ANCOM`s 2025 Action Plan in public consultation
06.12.2024
ANCOM has published for consultation its Action Plan for the year 2025. Next year`s main projects concern the technical and economic regulatory framework for electronic communications services and networks, the radio spectrum management and monitoring and the further elaboration of secondary legislation to ensure the implementation of the Digital Services Act (DSA) in Romania. In the field of postal services, ANCOM will focus on reviewing the regulations within the scope of universal service, in the context of a new period of designation of the universal service provider, as well as verifying the fulfilment of its obligation in this capacity.
Digital services
In 2025, ANCOM will continue the elaboration of the secondary legislation provided by Law no. 50/2024. Thus, for 2025, the Authority considers developing the information procedure for intermediary service providers and the regulatory framework that establishes the conditions for inspections to be carried out by ANCOM's control staff.
Regulations in the field of electronic communications services
In order to ensure the availability of a minimum set of functional broadband Internet access services and voice communications services, at a certain level of quality, on the national territory, for all end-users, the Authority will update the implementation modalities of universal service in the sector of electronic communications, revising the conditions and procedure for the designation of universal service providers.
For mapping the availability of electronic communications services, ANCOM aims to implement projects such as the publication of the list of areas without functional broadband Internet services provided at fixed locations the study of determining the territorial coverage area of fixed public networks capable of providing broadband services.
In order to protect users against increased phishing and spoofing frauds, the Authority will analyse and draw up proposed measures to monitor and reduce the incidence of unlawful use of certain numbering resources from the National Numbering Plan (as call or SMS identifier) with the purpose to facilitate fraud.
Other projects include the development of a guide on the interconnection of electronic communications networks for fixed and mobile voice call termination, the revision of the market for local access services provided at fixed locations, as well as the update of the decision on statistical data collection.
ANCOM will continue to implement the provisions of the Infrastructure Law, considering the analyses for the approval or establishment of the technical and economic conditions regarding access to electronic communications networks or to their associated physical infrastructure deployed as part of projects developed by public authorities or with their support.
This year, ANCOM alongside ANRCETI, the counterpart authority in the Republic of Moldova, will continue to monitor and report the 2024 developments following the application of the Agreement on the reduction of tariffs for the provision of international roaming services and international calls between Romania and the neighbouring country, signed in February 2022.
Postal services regulations
Considering the actions related to the designation of the universal service provider in the postal field for the 1 January 2025 – 31 December 2029, carried out in 2024, the Authority aims to revise the conditions and the procedure for assessing universal service provider’s compliance with the quality objectives, as well as to update the regulatory measures on the tariffs applied by it for a series of services within the scope of universal service. ANCOM also aims to update the conditions for preparing and auditing separate financial statements by the universal service provider.
The draft action plan for 2025 also provides a study on the implementation of self-service for the delivery of postal items, a report on the quality of parcel services and the impact of e-commerce on the postal services market, as well as a report on the sector's statistical indicators. In parallel, the Authority will continue to monitor the application of Regulation no. 2018/644 on the delivery of cross-border parcels, including through the collection and verification of statistical data and information submitted by postal service providers.
Management and administration of spectrum and numbering resources
The Authority has proposed to review the National Table of Frequency Bands Allocation (NTFA) and the provisions of Decision no. 542/2017 on the certification of the operating personnel of radiocommunication stations, as well as to update the RO-IR radio interfaces of Decision no. 311/2016 on radio frequencies or radio frequency bands exempted from the licensing regime.
Spectrum monitoring and control of the obligations imposed upon providers
In monitoring the radio frequency spectrum, ANCOM will carry out measurements on the main railway traffic arteries and will publish their results. Furthermore, ANCOM will verify the compliance of large electronic communications providers with the obligations regarding the means for concluding contracts with the end-users, the content of these contracts, and compliance with their information obligations.
Public consultation process
The ANCOM action plan proposed for 2025 is available, in Romanian, here. The interested persons are invited to submit comments and proposals by 10 January 2025, at the ANCOM headquarters (2 Delea Nouă Street, Sector 3, Bucharest), using the Online Registry or at the Authority's regional divisions. Observations can also be sent by fax to +40 372 845 402 or by e-mail to consultare@ancom.ro.