11.06.2008

ANRCTI launches, for public consultation, a draft decision for amending and completing the Decision of the President of the Inspectorate General for Communications and Information Technology no. 686/2005 in view of establishing the tariff for the use of the radio spectrum that will be paid by the winners of the tenders on licences for the use of radio spectrum within the frequency bands 3600-3800 MHz and 410-415/420-425 MHz.

Moreover, the draft decision proposes a tariff for the use of the radio spectrum that will be paid by the holders of licences for the use of radio frequencies granted for new types of applications, such as occasional, temporary transmissions, news and news coverage, cultural/sports events and other audiovisual transmissions from outside the studios. These frequencies will be used for transmitting the above-mentioned journalistic materials, by means of mobile radiorelay stations on board of aircrafts, towards the television studios.

Thus, the tariff for the use of frequencies within the 3600-3800 MHz band, the proposed annual tariff for the use of the radio spectrum is EUR 600,000 Euro/28 MHz channel. ANRCTI will launch for tender two licences for the use of radio frequencies within this band, each of them providing for the allocation of one 28 MHz channel, at the national level. This tariff has been established considering the fact that the 3600-3800 MHz and 3410-3600 MHz radio frequency bands are adjacent and have similar propagation features. Therefore, a tariff of EUR 150,000 shall be paid, per year, for the use of one 7 MHz channel in the 3410-3600 MHz band. Provided the 28 MHz bandwidth allotted at the national level for each licence for the use of the 3600-3800 MHz frequencies, which is four times larger than in the 3410-3600 MHz band, ANRCTI deems that the annual tariff for the use of the radio spectrum should be adjusted to the bandwidth allotted to the tender winners, the draft decision providing a tariff of EUR 600,000/channel.

The tariff for the use of radio spectrum to be paid for a 1.25 MHz bandwidth radio channel allotted, at a national level, within the 410-415/420-425 MHz bands, should be similar to the tariff charged for a radio channel, with the same bandwidth, allotted at a national level for the CDMA 450 cellular mobile telephone network, namely EUR 650,000/channel. According to the draft decision, the holder of the licence allowing operation within such band, with a three-channel block, shall annually pay a total tariff of EUR 1,950,000.

As regards the requests for licences for the use of radio frequencies for TV audiovisual programme transmission, on board of aircrafts, towards the television studios, ANRCTI proposes that the licence holders pay a tariff for the use of spectrum calculated multiplying by two the tariff for the use of spectrum, for the broadcasting frequencies over 1 GHz, by means of primary, protected radiorelay equipments. The latter is set out in Chapter II – “Fixed Service”, indent 1.4, of the Annex to Decision no.686/2005.

The draft decision is available for consultation on the ANRCTI website. All interested persons are invited to submit their comments and suggestions by July 12, 2008 to ANRCTI headquarters in 14 Liberty Blvd., sector 5, Bucharest or directly to the ANRCTI registration office, as well as to its territorial offices in the closest county capital city. Comments may be sent, as well, by fax, to +40 21 307 54 02, or by e-mail to consultare@anrcti.ro.