ANCOM:traffic on communications networks will grow by up to 50% during this period, telecom operators prepare for an intensive use of networks

The current context of the COVID-19 spread triggers a series of specific containment measures which have been and will further be taken in our country and which encompass an additional use of the electronic communications networks and services. Therefore, a week ago, ANCOM sent a letter to the most important telephony and internet operators asking them to prepare and take all necessary and possible measures to avoid and solve any likely congestion or interruption of the voice and/or data traffic. The ANCOM analysis of the data sent by the operators show that we can expect traffic increases, estimated by some providers above 50% as compared to the traffic registered in normal circumstances, hence posing challenges to including the provision of electronic communications.

To ensure the continuous provision of services in conditions of traffic increase, the providers monitored the load and the traffic level in their own networks, as well as other network quality parameters. The providers performed a risk management and identified a series of possible threats and risks which concern at least the security of services and networks, as well as of the supply with commercial equipment necessary to the electronic communications services and initiated actions meant to prevent or mitigate these risks.

The traffic increase comes as teleworking is intensely implemented, the school and university classes are held online, and the online entertainment component is estimated to grow significantly. Under these conditions, it is expected that the most used electronic communications services in these cases - respectively mobile voice services and fixed and mobile internet access services - will experience a significant increase in traffic, and the traffic that is usually running within a private network (institution, economic agent) to run above the public network.

The providers of public electronic communications networks or of publicly available electronic communications services have the obligation to take all adequate security measures to manage the risks posed to the security of electronic communications networks and services so as to ensure an appropriate security level corresponding to the identified risk and to prevent or minimise the impact of security incidents on the users and interconnected networks, according to the ANCOM regulation.

So far, ANCOM has not received complaints on the worsening of the quality of the internet service. The users can use the Netograf app to measure the technical and quality parameters of the internet access service anytime. This platform is an official instrument created by ANCOM and its use will offer the Authority real time information on how the internet services are working. Moreover, its use is cost free as the made measurements do not consume the resources under the subscriptions.

Romania benefits from very good networks with 71% (3.7 million) of the fixed internet connections already allowing very high speeds, of over 100Mbps, according to the most recent statistical data report released by ANCOM. As well, at the middle of last year, 84% of the total mobile internet connections in Romania were high speed (3G – 29% and 4G – 55%).