Romania has 96.5 per cent fibre coverage1 and rates as having some of the best value broadband in Europe. How has this been achieved and what is different about Romania when compared to other similar countries?
What role do you see for non-terrestrial networks in the future? Do you still expect 5G to dominate in the coming years?
I must say that we are proud of the electronic communications landscape in Romania. We have succeeded in building a stable and open market, with a high degree of competition and quality services at low rates.
Romania’s broadband value is the result of several combined factors. In my opinion, one of the key factors is competition, which is essential in this field as it creates incentives for innovation and attracts efficient investments in infrastructure. The objective of promoting competition, including effective infrastructure-based competition, should be a priority. The coverage rate is a result of facilitating an adequate competitive framework based on infrastructure competition.
Another element is timing – because large-scale infrastructure development happened later than in Western Europe, our market players made early and widespread investments in fibre-optic technology, which laid the foundation for a modern and robust infrastructure. This gave the country access to high-speed connections from the outset. The roll-out of high-quality internet access infrastructure in Romania could be described as a ‘race to invest’. It started in the late 90s and early 00s, when cable TV players started to upgrade their networks in order to add internet access as a new service to generate revenues, but also when a large number of small ISPs started to build so-called ‘neighbourhood networks’, actually small ethernet UTP/FTP-based networks used to provide internet and file sharing (e.g. movies). Seizing the opportunity given by the legacy monopolistic network, whose only available internet offer until end of 2005 had been expensive and slow dial-up internet, these initially small networks grew significantly (organic and inorganic growth). Such growth made UTP/FTP no longer an option to sustain the increased speed and traffic needs, so many of them chose to jump some steps and invest directly in the newest technology: fibre-based internet access infrastructure.
Furthermore, human capital plays, without a doubt, an important role in the efficient deployment and maintenance of broadband networks. Romania has a long tradition in communications technology and computer science.
We must bear in mind that the telecoms industry is one built on innovation and evolution. From our perspective, the non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) – such as satellites, high-altitude platforms and emerging technologies – are game changers for the future of connectivity. NTNs can play a crucial role in addressing communications needs in remote or underserved areas. This may help bridge the digital divide. NTN’s convergence with terrestrial systems has a key role in achieving seamless global connectivity.
National regulators are the architects of integration. They are primarily responsible for applying and enforcing EU rules within their own countries
ANCOM has constantly adapted to market developments and adopted measures to support technological development in Romania, which is the case today with space and the new emerging satellite technologies.
As the national telecoms regulator of Romania, we work to make connectivity fully available, accessible, affordable, resilient and innovative for our societies and this is why we are actively exploring integrating non-terrestrial networks with our existing infrastructure. The recent development of NTNs may enhance coverage in remote and underserved areas in Romania, where terrestrial infrastructure is challenging or economically unfeasible to deploy. With advancements in satellite technology, such as LEO constellations, NTNs can deliver high-speed, low-latency internet access comparable to terrestrial broadband. NTNs could be essential for backup connectivity and resilience during emergency situations and natural disasters.
Last but not least, interoperability standards must be ensured at all levels, with NTN operators able to integrate with 5G networks through open interfaces, mirroring the EU’s push for a single market in telecoms. This ensures a cohesive user experience, whether in urban Bucharest or rural Transylvania.
In recent years we have witnessed significant efforts across the world to ensure a safer and more transparent digital environment, with the European Union at the forefront of regulating the digital sector. In your opinion, why do we need regulations such as the Digital Services Act and what role does ANCOM play in implementing it at national level?
The EU leads the world in understanding the broad, interlinked forces driving technology innovation in the digital sector. The enforcement of the DSA exemplifies this leadership and is critical in preserving a fair and open digital ecosystem for all.
For millennia, humans have used the knife as an aid in their daily life, from cutting bread to chopping art. The same knife can also harm when used with bad intentions. The same applies to the digital world. In an era where digital platforms and online services have become native to our daily lives, the DSA aims to create a safer online environment for consumers and businesses. The regulation aims at protecting consumers and their fundamental rights, defining clear responsibilities for online platforms and social networks and addressing illegal content and products, hate speech and misinformation. All these in order to achieve greater transparency through follow-up reporting and oversight and encouraging innovation, growth, and competitiveness in the EU internal market.
