Telecommunications

Major legislation in the field of ICT:

·         Ordinance No. 34/30 January 2002 on the Access to the Electronic Communications Networks and to the Associated Infrastructure, as well as their Interconnection;

·         Ordinance No. 31/30 January 2002 on Postal Services;

The government plans to invest USD 7-8 billion over the next 15 years, in a program supported by the EBRD and the World Bank, which includes provisions for the installation of 500,000 new phone lines and the introduction of digital systems. A number of foreign companies are engaged in developing the telecom sector in the country. In November 1998 OTE (Greece) bought a 35% stake of the state monopole RomTelecom (liberalization of the telecommunications market is planned for 1 January 2003). Under a USD 100 million contract Ericsson (Sweden) and Intracom (Greece) expand Internet and voice services for RomTelecom’s fixed-line network.

Alcatel (France) is implementing a project worth USD 120.7 million for expanding the fixed telephone network over the next four years with the installation of at least 650,000 new telephone lines in Alcatel exchanges in the country.

At present there are 4 mobile telephone operators in Romania, all with foreign participation. Two GSM licenses have been granted in 1996 to Mobifon and MobilRom (900 MHz frequency range). Telemobil (450 MHz) and CosmoRom (1,800 MHz) still have limited national coverage. At present more than 20% of the Romanians are having mobile phones.

In April 2002 Alcatel announced it has set up a co-operation with Orange Romania, with the objective to develop 3G/UMTS mobile communications business in Romania, which is the first UMTS on the air operation implemented in the Central and Eastern Europe.