Promoting connectivity for all

In the fields of electronic communications, postal services and digital services, connectivity is a priority of public policies, and it benefits from specific instruments. Thus, ANCOM acts towards promoting sustainable competition, the efficient use of infrastructures, mapping the internet and identifying underserved areas, ensuring radio spectrum for connectivity, guaranteeing the open internet and access to the universal service tool. Similar instruments are used, in a different order of priority, in the field of postal services.

 

Promoting competition and innovation

Promoting infrastructure- and service-based competition has been and remains a driver for Romania's performance in the electronic communications and postal services sectors, stimulating innovation and investments based on market demand, for the benefit of users and investors.

In electronic communications, ANCOM will promote competition and innovation through actions regarding efficient interconnection, access to networks and communications infrastructures, monitoring the competitiveness of tariffs to users and ensuring radio spectrum for new uses.

In the postal services sector, ANCOM will promote legislative reforms to adapt the European directive and national legislation to the evolving markets and usage of services. 

 

Promoting security, resilience and sustainability

As the digital transformation in the economy and society accelerates, supporting the general availability, integrity and confidentiality of data and information transmitted through public electronic communications networks and postal services becomes increasingly important and can acquire strategic or national security valences.

Therefore, ANCOM will give priority to actions aimed at ensuring equipment safety, as well as to those aimed at increasing the resilience and security of public electronic communications networks and postal networks. It will also work towards securing the use of the radio spectrum, through specific monitoring and control actions.

In the context of environmental sustainability concerns, ANCOM will introduce indicators that characterize the sustainability of electronic communications networks and postal services.

 

Effective application of the Digital Services Regulation in Romania

In order to fulfill ANCOM's role of national digital services coordinator, the Authority needs dedicated and specialized information resources, knowledge regarding intermediary service providers (ISPs) and developing the capacity of monitoring national ISPs. Furthermore, the building of an effective cooperation ecosystem in Romania, including the relevant authorities, civil society and academia, will be complemented by specialized information and training. 

 

Increasing the power of users

ANCOM will achieve this objective by ensuring the functioning of existing online information tools (e.g. Netograf, Veritel, Aisemnal, EMF Monitor, etc.) and by creating new ones (e.g. mobile internet map, fixed high-speed internet map, etc.). ANCOM will also explore collecting information on a collaborative basis (crowdsourcing) and harnessing it to mobilize service users.

Moreover, finding the users' needs through quantitative and qualitative market studies will trigger information campaigns tailored accordingly. 

 

ANCOM's digital transformation

The digitization of ANCOM's activity is key to achieving the performance of tasks. This requires digitalized processes and involves the production of intelligent documents, which use integrated systems and applications that communicate with each other, reduce human errors, increase work productivity and which, by making existing tasks much easier, allow new tasks to be carried out efficiently, thus capitalizing on the true value of the wealth of data and information within ANCOM.

 

Data-driven regulation

Data-driven regulation complements ANCOM's traditional tools, relying on the principle of harnessing the power of data and information to foster market development and on the idea that ANCOM can strengthen regulation accountability, transparency and effectiveness by making more data and information available to the public and operators.

This objective involves capitalizing on big data, opening up the data obtained in carrying out ANCOM's duties as open data, encouraging the participation of various actors for re-using, improving data and adding value to them, etc.

 

Modernisation of monitoring and surveillance

Modernising the methods, techniques and equipment for the monitoring of the radio spectrum is essential, i.e. ANCOM could also resort to AI/ML and crowd solutions (e.g., for the collection of mobile network data).

The public's concerns about electromagnetic radiation due the development of 5G networks will require the improvement of the Monitor-EMF platform and a higher number of measurements in this regard.

 

II. Organizational Development Goals
 

Increasing ANCOM's performance in fulfilling its duties

Given technological developments and market transformation, ANCOM must ensure that it has the appropriate capacities to promptly respond to current and future challenges, to remain effective and to provide effective responses in terms of meeting public policy objectives.

 

Increasing the role and strengthening the reputation of the Authority

ANCOM holds and develops skills and has access to data and information, which qualifies it for working together with other public institutions in joint projects, formulating points of view and opinions that contribute to the achievement of objectives and advancing public policies in the Authority’s fields of competence or in related fields. ent deservit

Active engagement in regulatory dialogue and inter-institutional cooperation at national, European or international level contributes both to strengthening ANCOM's role as a facilitator and expert in its fields of competence, and to enriching its own experience in regulation and administration.

 

New paradigm in human resources

Ensuring high performance in ANCOM's activity requires the continuous updating and improvement of the human resources’ skills, knowledge and capacity to keep up with technological developments and change in the regulated sectors, as well as to capitalize on the advancements made available by digitalization and big data as regards new ways of monitoring, administration and regulation.

ANCOM will seek to strengthen its workforce through a series of additional specialized skills and qualifications, by recruiting data experts and analysts, system architects specialized in digital security, security and architecture of networks and platforms, of data centers and in cloud computing.

 

Improving organizational culture 

The functioning of ANCOM involves a continuous process of interactions and relationships, both internally - among employees - and externally - among stakeholders (communications network and service providers, digital service providers, end users, national and international organizations and bodies in which ANCOM is a party).

The main organizational culture elements promoted are: assuming ANCOM's values, promoting a teamwork style, responsibility and innovation, continuous learning, including through the development of digital skills and access to optimal technological solutions.

 

Improving efficiency and cost-effectiveness

The increase in the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of using resources will be achieved mainly by adequate budgeting, increasing ANCOM's overall performance, diversifying funding sources and analyzing and revising work processes, where necessary.

 

Improving the systems of management and internal managerial control

ANCOM's institutional capacity is perpetually enhanced through tools such as adapting work processes, increasing the effectiveness of the internal managerial system and continuous improvement of management systems.

 

Social responsibility

Since ANCOM plans to request environmental sustainability indicators from large network and service providers, it is adequate for the Authority to carry out its own sustainability plan and pursue its own environmental sustainability indicators. 

Moreover, in addition to reducing the environmental impact of our own activity, we aim to get involved in social responsibility initiatives and in actions aimed at promoting gender equality, which mirror the national strategy in the field.