ANCOM watches over for the proper functioning of communications services

27.04.2020

In the first quarter of 2020, ANCOM conducted 739 control actions on the market of electronic communications and of radio equipment, and on the postal services market. Following these control actions, ANCOM issued 27 notifications and applied 105 warnings and 60 contravention fines, totalling RON 351,500 – this amount being income to the state budget. In this period the Authority also applied the sanctions following the campaign for verifying compliance with the providers’ mobile voice coverage obligations, which was initiated in 2019 and completed at the beginning of 2020. ”With the outbreak of the pandemic, people's life has radically changed and communications services stand out as the foundation of our new way of life and the very gateway to going digital. Before the outbreak, the monitoring of the frequency spectrum ensured that spectrum stayed clean, free of interference that would affect the proper functioning of electronic communications services. Now, the monitoring activity has acquired special emphasis, as we are aware that any malfunction could harm not only the activity of communications operators, but also the daily life of end-users. We also keep carrying out control actions in the market, especially for prevention purposes, while taking the required safety measures and acting in a way adapted to the current context”, declared Cristin Popa, Director of ANCOM’s Monitoring and Control Executive Division.

Electronic communications market

In the electronic communications market, ANCOM conducted 331 control actions during the first three months of 2020, issuing 27 notifications and applying 26 warnings and 11 contravention fines amounting RON 150,000.

The highest fine, i.e. RON 40,000, was applied to Telenes Mobile Connect S.R.L. for the incorrect charging of Premium Rate Numbers. Other breaches ANCOM found in the domain of electronic communications services concerned the conclusion of distance contracts without the users’ consent and the rejection of telephone number porting processes.

Furthermore, the Authority completed the campaign for verifying the providers’ compliance with their obligations of ensuring coverage with mobile voice services – read more on the campaign results, here.

Radio equipment and electromagnetic compatibility

In the domain of radio equipment and electromagnetic compatibility, ANCOM carried out 268 control actions, applying 47 warnings and 34 contravention fines totalling RON 158,500.

Monitoring the frequency spectrum

Frequency spectrum monitoring is an ongoing activity within ANCOM, carried out by means of the Authority’s monitoring stations. It is aimed both at supporting an efficient spectrum management process, and at verifying compliance with the obligations stipulated in the licences for the use of radio frequencies, in the broadcasting licences, in the frequency assignment authorisations, as well as in the technical authorisations and in the regulations governing electronic communications services that use the frequency spectrum. Monitoring activities are conducted based on an annual monitoring plan, also taking into account complaints received from the electronic communications service users.

In the first three months of 2020, following the 61 complaints on harmful interference received by the Authority, 63 interference sources were identified and eliminated. 9 of the 61 complaints are under the solving procedure, having been received in the latter part of the reporting period.

Most interferences were generated by GSM/UMTS/LTE signal amplifiers, DECT 6.0 telephone sets or other similar equipment, while some other interferences came from radio-frequency identification devices (RFID) used for parking barriers or garage doors, radio local area networks (RLAN), CATV network equipment, or were electromagnetic perturbations due to fixed equipment and installations.

Postal services market

In the first quarter of the current year, ANCOM conducted 140 control actions on the postal services providers, applying 32 warnings and 15 contravention fines amounting RON 43,000. The most frequently found irregularity was breach of the obligations imposed under the general authorisation regime.