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

Starting September 1, 2011, the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI – www.anrceti.md) issues, upon requests from public fixed telephone networks/service providers, licenses for the use of new national short 5-digit numbers of „14xxx” format, (where x=0…9). According to ANRCETI Administrative Board Decision on implementing access to national short numbers and codes of range „1” without „0” prefix, the new numbers are to replace the 4-digit local short numbers of „02A(B)14xx” format, starting February 2012.

Both types of numbers are intended for the provision of information on road transport, including taxis, rail and air transport, health services. This change is caused by the need to ensure the access to end users in all geographical areas and public fixed/mobile networks to these numbers, without the use of the prefix „0”, as established by the National Numbering Plan (NNP), as well as by the increased demand for numbers of „02A(B)14xx” format. To date, the Agency assigned 65 numbers from this 100-number block. The capacity of the new number block „14xxx” is 1000 numbers, which allows the regulator to meet the demand for such numbers.

Another advantage of the „14xxx” numbers is the possibility to dial them nationwide, from any locality of the country. The local numbers of „02A(B)14xx” format can be used only within the boundaries of a geographical zone (district or municipality) and can be accessed from other geographical areas and from mobile networks by dialing prefix „0” and the corresponding zone code. Moreover, the tariff for a number of this type was cut down by the regulator by 6 thousand lei: from 16 to 10 thousand lei. ANRCETI Board Decision (translation in progress) no. 21 of 23.08.2011 states that payments for national short numbers of „14xxx” format shall be charged as of 01.02.2012.

For the services mentioned above – provision of information on road transport, including taxis, rail and air transport, health services – the Agency also issues, upon request, Free phone numbers (numbers free of charge for the calling party), from the „814xxxxx” number block. One number from this block is charged 5 lei per year.

In order to ensure, as of 31.01.2012, the access to the national short numbers and codes of range „1” without prefix „0”, ANRCETI obligated the providers of public fixed and mobile telephone networks to start, on September 1, 2011, technical modifications of their networks. Also, the license holders for the use of national short numbers of „02A(B)14xx” format were required to inform the users of these resources about the upcoming substitution, by means of answering machine messages, delivered during December 2011 - January 2012.

According to the legislation in force, ANRCETI is empowered to manage the numbering resources of the NNP and to allocate them, upon request to license holders – providers of electronic communications networks and services. The latter use the allocated numbering resources for individual needs, allocate them to their subscribers or other persons authorized to provide public services. In the first semester of 2011, the Agency allocated over 478,5 thousand numbers to providers of electronic communications networks and services.

August 26, 2011