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

On this beautiful winter season, Sergiu Sîtnic, Director of the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI), is conveying a greeting message to ANRCETI staff, partners and to all the employees engaged in electronic communications and information technology.

Today, December 10th, the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) announces an auction for a license to authorize the use of 3750 - 3800 MHz, for the provision of publicly available electronic communications broadband radio access networks and services. Interested persons are invited to submit applications for participation in the auction and the related documents, as required in the Auction Procedure and the Terms of Reference (docs in state language) before February 18, 2013, 16.00 p.m., in sealed envelopes, at ANRCETI Office address: 134, Stefan cel Mare bd., MD-2012, Chisinau municipality.

Today, the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) published on its website a report (doc. in state language) on the development of electronic communications markets in the third quarter of 2012. According to the report, the total revenues from the sale of electronic communications services (mobile communications, fixed telephony, data transmission and Internet access, audiovisual program broadcasting and retransmission) reached 1 billion 679.6 million lei, an increase by 6.1% and 14.4%, compared to quarter II and I accordingly.

The National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) will auction a license for the use of frequency sub-band 3750 - 3800 MHz in the provision of public radio access broadband electronic communications networks and services. The auction will be conducted by ANRCETI, in the timeframes and according to the criteria as set forth in Administrative Board Decisions on approving the Procedure (doc. in state language) for conducting and holding the auction, the Terms of Reference (doc. in state language) for the auction and the Special Conditions (doc. in state language) for this type of license for the use of radio frequencies/channels from 3600 - 3800 MHz frequency band.

A report of the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI), based on statistical data submitted by providers of TV re-transmission services, shows that in nine months of 2012, the number of subscribers to TV program re-transmission services (multichannel TV) increased over the end of last year by 18,3 thousand (+7,2%) and exceeded 274,4 thousand, whereas the penetration rate of these services per 100 population grew by 0,52 p.p. and made 7,7%.

According to the data available with the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI), in the first nine months of 2012, the total number of subscribers to broadband Internet services at fixed locations increased compared with the same period of last year, by 11.7%, exceeding 396.5 thousand. The number of users of dedicated mobile Internet (3G networks) increased by 34.2% and equaled 176.6 thousand.

In the first nine months of 2012, like in the previous year, the fixed telephony market was subject to a decrease in traffic and revenue from sale of publicly available services as against a slight increase in the number of subscribers. So, in the timeframe January - September 2012, the total volume of sales on this market decreased by 5.2%, compared with the same period of 2011, making about 1 billion 171,4 million lei, whereas the number of subscribers to fixed-line networks grew by almost 17.8 thousand (+ 1.5%) and made a total of 1 million 197,7 thousand.

According to the statistical data reported to the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) by the three mobile operators (JSC “Orange Moldova”, JSC „Moldcell” and JSC “Moldtelecom”), on October 1, 2012 the total number of SIM cards held by mobile users exceeded 4 million. As per the same date, the number of active mobile users reached 3 million 469 thousand, the number of passive ones (those who have not consumed nor paid for any mobile service during the last three months) was 409,3 thousand.

The National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information technology (ANRCETI) for the first time, issued to telecommunications companies JSC "Moldcell" and JSC „Orange Moldova”, at their request, two licenses for the use of radio 2500-2690 MHz frequencies/channels for the provision of public electronic communications networks and services with radio broadband access, conventionally called 4G services.

The National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) placed on its website, for public consultation, a preliminary Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA - doc. in state language) of Draft Regulations on Public Electronic Communications Service Provision to End Users. The consultations will last through November 17, this date being the deadline for comments and recommendations. The preliminary RIA and the draft Regulation had been proposed for consultations in the timeframes 26.09.12 - 10.10.12 and 26.09.12 - 26.10.12. In that period ANRCETI received comments and recommendations from companies "Orange Moldova", "Arax Impex" and "Sun Communications".  At ANRCETI’s request, the Ministry of Economy and the Competition Council also provided their opinions on those two documents.