01.09.2022

ANCOM launches a questionnaire regarding the opportunity of granting frequency usage rights in the 26 GHz band for the provision of broadband electronic communications services in Romania. Thus, operators may submit their views on the appropriateness of organising – in the short or medium term – a selection procedure for the awarding of frequencies in this band, while the Authority aims to obtain important information from the electronic communications market and from the civil society on whether there is certain interest in providing public wireless broadband electronic communications networks and services by means of frequency usage rights in the 26 GHz band.

ANCOM’s questionnaire

The questionnaire is addressed to all the providers of electronic communications public networks and publicly available services, either holding frequency usage rights or not, to radio equipment manufacturers and distributors whose scope of activity encompasses the 26 GHz band, and who are active in the Romanian electronic communications market or are interested in entering it, to public institutions of the central (ministries, public authorities) and local (prefectures, county councils, local councils) public authorities in charge of regulating or facilitating the implementation and take-up of vertical applications that can be used by means of the radio frequencies in the 26 GHz band, as well as to non-governmental organisations and to all citizens interested in this topic.

ANCOM deemed it suitable to seek these opinions through a questionnaire dedicated to the 26 GHz band, precisely with the aim of finding, 3 years after the last consultation, whether there is clear interest for acquiring, in the short term (2023-2025) or in the medium term (the period 2026-2028), of some frequency usage rights in this band, as well as specific constraints to be taken into account.

Thus, respondents will choose one of the two answering sections, A or B, depending on the period during which they consider that the first selection procedure should be carried out in the 26 GHz band (2023-2025 or 2026-2028). Respondents are also asked to express their views on the amount of spectrum in this band that should be made available in the selection procedure, on the approach ANCOM should take with regard to the existing frequency usage rights in this band (which are granted for other types of applications in the fixed service), on the appropriateness of allocating spectrum at a national level only, at the level of smaller geographical areas only (counties, settlements) or using a combination of the two, etc.

The 26 GHz band (24,25-27,5 GHz)

The 26 GHz band consists of three separate frequency bands, which are very different in terms of their usage history and in the way they are regulated, both internationally and regionally, and nationally:

• the 24.25 – 24.5 GHz band,
• the 24.5 – 26.5 GHz band,
• the 26.5 – 27.5 GHz band.

3 operators hold licences in the frequency band 24.5 – 26.5 GHz - Orange Romania, Vodafone Romania and S.N. Radiocommunications -, using their respective sub-bands for fixed radio links of various capacities.

By contrast, for the 24.25 - 24.5 GHz and 26.5 - 27.5 GHz bands, there were no requests for rights to use the frequencies on a permanent basis, therefore no frequency usage licences for non-governmental use were ever granted in these bands.

Answer the questionnaire

The questionnaire regarding the opportunity of granting some frequency usage rights for the provision of broadband wireless electronic communications services and MFCN public networks in Romania in the 24.25 – 27.5 GHz band (the 26 GHz band) is available, in Romanian, here. The interested persons are invited to send their answers until 16.09.2022, to the ANCOM Headquarters (2 Delea Noua Street, 3^rd District, Bucharest), using the Online Registry or by means of the Authority’s Regional Divisions, as well as by fax to +40 372 845 402 or by e-mail to consultare@ancom.ro.