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

Pursuant to a Decision of ANRCETI Administrative Board, as of February 1, 2012, the short local 4-digit telephone numbers of 14xx” format, (where x=0…9), used for the provision of information services about transportation, including taxi, medical services, etc, will be replaced by national short 5-digit numbers of „14xxx” format to be used for the same purpose.

Last year, 123 applicants obtained the right to provide electronic communications networks and/or services, based on the general authorization regime currently applied by the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI). So, the total number of market players, entered by ANRCETI in the Public Registry of Providers before December 31, 2011, reached 713.

Providers of fixed telephone networks services will operate, before March 1, 2012, technical modifications to the telephone exchanges for the implementation of the „closed” format of dialing range „2” of numbers. Following this exercise, in the timeframe March 1 - 15, these exchanges will be tested, whereas on March 31, at 24.00, the new format of dialing will be launched. These and other measures are prescribed in the Action Plan, approved in a Board Decision of the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI – www.anrceti.md).

The National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI – www.anrceti.md) has placed on its Web page, for public consultations, the draft (doc. in state language) Administrative Board Decision on approving the Program for Development of ANRCETI Regulatory Documents for 2012. The consultations will last through January 16, 2012 – this being the deadline for recommendations and proposals.

The Administrative Board of the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) wishes to convey a Season Greeting Message to ANRCETI staff, its partners, all employees of the electronic communications and information technology.

JSC “Moldtelecom” has become liable to offer any requesting provider leased line services – terminal segments and trunk segments, including dark optic fiber, under terms and conditions as favorable as those provided for the company’s own sub-divisions or affiliated persons. This is one of the special ex-ante obligations imposed by the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI – www.anrceti.md) on JSC “Moldtelecom” due to its significant market power on the market for the provision of terminal segments (market 6 - doc. in state language) and trunk segments (market 8 - doc. in state language) of leased lines, regardless of the technology used for making available leased or reserved capacity. The corresponding Board Decisions entered in force on the date they were adopted – 20.12.2011 – and will be published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Moldova.

On March 31, 2012, the Republic of Moldova will make the transition to the numbering plan of “closed” type, which according to the modifications operated in the National Numbering Plan (NNP), provides for calling geographic telephone numbers by dialing prefix „0” and national significant number which comprises the national destination and the subscriber number. The decision was approved by Order (doc. in state language) of the Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications no. 93 of 25.11.2011 on modification and amendment of the NNP which was published in the Official Gazette of 09.12.2011.

The Administrative Board of the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI – www.anrceti.md) is inviting stakeholder to take part in a public session, scheduled for Tuesday, December 20 at 14.00, to review and approve draft decisions imposing special ex-ante obligations on JSC “Moldtelecom” in connection with its significant market power on two wholesale markets: the market for the provision of wholesale terminating segments (market no.6 - doc. in state language) and the market for provision of trunk segments of leased lines (market no.8 - doc. in state language), regardless of the technology used for making leased or reserved capacity available. The session will take place at ANRCETI premises (5th floor, Conference Room).

In the first quarter of 2012, Chisinau will host the third meeting of the electronic communications regulators from Eastern Partnership countries, an event intended to create the EaP Regulators Group. The decision was taken at the end of the second regulators’ meeting, held on November 23 - 24 this year, in Barcelona, Spain, attended by a delegation of the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI).

In the first three quarters of 2011, the fixed telephony market continued to slightly increase in terms of number of subscribers, against the diminishing revenues from sales of services to the public, a trend which was also felt in the four quarters of 2010. Thus, in the nine months of this year, the number of subscribers increase over the same period of 2010, by 2.6% and exceeded 1 million 185.6 thousand, the total sales volume on this market segment decreased by 11.4% and showed 1 billion 257.3 million lei.