18.12.2017

 

“We have recently verified how operators fulfilled their mobile coverage obligations in the white areas provided in the licences issued in 2012, which had been identified as still not covered in the 2016 monitoring campaign. Following the latest campaign, we can conclude that the operators have fulfilled their obligations and that now, all the approx. 700 localities have access to electronic communications services.", said Sorin Grindeanu, President of ANCOM.

Coverage obligations

During the 2012 spectrum auction, the Authority imposed each of the operators that have acquired rights to use radio frequencies in the frequency bands below 1 GHz (800 MHz and/or 900 MHz) – Telekom Mobile, Orange, RCS&RDS and Vodafone – the obligation to cover a certain number of the 676 localities unserved by broadband mobile communications networks, in proportion to the spectrum resources acquired.

Thus, Vodafone and Orange were required to cover 225 rural localities each, Telekom Mobile 169, and RCS & RDS 57, by 5 April 2016.

This year’s monitoring campaign

Between September and November 2017, the Authority's teams verified how operators fulfilled their obligations of ensuring coverage with UMTS, IMT-enhanced (HSPA, HSPA+), or LTE or equivalent technology mobile communications networks in the localities assessed as not covered in the monitoring campaign of May-June 2016, respectively 90 localities (12 by Orange, 6 by Telekom Mobile, 72 by Vodafone). Further details are available here.

Following the control actions, ANCOM found that the three operators fulfilled their coverage obligations in all the localities under their licenses for the use of radio frequencies.

 

Background information

 

In the second half of 2012, ANCOM organised the selection procedure and awarded the rights for the use of radio frequencies in the 800MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2600 MHz bands for providing public electronic communications networks and mobile communications services – voice and data, up to 2029. For the first time in Romania, the licences for the use of radio frequencies were awarded by a competitive selection procedure. The reserve price for the licence corresponding to each frequency block in the four bands was established by Government Decision, the licence fees resulted from the auction amounting to a total value of EUR 682,136,036.

During the selection procedure, Cosmote Romanian Mobile Telecommunications won 1 block in the 800 MHz band, 2 blocks in the 900 MHz band, 5 blocks in the 1800 MHz band and 2 blocks in the 2600 MHz (FDD) band, while Orange Romania acquired 2 blocks in the 800 MHz band, 2 blocks in the 900 MHz band, 4 blocks in the 1800 MHz band and 4 blocks in the 2600 MHz (FDD) band. RCS&RDS won 1 block in the 900 MHz band, and Vodafone Romania won 2 blocks in the 800 MHz band, 2 blocks in the 900 MHz band, 6 blocks in the 1800 MHz band and one 15 MHz block in the 2600 MHz (TDD) band. 2K Telecom won two 15 MHz blocks in the 2600 MHz (TDD) band.

All the licences for the use of the radio frequency spectrum obtained in the auction are valid from 2014 until 2029.

The awarded licences provided the operators’ obligation to grant priority in ensuring coverage to 676 localities unserved by broadband communications networks, the deadline for fulfilling this obligation being 5 April 2016.