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

On May 19-20, Chisinau will host the regional seminar „Telephone number portability. Regulatory issues and Implementation Impacts”, organized by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) jointly with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI). The seminar is one of the key events of this year's edition of Telecommunications and Information Society Week, which will be held in the timeframe May 17 to May 20, 2011. The Seminar will take place on May 19, at 9.00, at „CODRU” Hotel (Pink Room).

Delegates of telecommunications administrations and regulatory authorities of CIS countries, Baltic States and some Central European countries, ITU experts, the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) confirmed their participation in the seminar. The seminar will also be attended by representatives of state institutions and NGOs interested in the subject, the National Association of Private Companies in information technology and communications industry, ANRCETI and providers of fixed and mobile telephony from Moldova.

The seminar agenda includes various aspects related to the principles and features of the number portability deployment in mobile and fixed networks, technical, economic and regulatory framework for this process, and presentations on best practices of implementation of telephone number portability in some European countries.

In a press statement, ANRCETI director, Sergiu Sitnic, said that the institution he is in charge of attributes great importance to this event because now ANRCETI is in the preparatory stage for the implementation of telephone number portability. He expressed his firm belief that this seminar will help the professionals and other stakeholders to learn and apply in the Republic of Moldova the best practices of number portability implemented in European countries.

ANRCETI Director said that the Agency already prepared the draft Program of number portability implementation in the R. Moldova for 2011 - 2013, a document duet o be approved by the Ministry of Information Technology and Communications. The document provides for the implementation of number portability in mobile networks in 2012, and in fixed networks - 2013. During 2011 the Agency will finalize the development and approval of the necessary regulatory framework for number portability and will conduct a contest to select the entity that will manage the central database for ported telephone numbers.

The number portability will give subscribers the opportunity to keep their phone number when they decide to switch to another service provider. This service will provide subscribers greater freedom of choice and will require providers to make further efforts to maintain and attract customers through attractive offers and services at affordable prices. In the long term, the number portability help reduce the tariff gap for in-network and for out-network calls.

Other Details are available on the Agency Internet page: www.anrceti.md..

May 5