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 - www.anrceti.md) has placed on its website, for public consultation, the draft Administrative Board decision on identification of a new relevant market - the market for voice call termination on individual fixed telephone networks. The consultation will run until May 19, 2010, this being the deadline for submitting recommendations on the document.

The project was developed pursuant to Article 51 of the Electronic Communications Act and based on the Analysis (doc. in state language) of the market for voice call termination in individual fixed telephony networks. This document was developed by the Agency in accordance with the Regulations on Identification and Analysis of relevant electronic communications markets and designation of providers with significant power. The Analysis was conducted in consultation with the foreign experts from the technical assistance project offered to the Agency by EBRD.

According to the Explanatory Note (doc. in state language), the market for call termination in fixed telephone networks includes the transmission of the call from the interconnection point to the network terminal (terminal location). The findings following this market analysis showed there are barriers to entry for alternative suppliers, the market is not effectively competitive and the Law on Protection of Competition is not sufficient to prevent or redress the situation. The Agency concluded that this market is susceptible to ex-ante regulation.

After the draft decision is approved, the Agency will make the full analysis of the market for voice call termination on individual fixed telephone networks, in order to determine the providers with significant market power on it and to establish special ex-ante obligations to be imposed on those providers.

The market for voice call termination on individual fixed telephone networks is the fourth in the list of 10 markets defined by the Agency for market analysis to identify the markets susceptible to ex-ante regulation.

Interested persons are invited to submit recommendations on the draft document to: office@anrceti.md. Telephone: 251-334.

April 28, 2010