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Public consultation on the allotment of radio spectrum for terrestrial digital broadcasting services in Romania

13.03.2018

ANCOM has launched a public consultation to assess the market interest in acquiring rights of use for the available spectrum in the VHF and UHF band for terrestrial digital broadcasting services. The views expressed during this consultation will serve in substantiating ANCOM's decisions on awarding rights of spectrum use for terrestrial digital broadcasting services.

Digital Audio Broadcasting - DAB and Digital Video Broadcasting - DVB provide high-quality sound and image, while enabling more efficiency in spectrum use, i.e. the transmission of more programs by means of a smaller amount of spectrum. At a European level, the VHF (174-230 MHz) and UHF (470-694 MHz) bands were allocated to provide digital terrestrial television and radio services.

The VHF band (174-230MHz)

Following international negotiations, Romania has obtained two national T-DAB multiplexes and a national DVB-T digital terrestrial television multiplex in this band.

Currently, in Romania, based on the technical approval issued by the Authority under GO no. 21/2016, there are still public television networks’ analogue terrestrial television transmitters operating in the VHF band, which are to be turned off on 31.12.2019. Taking into account the provisions of the Geneva 2006 Agreement, after 17 June 2015, these transmitters no longer enjoy protection from primary services in the band.

Since 2014, the DTT multiplex in the VHF band, together with the national and regional multiplexes in the UHF band, have been auctioned out in four successive selection procedures organized by the Authority, and so far no operator has shown interest in acquiring rights of use for it.

The UHF band (470-694MHz)

Following the 4 auctions organized by ANCOM between March 2014 and February 2017, one national licence and two other national licences, thirteen regional licences and two local licenses have been awarded in the UHF band.

One national multiplex and several regional multiplexes have not been awarded, in this band. Following ANCOM's international co-ordination actions, the still available regional multiplexes, together with the newly obtained ones, can make up a national multiplex.

The public consultation

The Authority has developed a questionnaire addressed to all the providers interested in these multiplexes in order to find out their opinion on the manner and conditions for awarding the rights of use for these frequencies as well as the existing market players’ or potential new entrants’ intentions as regards their participation in a possible competitive selection procedure for allotting the available spectrum.

Interested parties are invited to express their views on the destination of the VHF digital television multiplex (whether it should keep its initial destination – as a national DVB-T2 multiplex – or it should be refarmed as four national T-DAB+ multiplexes). Moreover, industry representatives are consulted on the combination of multiplexes (1 or several national DVB-T2 multiplexes, 1 or several national T-DAB+ multiplexes and several regional multiplexes and/or regional multiplexes) to the auctioned out, on the service coverage obligations for T-DAB+ and DVB-T2, or the deadline for commissioning the networks and launching appropriate content.

ANCOM invites all the interested entities to submit answers to the questions in the questionnaire published on the ANCOM website here, no later than 11.04.2018, at the address of ANCOM headquarters (Delea Nouă no.2, sector 3, Bucharest) directly to the registry or through the regional directorates of the Authority. Observations can also be sent by fax to +40 372 845 402 or by e-mail to consultare@ancom.org.ro.