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

The Administrative Board of the National Agency for Regulation in Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) approved, in its public meeting on Thursday April 6th, the decisions on ex-ante regulatory measures for the market of access to the public telephone network at a fixed location for residential and non-residential customers (Market 1), for the market of wholesale call termination on individual public telephone networks provided at a fixed location (Market 3), and for the market of wholesale voice call termination on individual mobile network (Market 7).

Based on the analysis of market 1, ANRCETI has determined that this market no longer meets the three-criteria test and proves no longer susceptible to ex-ante regulation. Therefore, ANRCETI decided to withdraw the previously imposed special ex-ante obligations on JSC Moldtelecom. The withdrawal of obligations will take effect on July 1st, 2023. Additionally, ANRCETI will exclude market 1 from the list of relevant markets for electronic communications networks and/or services, approved by Administrative Board Decision No. 85/2009.

According to the analysis of market 3 and market 7, ANRCETI concluded that both markets remain susceptible to ex-ante regulation, and maintained the previously imposed obligations on fixed and mobile telephone providers. At the same time, ANRCETI extended tariff regulation onto termination services in fixed and mobile networks for calls originating from numbers in European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) countries.

Under the new obligations, providers will apply tariffs for termination of calls from EU and EEA countries, similar to national calls. This measure aims to create the necessary conditions, at international wholesale level, for the reduction of costs for roaming services with EU and EEA countries, towards the implementation of a facilitated roaming space. The application of the new tariffs for European call termination will begin on January 1st, 2024, while up to that time, providers, ANRCETI, and European partner institutions will make efforts to inform the European operators about this measure and ensure reciprocal tariff treatment for calls originating from the Republic of Moldova.

April 7, 2023