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The Ministry of Information Technology and Communications (MITC) has produced a draft law to simplify the procedure of installing electronic communications networks. Thus, its authors are proposing a number of regulations concerning the installation of these networks on private property. According to the document, joint communications networks shall be created for several service providers, ensuring rapid switch from one operator to another.
The authors of the draft claim the Moldovan cities and towns are penetrated by numerous overhead cables that are installed without being coordinated with responsible authorities, so that the quality of provided services suffers. One alternative proposed by the Ministry team is installing networks through canalization.
“Restricted access (especially due to price) to the associated infrastructure (especially canalization) of the historic operator limits the access of alternative operators, which install overhead cables as a cheaper solution,” the authors believe. In such conditions, the State should play the double role of owner and regulator, given that the historical operator – Moldtelecom – is state-owned, which creates unfair conditions for competition on the market.
Stanislav Gordea, one of the authors of the draft, told Media Azi that the initiative would encourage companies to invest into the development of this infrastructure and would stimulate competition between providers, since they would operate under equal conditions. “By this law, we intend to give electronic communications networks a status equal to that of electricity and gas networks, given that the importance of communications networks in society has grown,” Gordea added.
“Due to outdated regulations in the area of constructions, oriented towards a single provider of electronic communications services, apartment buildings have no distribution canals/networks for Internet access, and some buildings have as many cables installed as the number of Internet providers that exist on the market in their district, which spoils the appearance of buildings and does not enable users to easily switch from one provider to another,” the Ministry proposal claims.
“After this law enters into force, there will be provisions concerning the type of cable that can be used. Mostly, it is fiber optic cable, both for central and internal access networks. Fiber optic cables are already being used, since they allow providing several services, including voice, Internet, and television, through a single cable,” Gordea explained.
Gordea also said that after this draft law is adopted, new apartment buildings will be built by taking into consideration the need to connect to several providers. However, the law will not be applicable to old buildings, except if they are renovated.
In addition to creating a single network in apartment buildings, the initiative will improve access to electronic communications networks for all citizens, Gordea added. “Residential block managers will be obliged to not give priority to any service providers. This ensures the final right of consumers to choose their provider. A person subscribed to an operator can connect more easily to a more convenient operator if they find one,” Gordea mentioned.
This draft law, which, according to its authors, complies with the Moldova 2020 strategy, has been produced based on the analysis of European directives and Romanian and Polish legislation.
