Romania

[RO] Fourth digital terrestrial television auction completed

IRIS 2017-4:1/32

Eugen Cojocariu

Radio Romania International

On 20 February 2017, two new local multiplexes were awarded in Iasi (northeast of Romania) and Timisoara (west of Romania) in the fourth DTT auction held by the National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications (Autoritatea Națională pentru Administrare și Reglementare în Comunicații, ANCOM) (see IRIS 2010-3/34, IRIS 2010-7/32, IRIS 2010-9/35, IRIS 2013-6/30, IRIS 2014-4/26, IRIS 2014-5/29, IRIS 2014-9/27, IRIS 2015-5/33, IRIS 2015-7/28, and IRIS 2017-2/28). M PLUS INVESTMENTS S.R.L, headquartered in Iasi, won the Iasi local multiplex, for which it must pay a licence fee amounting to EUR 8 000, while NOVA MEDIA S.R.L., headquartered in Timisoara, won the local multiplex for Timisoara, and it also has to pay a licence fee of EUR 8 000.

The licence fees, amounting to a total of EUR 16 000, must be paid to the state budget within 90 calendar days from the date the result was announced. The Government established the licence fee level in February 2014.

The two multiplexes will be awarded for a 10-year period, the winners being able to launch service as soon as they receive their licence from ANCOM. The winners will be obliged to launch one transmitter into operation within a year of the licence being issued.

Following the 4 auctions organised by the ANCOM, so far 3 national multiplexes have been awarded to the state owned National Broadcasting Company (Societatea Națională de Radiocomunicații, RADIOCOM). The company won the free-to-air multiplex and two other multiplexes in the UHF band. On the other hand, 12 regional multiplexes and 3 local multiplexes have also been awarded. The reason behind the fourth auction round had been to award a total of two national, 26 regional and 18 local digital terrestrial television multiplexes which had not been awarded in the previous selection procedures.