12.12.2017

The National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications of Romania (ANCOM) has launched a public consultation on its draft action plan for 2018. "Next year’s milestones will be the implementation of the infrastructure law and the preparations for awarding the 5G spectrum. We will also focus on informing and educating users, as the evolution of the Romanian communications and postal market brings along both benefits and challenges for those who use these services"- said Sorin GRINDEANU, President of ANCOM.

The Infrastructure Law – Law no. 159/2016

Some of the most important projects of 2018 are actions aimed at the effective implementation of the provisions of the Infrastructure Law - Law 159/2016, in order to reduce the costs of rolling-out broadband networks in Romania. Throughout next year, the Authority will take the necessary steps for carrying out the national inventory of the public electronic communications networks and of the associated facilities, will set the tariffs for exercising the right of access to the public property and will initiate cooperation with the Ministry of Communications and Information Society and the Ministry of Regional Development, Public Administration and European Funds for establishing the technical norms on designing and installing physical infrastructures and electronic communications networks.

Spectrum management and administration

In 2018, ANCOM will develop and adopt the national strategy for awarding the rights of using the frequencies in the 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 1500 MHz, 2600 MHz, 3400-3600 MHz and 26 GHz bands with a view to providing broadband mobile communications, including the implementation of future generation systems (5G).

At the same time, the Authority will develop and adopt the plan of action and the national calendar for awarding spectrum use rights in the 470-790 MHz frequency band and will launch a public consultation on organising the auctions for awarding spectrum use rights in the VHF (174-230 MHz) and UHF ( 470-694 MHz) bands for digital terrestrial broadcasting services (T-DAB and DVB-T2).

Regulations on electronic communications services

For enhancing the competitiveness of access to communications networks, in 2018 ANCOM will review the relevant markets for leased lines-terminating segments and for the switched transit of voice services on public telephone networks, will develop a decision on the imposition of nationally harmonized technical requirements associated to IP interconnection, based on the results of the market analysis review, and will take the necessary steps for implementing the project on further developing the solutions for measuring the quality of the internet access service using Netograf.ro.

Radio spectrum monitoring and control

Besides the monitoring and control campaigns for assessing signal coverage and for the surveillance of the efficient use of the frequency spectrum carried out annually, ANCOM has also planned conducting a control campaign for verifying how the providers of publicly available electronic communications services include specific information in the contracts concluded with the users.

In order to increase the users’ awareness of non-compliant equipment that affects the use of the radio frequency spectrum according to the licence conditions, ANCOM will also run an information campaign meant to deter the use of radio equipment without the CE marking.

Postal services regulations

Concerning the market of postal services, the Authority envisages a series of projects for the designation of one or several universal service providers and the verification of the request for compensating the 2017 net cost.

Public consultation

ANCOM’s draft action plan for the year 2018 is available, in Romanian, here. The interested persons are invited to submit their comments and suggestions, by 12.01.2018, at the ANCOM headquarters (2 Delea Noua Street, Bucharest 3), directly to the ANCOM Registry Office or by means of the ANCOM regional divisions. Comments may also be sent by fax to +40 372 845 402 or by e-mail to consultare@ancom.org.ro.