The charges will be reduced by 19-30% in the first stage, down to similar levels across all mobile operators, and by 24% in the second stage, starting on September 1, ANCOM sadi in a press release.
The regulator’s suggestions for landline interconnection fees are the same as those announced in August. They will be reduced, initially, by 15.5%, from 0.97 eurocents/minute to 0.82 eurocents/minute as of January 1, 2012, and by 18%, to 0.67 eurocents/minute as of July 1, 2012.
The charges will therefore be 31% lower by next year. In addition, they will no longer be differentiated according to the time of day.
The proposed charges were determined by ANCOM following comparative analyses of their level in other European states. The authority will notify the European Commission, the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) and the national regulators of other EU member states.
The last time ANCOM reduced the mobile interconnection charges was on January 1, 2009 for operators Vodafone Romania and Orange Romania, and on July 1, 2010 for Cosmote Romania, RDS&RCS and Telemobil.