07.09.2018

The National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications of Romania (ANCOM) has launched for public consultation a draft decision on updating the manner of setting spectrum usage fees. The draft decision is mainly aimed at improving the charging principles and at levying a spectrum usage fee for terrestrial digital audio broadcasting.

Levying a spectrum usage fee for terrestrial digital audio broadcasting

This year, the Authority is organising a selection procedure for awarding spectrum use rights in the VHF band (174-230 MHz) for terrestrial digital broadcasting services (T-DAB), therefore the draft decision under public consultation proposes setting a spectrum usage fee to be paid by the holders of such spectrum use rights.

The proposed spectrum usage fee is based on the nature of the service to be provided, while taking into account the fact that 4 T-DAB blocks can be used in a 7 MHz television channel.

Further proposals on levying spectrum usage fees for certain radiocommunications services

Another proposal concerns the amendment of the spectrum usage fees for the maritime mobile and the aeronautic mobile services, and of the fee for the radiodetermination service. At present, ship and aircraft stations, together with ground and coast stations have a dedicated, well defined set of frequency bands for their use only, irrespective of the actual equipment available on board of ship or aircraft. In this context, stipulating different provisions for different types of ships or aircraft – based on equipment- or route-related criteria – is no longer relevant.

ANCOM proposes amendments to the charging system for the Complementary Ground Component (CGC) within satellite electronic communications systems in the 1980-2010 MHz/2170-2200 MHz bands based on the number and location of CGC base stations. Thus, the two operators selected by the European Commission - Inmarsat Ventures Ltd and Echostar Mobile Ltd - will be able to choose either a fee based on the number and location of CGC base stations or a fee based on the frequency band used on a national level. The fee for a CGC base station has been determined according to the radius of the service area and to the rank of neighbouring localities situated at a distance of less than 12 km.

Concerning the spectrum usage fee for temporary/occasional programme transmissions via satellite performed by foreign natural or legal persons, ANCOM proposes a 20%reduction of the current fee level.

Public consultation

The draft decision for amending and completing the Decision of the President of the National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications no. 551/2012 on setting the tariff for the use of the radio spectrum is available, in Romanian, here. The interested persons are invited to submit their comments and suggestions, by 07.10.2018, at the ANCOM headquarters (2 Delea Noua Street, Bucharest 3), directly to the ANCOM Registry Office or by means of ANCOM’s regional divisions. Comments may also be sent by fax to +40 372 845 402 or by e-mail to consultare@ancom.org.ro.