The new rates will be submitted to the European Commission for approval.
ANCOM said in a press release the lowering of termination rates was necessary to stimulate competition on the telecom market.
Although the smartphone penetration rate in Romania is comparable to those in France or Germany, over 70% of Romanian users limit their mobile calls due to high cost concerns, the regulator said.
“Barriers between mobile networks, mainly consisting of high termination rates, discourage communication between users of different networks. The new rates proposed by ANCOM realistically reflect the consumption of resources required to provide these services and will ensure a healthy development of competition, to the benefit of users,” said ANCOM president Catalin Marinescu.
The new rates will be mandatory for all major telecom operators in Romania. Operators have criticized the plan to lower termination rates saying it would lower their revenue and affect their investments in telecom infrastructure.