and leased lines services. Considering the developments and trends in the electronic communications market, in particular technological convergence, ANRCETI decided to merge the indicators for fixed telephony with those for IP-based services and the withdrawal of the obligations for measuring quality parameters of ISDN and leased line services. Following this, the number of services for which quality parameters are measured, has been reduced to four services: fixed telephony, Internet access, mobile telephony and television service.

The reason for the withdrawal of the obligation to measure and publish the quality parameters of the services mentioned above, as ANRCETI invoked, was that the service provided on ISDN network is of lower demand by users, while the leased lines service is intended for large providers and companies, with high degree of competence, which provide for quality parameters in the service provision contracts.

After merging the indicators for fixed telephony and IP-based services, fixed telephony service providers will have to measure only 10 quality parameters, six of which – of administrative nature and four – that characterizes only VoIP technology. The document approved by ANRCETI also contains a model of measurement and calculation of quality of service parameters, which is aimed at helping providers to fulfill this requirement.

Under the law, ANRCETI established the service quality parameters for electronic communications that must be measured, the content, form and manner in which the information on quality of services will be published, in order to ensure that the users receive comprehensive, comparable and easily accessible information. According to ANRCETI regulations, providers are required to measure and publish information about the quality of services on quarterly basis, before the 30^th of the month following the quarter and submit the information to ANRCETI 10 days prior to publication. This information is available on ANRCETI official website, Quality of Service section.

November 17, 2015