On September 1st 2005, the National Regulatory Authority for Communications (ANRC) is launching the public tender for the designation of the universal service providers in 40 rural localities. A telecentre is a publicly available space provided with at least 2 telephone sets, 2 computers and one facsimile machine. ANRC limited the activity of the universal service providers to the provision of electronic communications networks and services, thus diminishing the risks of doing business in the rural areas. Local authorities will undertake the management and full financing of the telecentre local operation.
On September 1st 2005, the National Regulatory Authority for Communications (ANRC) is launching the public tender for the designation of the universal service providers in 40 rural localities.
Each universal service provider is to install a telecentre in the locality for which it has been designated, facilitating the inhabitants'™ access to telephone, facsimile and Internet services. Any person who is a provider of public electronic communications networks and a provider of publicly available telephone services may register for this tender.
'ANRC chose to finance the rural localities'™ access to telephone services by the installation of telecentres, based on a transparent, non-discriminatory and effective procedure, stimulating the natural expansion of the networks, encouraging demand and fostering economic development in the rural areas,' Mr. Dan Georgescu, the ANRC President, declared during the press conference organised today at the Authority'™s headquarters.
A telecentre is a publicly available space provided with at least 2 telephone sets, 2 computers and one facsimile machine, where access to a public telephone network at a fixed location is ensured, so that the end-users could initiate and receive local, distance and international calls, facsimile and data communications at a transfer rate high enough to allow functional access to the Internet.
A telecentre must operate for a minimum three-year period. The net cost incurred by each universal service provider for the installation and operation of a telecentre access link, as well as for the purchase and insurance of the equipments to be installed in the telecentre shall be compensated from the universal access fund managed by ANRC. For each locality, the tender will start from a subsidy value estimated to be sufficient for the net cost financing.
This year, the telecentre tender procedure has been amended so as to increase the attractiveness of the universal service projects. Therefore, ANRC has imposed restrictions on the activity of the universal service providers, limiting it to the provision of electronic communications networks and services (installation and operation of the telecentre access link, purchase, installation and insurance of the equipments), thus diminishing the risks of doing business in the rural areas. Furthermore, the tender starting price has been established in view of ensuring an attractive profitability rate of the investment. The companies designated as universal service providers in the 40 localities will benefit from the partnership of the local authorities. The latter have already concluded a pre-contract with ANRC, undertaking the obligation to participate in the implementation of universal service through the management and full financing of the telecentre local operation. Among the main responsibilities of the local authorities we count: making available the telecentre location and utilities, ensuring the security, maintenance and operation of the equipment and end-user billing.
The list of localities envisaged for the installation of telecentres at today'™s tender is available in Romanian here, on the ANRC website. There are 40 villages selected from those Romanian localities identified as having low availability of telephone services and whose mayoralties have expressed willingness to participate in the telecentre programme initiated by ANRC. The selection of these 40 localities was based on the following criteria: full payment of the telecentre management expenses by the local authorities, number of inhabitants, choosing one village in a commune and maximum 4 localities in a county, as well as providing for a well-balanced geographical distribution. The localities that were hard-stricken by the floods, such as those in the counties of Bacau and Vrancea, shall be considered during the next phases of the national programme for the installation of telecentres.
The documents required for drawing up and submitting the offer in order to participate in the tender for the installation of telecentres may be purchased from the ANRC headquarters from September 2nd, 2005. Further requests for details may be transmitted by September 30, 2005. The deadline for submitting the offers is October 18th, 2005, 10:00 a.m. The offers will be opened on October 18th, 2005, 12:00 and the winning offer will be designated by the tender commission within 30 days from the offer opening date.
The designation of the universal service providers who will have the obligation to install telecentres is part of a national multi-annual programme launched by ANRC in 2004, a programme which focuses on ensuring the provision of a minimum set of communications services (telephone, facsimile and Internet) for the communities in the rural areas featuring a low degree of access to these services.
What role will the mayoralties have?
telecentre management - making available the telecentre location and utilities, ensuring the security, maintenance and operation of the equipment and end-user billing.
What role will the universal service providers have?
provision of the connection, equipments and services '“ installation and operation of the telecentre access link, provision of services through this link, purchase, installation and insurance of the equipments of the telecentre, ensuring the basic training of the telecentre personnel in charge of the equipment operation and end-user assistance, provision of an information system able to account for the cost of the provided services, in real time.
What role will ANRC have?
- coordinate the national programme for the telecentre installation, organise tenders and conclude agreements
- manage the Universal Service Fund and compensate the net cost incurred by the universal service providers
- monitor the compliance with the obligations undertaken by the universal service providers and the local public administration based on the agreements concluded with ANRC.
The National Regulatory Authority for Communications is the independent institution responsible for the implementation of the national electronic communications and postal services policy. By its activity, ANRC aims to accomplish several major objectives: promote competition, protect the best interest of the end-users and encourage effective investments in infrastructure.
Currently, there are 5 telecentres installed after the open tender organized by ANRC in 2004, while the authority's objective for this year is to install over 100 new telecentres.
