„Voxtel” claims that the issue of the license for “Moldtelecom” is a political action

The decision of the National Regulatory Agency in Telecommunications and Informatics (ANRTI) to offer the license to “Moldtelecom” Joint Stock Company is a political measure and, as it was taken without any contest, it aims to consolidate the status of the state enterprises. This is what Francis Gelibter, the GENERAL DIRECTOR OF „Voxtel” Joint Stock Company stated on Tuesday, July 4. According to Mr Gelibter, the performance of the new mobile telephony operator must be determined by the market and not by the state or by other telephone communication operators. Gelibter admits that a third, new operator would be welcome on the market, but it has to operate under the same conditions as the present ones. Unfortunately ANRTI has not used the previous European experience regarding the running of the mobile telephony market. “The existing and the potential users of mobile telephony should have the right to a free choice within fair and transparent conditions”, remarks Gelibter. The director of „Voxtel” has also noticed that the act of issuing a license of mobile telephony to „Moldtelecom”, which holds approximately 99.5 % of the stationary telephony market, would menace the good running of the market. Gelibter mentioned that if not taking special regulative measures on the market, the mobile telephony activity will be totally assumed by both the existing stationary telephony operators and the contributors. In order to guarantee a fair competition, “Voxtel” calls ANRTI to bring out the technical terms of the licenses of all the mobile telephony operators and to prevent any subsidization of the state operator. At the same time, “Voxtel” requests that the partners, no matter state or private, of the state enterprises be selected according to transparent contests. Francis Gelibter notifies that during the last 18 months, „Voxtel” has consolidated its position on the market. For the moment being, the company has 730.000 customers , which represent 20% of Moldova’s population. In this period, „Voxtel” has gained 2 more percentage points, and holds 64% of the mobile telephony market. At the same time the enterprise keeps investing in the development of its network in order to increase its customers’ number to 95% of the Moldovan market. At the end of the last week, the Department for issuing the licenses of ANRTI has offered the third mobile telephony license to „Moldtelecom”, in conformity to the CDMA 2000 standard. According to ANRTI, the decision to issue the license was taken on the request of „Moldtelecom”. Besides, in agreement with the Law of telecommunications, it was appointed that the license would be offered directly. The relative regulation authorities informed that before the decision was made no other request has been recorded, except the one submitted by „Moldtelecom”. „Moldtelecom” will acquire the license in 30 days after the decision is approved by ANRTI. This will happen after the company delivers to the state budget half of the tax set by the Government on June 14, and that is estimated at 8 million dollars. The rest is to be paid in equal shares, during the next two years.