The projects, however, will not start unless the communications market watchdog ANCOM and the Romanian government come up with a clear strategy for digitalization over the next five years and address issues that have been hindering development of the industry for years – such as construction permits, the leaders of the four groups said at the ZF Digital ’19 conference.
The auction for the 5G radio spectrum is one such example where operators expect clear answers from ANCOM and the government as the authorities expect them to pay hundreds of millions of euros for licenses. So far, many of the operators’ questions have been left unanswered, the leaders of the four groups said.
“The 5G action should be done correctly. The 5G investment is long-term and significant. there must be a balance of spectrum licensing costs, one-time costs, overheads, the capacity to invest and the capacity to implement in our networks,” said Liudmila Climoc, CEO of Orange Romania, the local telecom market leader.
“The main topic of discussion is the 700 MHz frequency spectrum. The country that will be the fastest in awarding this radio spectrum will be the fastest to benefit from this technology. One should not pay in advance for something that is not available. There are many unanswered questions, we need to clarify all questions before Romania can seriously take advantage of the 5G opportunities.”
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)