Romania

[RO] Report on the Electronic Communications Market in 2009

IRIS 2010-7:1/35

Eugen Cojocariu

Radio Romania International

Despite the economic crisis, some segments of the Romanian electronic communications market continued to grow last year, according to the Statistical Data Report for 2009, presented by a high level representative of the Autoritatea Naţională pentru Administrare şi Reglementare în Comunicaţii (National Authority for Administration and Regulation in Communications, ANCOM) on 27 May 2010.

As of 31 December 2009, the paid audiovisual programme re-broadcasting services sector counted 5,82 million subscribers, around 3% more than at the end of 2008. The penetration rate per household reached 79.4% (77.1% in 2008). The total number of active audiovisual programmes re-broadcasting service providers dropped in 2009 to 507 from 523 one year before.

The number of cable subscribers decreased slightly in 2009 (-0.4%) to 3.48 million, whereas the number of subscribers to the services provided through DTH satellite networks increased by 8.4% to 2.33 million and the services provided through IP technology (IPTV) increased from 340 subscribers to 750.

The cable networks re-broadcasting services penetration rate per household decreased to 47.6% (from 47.7%) and the digital networks (DTH) re-broadcasting services penetration rate per household reached 31.9% (29.4% in 2008).

46% of the total number of subscribers (2.65 million) receive the audiovisual programme re-broadcasting services digitally. Except for the subscribers to the services provided via DTH satellite networks and IP technology, 319,000 subscribers receive the audiovisual programmes in digital format (cable network to which they subscribe); their number increased by 59% in the last year.

On the other hand, the new general authorisation regime for the electronic communications providers came into force on 29 May 2010, as ANCOM stated on 3 June. The main amendments concern modifications to the Standard Notification Form and the Service Description File, triggering all the electronic communications networks and/or service providers’ obligation to submit a re-authorisation request to ANCOM, no later than 31 December 2010.

At the same time, the ANCOM decision contains specific provisions regarding the regime of foreign entities (companies), new instances in which it can cease the right to provide electronic communications networks or services, details of the procedure of suspending this right and stipulates the providers’ obligation to send to ANCOM the list of localities where they actually provide public terrestrial networks at fixed locations, on physical support.