ACC – BUCHAREST. The Romanian Cable Communications Association (ACC) has strongly criticised moves to introduce an underground fibre-optic network in the capital, Bucharest. Although the ACC, along with leading operators such as UPC and RCS/RDS are broadly supportive of the ‘NetCity’ project, they are critical of the city authorities for having already started construction without all the necessary technical and economic preparations having been made. Moreover, they say NetCity would create a monopoly, with cable operators having to rent both the ducts and network.
The cost of NetCity, which the ACC does not believe to be financially viable, could reach €42 million for a total length 1,427km. Speaking to Broadband TV News, ACC president Radu Petric said that the ACC has already embarked on a legal action against the Bucharest city authorities, with the next hearing into the case set for February 2008. Bucharest, like other cities in Romania, is effectively self-governing, and NetCity can be regarded as a template for similar future developments in the rest of the country.