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) required that mobile operators take due steps to ensure, in the first quarter of next year, radio signal coverage on shadowed areas on national roads, such as Chisinau – Leuseni, Chisinau – Bender, Chisinau – Balţi, Balti - Cernauti and adjacent localities, and by the end of 2011 – the uncovered areas on other nine roads of major importance for the country.

The requirement was discussed on Wednesday, July 21, at the session the working group recently established by the Agency to ensure the coverage of the entire country's territory and population with mobile signal. The group consists of representatives of the Agency, Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, National Radio Frequency Centre (CNFR), the mobile phone companies Orange Moldova, Moldcell and Moldtelecom.

After discussing the technical and financial aspects of the problem above, it was decided that operators will submit, within one week’s time, action plans for radio signal coverage of uncovered areas on four national roads. These areas are to be identified by operators as a result of comparative analysis of their measurements and the test results of their test results of CNFR. In case of inconsistencies in the measurements data, the operators and CNFR will make repeated measurements of the radio signal coverage of the four roads.

The working group also examined the ways to improve mobile radio signal in border areas of R. Moldova. Representatives of mobile phone companies referred to a number of impediments in this regard, including difficult and lengthy procedure for obtaining permits to install masts for base stations, the necessary to improve the legal framework to simplify the process of deploying telecommunications equipment in border areas , etc.. Operators requested the intervention of state authorities to resolve problems as soon as possible.

The license conditions, previously issued to mobile operators, bind them to ensure minimum levels of territory and population coverage with radio signal at 60-85%. Tests carried out by the Agency jointly with CNFR show that operators have exceeded these indicators. However, on some national roads still there are uncovered areas, - the so-called shadowed areas

Currently three mobile companies are operating on the market. Company Orange Moldova launched its mobile network in October 1998, Moldcell - in April 2000, and Moldtelecom under the trademark „Unite” - in March 2007. The fourth operator - Eventis Mobile - is in the process of insolvency. At the request of the insolvency administrator, ANRCETI temporarily suspended the license held by this last operator

July 22, 2010