Ancom - Maine incep rundele primare de licitatie pentru multiplexurile de televiziune digitala

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Primary Rounds of the Digital Multiplex Auction Start Tomorrow

04.06.2014

The first primary rounds of the auction that ANCOM is holding for awarding the five digital television multiplexes available in Romania were scheduled to take place on Thursday, 5 June, from 10.00 o’clock. The bidding operators are RCS & RDS S.A. and the National Broadcasting Company S.A.

In the primary rounds each bidder submits a bid, indicating the number of multiplexes it wishes to purchase. At the end of each round, all the submitted bids are aggregated and if the demand exceeds the available multiplexes in at least one category, new primary rounds are scheduled until the demand no longer exceeds the offer. In the first primary round, the price for each multiplex will be equal to the reserve price, i.e. EUR 300,000. The price will increase in the next rounds with a pre-established increment – ranging between 5% and 20% – only in the case of the multiplexes for which the demand exceeds the offer.

The auction rounds will be held at the ANCOM premises – Bucharest Regional Division in 4 Lucian Blaga Street, Block M110, Sector 3, Bucharest, where each bidder will be allocated a room endowed with a telephone and Internet access. Only the persons mandated to represent the bidding operators will be allowed to access the auction place.

ANCOM auctions out five multiplexes, four in UHF and one in VHF, in the DVB-T2 standard. The first multiplex in UHF (MUX 1) will be used to broadcast free-to-air, under transparent, competitive and non-discriminatory conditions, the public and private television stations that are currently broadcast in analogue terrestrial system, in accordance with the provisions of the Audiovisual Law.

Moreover, according to the Strategy elaborated by the Ministry of Information Society, this multiplex will have to ensure a coverage, in fixed reception, of 90% of the population and 80% of the territory by 31 December 2016, as the only multiplex, out of the five available, bearing such coverage obligations. For the other multiplexes (MUX 2, MUX 3, MUX 4 and MUX 5), the operators will have the obligation to launch in operation - by 1 May 2017 - at least 36 emission stations for each of the networks corresponding to these multiplexes, installed one in each allocation area.

All the licences will be granted for a 10-year period and will enter into force starting 17 June 2015. The winners will have the obligation to pay the licence fee no later than 90 calendar days after the result of the selection procedure is announced.