Radio spectrum use
The fundamental document for the radio spectrum management in Romania is the National Table of Frequency Bands Allocations (NTFA), which encompasses information regarding:
- allocations of frequency bands to radiocommunication services in Romania, comparing them with regional and European allocations;
- designations of radio frequency bands in Romania for the pan-European radiocommunication systems and for various systems or applications, the use of which is harmonised at European level, comparing them with European designations;
- other possible applications in various radio frequency bands;
- technical regulations and rules applicable in Romania for various radio frequency bands;
- status of use (exclusive or shared, governmental/non-governmental) for each radio frequency band.
The radio spectrum may be used by transmission or by reception.
Transmission in the radio spectrum is possible only upon obtaining a licence for the use of radio frequencies or a broadcasting licence, as the case may be, issued by ANCOM, excepting certain categories of frequencies which can be used freely, on a licence-exempt basis, for certain types of applications and under the strict observance of certain technical and operational parameters (further details are available in the”Equipment” section).
Reception in the radio spectrum is free, excepting specific situations provided in the procedure for licensing the rights to use the radio spectrum, cases in which a licence for the use of radio frequencies issued byANCOM is required (in view of ensuring the radioelectric protection for the respective receptions).
In Romania, a licence for the use of radio frequencies may be obtained either upon direct granting procedure or by a comparative or competitive selection procedure.
ANCOMissues broadcasting licences by direct granting procedure , to the holders of audio-visual licences issued by the National Audiovisual Council (CNA), which grants such licences by a competitive procedure.
The direct granting procedure for issuing licences for the use of radio frequencies and frequency assignments authorisations enclosed thereto, as well as the situations or cases where the selection procedure is enforced instead, are available for consultation in Decision no.658/2005.
The procedure for issuing the broadcasting licences and the technical authorisations attached thereto is available for consultation in Decision no.629/2010.
The radiocommunication operators must use the radio spectrum efficiently and rationally, without producing harmful interferences to other legitimate users of the radio spectrum.
ANCOMguards these principles by imposing technical and operational terms in the licences, as well as technical and operational parameters in the authorisations attached to the licences.
The holders of licences for the use of radio frequencies and the holders of broadcasting licences oweANCOM the annual tariff for the use of the radio spectrum. The reception of radio waves is not chargeable.
Further details ontheprocedure and the list of tariffs for the use of the radio spectrum currently in force are available for consultation in Decision 551/2012.
The requesters of licences for the use of radio frequencies may find themselves in one of the following situations:
- they are providers of electronic communications public networks and/or services (as the case may be for: sound broadcasting and television service, certain types of networks in the following services: land mobile (e.g. cellular mobile telephony networks), fixed service (e.g. point-multipoint networks for data transmissions), fixed-satellite service, mobile-satellite service),
- they intend to use the radio spectrum for their own needs (this is applicable to all the radiocommunication services in the ITU list), and offer a pertinent reason therefore, explaining the impossibility of fulfilling their communication needs by other means/technologies that do not use the radio spectrum,
- they are compelled to use the radio spectrum in order to conduct specific activities or accomplish specific tasks within other sectors than electronic communications, which – by their nature – may not be conducted/accomplished unless the radio spectrum is used (e.g.: radiocommunications for the maritime mobile service and the aeronautical mobile service, the radiolocation service and the maritime and aeronautical radionavigation services).
The requesters of broadcasting licences may only be the holders of audiovisual licences issued by CNA.
The personnel operating radiocommunication stations shall be certified only if these stations are operating in the following radiocommunication services: maritime mobile service and maritime mobile-satellite service, on the inland waterways, aeronautical mobile service and aeronautical mobile-satellite service, as well as in certain situations in case of the land mobile service.
Details on the procedure of certifying the operating personnel and the applicable examination syllabus, as well as on the operator’s certificate holders’ competences and obligations are available in Decision no.699/2005. Further details are available in the “Radio operators” section.
