Thus, M PLUS INVESTMENTS S.R.L, headquartered in Iasi, won the local multiplex for this city, while NOVA MEDIA S.R.L. won a local multiplex for Timișoara. Since there are two local multiplexes available for allocation in Timisoara, an allocation round will be held on 16 February 2017, in which the bidders have the possibility - if they so wish - to choose a preferred position in the spectrum for the multiplex won, upon paying an additional fee.

Monday, 20 February 2017, ANCOM will announce the final results of the auction, including the licence fees each of the winners will have the obligation to pay.

 

Within the auction, fourth of this type, two national, 26 regional and 18 local digital terrestrial television multiplexes unawarded in the previous selection procedures had been made available to the interested persons.

A digital multiplex is a group of radio broadcasting and television programmes, additional multimedia services and other associated identification data transmitted from the emission stations to the end-users by terrestrial radio means, using digital modulation within the limits of a standard television channel/frequency block.

National multiplexes will cover the whole country with digital terrestrial television services, whereas each of the regional and local multiplexes will serve a specific allotment, which may cover one county or one locality.

 

As established by the strategy on the transition from analogue terrestrial television to digital terrestrial television approved by the Government of Romania, the multiplexes shall be awarded by a competitive selection procedure, i.e. auction. This means that each bidder should submit an initial bid indicating the categories and the number of multiplexes they wish to acquire. Where the demand exceeds the number of multiplexes available, primary rounds will be organised in case of the multiplexes for which the demand exceeds the offer. For the rest of the categories, the winners will be designated based on the initial bid.

After the winners and the prices for each targeted multiplex have been established, the auction may continue by an allocation round, where the multiplexes will be awarded to the winners depending on the additional amounts they are willing to pay for the assignment of a certain frequency.

The minimum licence fee, i.e. the starting price for each national multiplex is EUR 300,000, whereas for the regional and local multiplexes it ranges from EUR 1,000 for a multiplex awarded within a locality that is not a county capital to EUR 10,000. The licence fees were established by the Government in February 2014.

All the multiplexes will be awarded for a 10-year period. The winners will be able to start the provision of the services upon obtaining the licence from ANCOM and will have to put into operation at least 36 transmitters within 2 years from the licence issuance for the national multiplexes, and at least one transmitter in each assignment area, for regional or local multiplexes.

The auction documents are available on the ANCOM website, here.