As national Digital Services Coordinator in Romania, ANCOM’s role is to provide assistance and constant and consistent support for understanding the concepts and mechanisms within the Digital Services regulation and to formulate recommendations to the relevant authorities, through direct bilateral communications, multi-party roundtables, addresses, presentations, communications or tabletop exercises.
ANCOM does not take over the legal powers of public authorities or institutions in terms of taking measures against illegal content, but, as coordinator of digital services, we are by the side of any authority or public institution that needs clarification on understanding the concepts within the DSA.
We emphasise the importance of a very clear distinction between coordination and its limits (where it begins and where it ends) and subordination, an aspect that is essential in understanding and analysing the ecosystem of public authorities in any member state, especially since the European Commission has consistently emphasised that the DSA is a horizontal instrument.
Regulatory fragmentation remains a concern in the industry and there are frequent calls for greater harmonisation. Some suggest that now is the time to push towards a full ‘digital single market’. What is your view on this?
Telecoms is already one of the most open, competitive and integrated markets across the EU. Besides, there is no regulatory fragmentation in telecoms. Over recent decades, national regulatory authorities (NRAs) have worked together to harmonise the framework and its application to the highest extent possible, to deliver competition for the users’ benefit. In addition, technological progress shifts attention towards APIs, hyper-scalers and digital services, so the scope for regulatory fragmentation narrows dramatically.
The Draghi report and the EU Compass both seem to agree on the need for regulatory simplification to enable greater economic growth, yet there is more regulation on the horizon as well as extensive overlap between existing regulations and few clear proposals. What do you consider needs to be done to address this issue?
From my point of view, addressing regulatory complexity and overlap is important not only for greater economic growth, but also to enable a competitive and innovative electronic communications sector.
The regulatory environment should keep pace with technological and market developments. Promoting competition and the interests of end-users should be central to refurbishing the electronic communications framework. Encouraging competition in the relevant domains needs more action and less legislation making; from this point of view the new ‘simplification’ in the Omnibus packages is welcomed.2The goal is to foster a more favourable business environment, especially for SMEs, and to boost competitiveness and innovation across the EU.
With regard to the various EU acts governing this sector, I believe that it is important to leverage the expertise of NRAs by initiating the necessary steps to ensure the convergence and correlation of different legislative provisions, which might otherwise seem dispersed. Regulatory simplification should be seen as an ongoing process, not as a one-time initiative.
Do you think the division of responsibilities between national and European regulators is balanced correctly? How do you think the relationships should evolve in the future?
The ICT sector is evolving at a rapid pace, which means that regulations should be synchronised.
We have the chance to make the new technologies into tools of development and progress for our countries, through cooperation, transparency, responsibility and trustworthiness.
Partnerships between stakeholders alongside wise governance and regulation are key elements for handling the path towards the 5th Industrial Revolution, which has the potential for the biggest transformations ever faced by our societies.
I strongly believe that national regulators and EU regulators have complementary roles. The dialogue between them is essential to establish norms, share intelligence and build trust.
EU regulators, such as the European Commission and BEREC, have a pivotal role in fostering innovation while ensuring a harmonised regulatory framework across the EU.
National regulators are the architects of integration. They are primarily responsible for applying and enforcing EU rules within their own countries, creating and promoting a climate that is suitable for each market player and fostering fair competition, access and investment, while enabling flexibility for new technologies and protecting the interests of end-users. This cooperation encourages both autonomy and accountability. But the future will be different from what we imagine now. No one knows the member states’ architecture of 2035. I can tell you that it won’t resemble anything we currently envision, mark my words.
Quickfire
What was the last book you read?
Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What is Human in a World of Machines by Dr Joy Buolamwini.
A dish you’d recommend for anyone visiting Romania?
Stuffed cabbage rolls (sarmale in Romanian).
A favourite song or piece of music from your childhood?
Frank Sinatra – My Way.
and then