Romania

[RO] ANCOM suspended more electronic communications providers

IRIS 2014-6:1/29

Eugen Cojocariu

Radio Romania International

The Autoritatea Naţională pentru Administrare şi Reglementare în Comunicaţii (Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications - ANCOM) suspended the activity of 49 electronic communications providers for 60 days for failure to comply with their obligations of sending statistical data for the first semester of 2013. The decision was made public through a press release issued on 16 April 2014 (see IRIS 2010-8/43 and IRIS 2012-10/23).

After the expiry of the deadline for sending the statistical data for the first semester of 2013, in February 2014, ANCOM communicated the suspension decisions to 187 electronic communications providers for failure to comply with their legal obligations of sending the above mentioned data. According to the decisions, the providers were granted 45 days to fulfil their obligations. After that period, a decision suspending the right to provide electronic communications networks or services for 60 days was to enter into force under the general authorisation.

49 of the providers which received service suspension decisions entered the period of temporary activity suspension. The suspension ceases once the providers comply with the obligation to send the statistical data. Should there still be providers that fail to send the respective data by the end of the suspension period, the ANCOM is entitled to issue a final decision withdrawing their right to provide electronic communications networks or services under the general authorisation.

ANCOM made available to providers an online application for sending half-yearly statistical data. Starting with 1 July 2013, electronic communications providers have the obligation to send their statistical data exclusively by means of this application. The statistical data is used for regular monitoring of the Romanian electronic communications market and for conducting market surveys and analyses requested in the market regulation process. The Authority is the official provider of statistical data reports on the Romanian electronic communications market for various national and international bodies.

Beginning of March 2014, ANCOM sent 73 decisions for temporary suspension of activity to more providers which failed to send the statistical data for the second semester of 2013.

During the suspension period, the rights granted by the licences for the radio frequencies use, the licences for the use of numbering resources or the decisions on granting technical resources, as applicable, are suspended, as well. According to the Public Record of the Electronic Communications Networks and Service Providers, there are 1,473 such authorised providers in Romania.