Generally, the radioamateurs are a special category of users of the radio spectrum. This category is granted special attention in Romania, too. The technical rules and terms on the use of the radio spectrum by the radioamateurs, the procedure of certifying the radioamateurs and the applicable examination syllabus, the procedure of authorising radiocommunication stations in the amateur service, as well as the rules of the radioamateur activity are available for consultation in Decision no.660/2005. Further details are available in the “Radioamateurs” section.
International activities of ANCOM in the field of the radio spectrum
In view of the efficient achievement of the radio spectrum management objective in Romania, ANCOM keeps up-to-date with the global developments in this field, with the evolution of radiocommunication technologies and takes an active part in the currently ardent debates, on topics such as: the convergence of the electronic communications networks and services, the efficient use of the radio spectrum, the technological convergence in the radiocommunication field, where new trends and speciality concepts are engendered, which are relevant for the field of radio spectrum, in general, therefore affecting also radio spectrum management activities.
In this respect,ANCOM prepares national position papers and takes part in international radio spectrum management activities, collaborating with international bodies and institutions which are active in the radiocommunication field.
Thus,ANCOM takes part in the meetings of the international bodies and organisations having tasks and activities that relate exclusively to the field of electronic communications (European Conference of the Post and Telecommunications Administrations – CEPT, International Telecommunication Union – ITU) or that include the field of electronic communications (European Union – EU, International Maritime Organisation – IMO, International Civil Aviation Organisation – ICAO, North-Atlantic Treaty Organisation – NATO).
This activity involves:
- preparation of the national position on the issues discussed in the plenary sessions, as well as in the meetings of the committees, working groups and sub-groups of the above-mentioned international bodies and organisations, in agreement with MCSI,
- direct participation in the plenary sessions, as well as in the meetings of the committees, working groups and sub-groups of the above-mentioned international bodies and organisations, where ANCOM presents and sustains the national position and offers professional technical support to MCSI, which represents Romania in the international bodies and organisations in which our country is a member.
Among the concrete results of this activity, we mention:
1) at the ITU level, the signing of various international agreements to which Romania is party:
- Final Acts of the World Radiocommunication Conferences (that permanently update the ITU Radio Regulations),
- Final Acts of the Plenipotentiary Conferences (that permanently update the ITU Constitution and Convention),
- regional radiocommunication agreements and associated plans of frequency channels allotments, especially for the following services: sound broadcasting and television (Stockholm 1961 – ST61, Geneva 1975 – GE75, Geneva 1984 – GE84, Geneva 2006 – GE06), broadcasting-satellite service (appendix 30 of the ITU Radio Regulations), fixed-satellite service (appendices 30A and 30B of the ITU Radio Regulations),
as well as resolutions, recommendations and reports applicable at an international level.
2) at the CEPT level, the signing of various regional agreements to which Romania is party:
- Wiesbaden 1995 regional arrangement, revised at Constanta in 2007 – Wi95revCO07,
- Maastricht 2002 regional arrangement, revised at Constanta in 2007 – Ma02revCO07, as well as decisions, recommendations and reports applicable at the CEPT level.
ANCOMclosely cooperates with foreign regulatory authorities in the field of radiocommunications. In this concern,ANCOM takes part in bilateral and multilateral meetings for the coordination of the use of radio frequencies, especially in, but not limited to, the border areas, for various radiocommunication services: land mobile service, sound broadcasting and television service, fixed service, on the inland waterways.
Among the concrete results of this activity, we mention the signing of some regional agreements to which Romania is party:
- HCM Agreement (2008) for the land mobile and the fixed services,
- RAINWAT Regional Arrangement (Basel, 2000), for the radiotelephone service on the inland waterways,
- multilateral and bilateral agreements with the neighbouring countries, for the following radiocommunication services: land mobile service, fixed service, sound broadcasting and television service.
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