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Development of the Electronic Communications Sector
An important event in the Lithuanian telecommunications market is the final liberalisation of the telecommunications market de jure associated with the expiry of the exclusive rights of Lietuvos Telekomas AB to provide the public fixed telephone connection services, i.e. 31 December 2002.
At present the electronic communications activities in the Republic of Lithuania are regulated in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on Electronic Communications which regulates public relations connected to the electronic communication services, networks and associated measures and services as well as the use of electronic communication resources. Such public relations are also connected with radio equipment, terminal equipment and electromagnetic compatibility.
Fixed Telephone Connection
At the end of the first half of 2005 the right to engage in telecommunication activities was held by following players (who submitted notifications about the commencement of telecommunication activities): public fixed telephone connection network and/or service provision activities – 54 economic entities. In the second quarter of 2005 the public fixed connection activities were commenced by 8 new companies who provided their services using the IP protocol, 5 of them operating through cable television networks.
In the second quarter of 2005 37 companies engaged in the public fixed telephone connection activities.
The number of telephone connection lines in that quarter decreased by 4.9 thousand or 0.6% . In the second quarter of 2005 the total number of channels of the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) grew by 0.2%.
Public Mobile Connection
In the first half of 2005 public mobile telephone connection services were provided by 3 operators (Omnitel UAB, Bitė Lietuva UAB, Tele2 UAB) and 5 service providers (Eurocom UAB, Laracijos Telekomunikacijos UAB, Teledema UAB, AKN UAB and Norfos Mažmena UAB) which provide their services through the network of Bitė GSM UAB. 2 economic entities (Autožvilgsnis UAB, Mobilus Partneris UAB) resold the services of other operators to subscribers.
The total number of subscribers of the mobile telephone connection services in one quarter increased by 11.3% and reached 4.07 million, i.e. 119.2 subscribers per 100 residents. As compared to the end of the first half of 2004, the number of subscribers grew by 48.35%.
Leased Lines
As of the end of the first half of 2005, leased line services were provided by 16 economic entities.
Internet Access
As of the end of the first half of 2005, the Internet access services were provided by 99 providers.If we compare the first quarter of 2005 with the same period of 2004, the total income from the provision of the Internet access services increased by 39.0% and reached 48.60 million litas.
Broadband Connection
The broadband connection access is a permanent data transmission service provided through electronic communications of the synchronous bandwidth of at least 512 kbps last mile to the network end point (per every factual user of electronic communication services) at a competitive price.
As of 31 March 2005, the number of subscribers using broadband connection technology was 153.54 thousand (as of the beginning of the period it was 129.05 thousand), which in a quarter grew by 19.0%, and since the end of the first quarter of 2004 – more than twice.
As of the end of the first quarter, the penetration of the broadband connection (the number of subscribers per 100 residents) was 4.5% and in a quarter grew by about 0.7%.
Trans-European (Telecommunication) Network (eTEN) Programme
eTEN is a programme of the European Commission promoting the implementation of the information society services attributable to the trans-European dimension. The Programme promotes the emergence of general e-services by strengthening the European model based on the public cohesion.
eTEN Programme is the implementation of the trans-European network policy although, apart from the telecommunication sector, TEN programmes exist as two subsidiary programmes in the energy and the transport sectors. eTEN Programme does not receive funding for the infrastructure development but rather emphasises the main strivings of the eEurope 2005 Action Plan (to promote e-health, e-governance, e-education, e-insertion and reliability and security services (those strivings are referred to as action lines)).
http://europa.eu.int/eten – official web-site of the Trans-European Network (eTEN) Programme
GALILEO Programme
GALILEO is a Europe’s global navigation satellite system which creates a possibility of providing services by precisely identifying objects within civil control. The user will be provided with a possibility of identifying the object position using all the available satellites in any combinations. The double radio frequency standard will allow identifying the location of an object online within the accuracy of a meter. Such a civil system has no precedence and will ensure the provision of services under various conditions informing the user about the status of satellites just within a few seconds. GALILEO will create conditions for ensuring security.
Benefits of GALILEO Programme for Europe. Europe needs GALILEO Programme as Europe has no analogue to the Global Positioning System (GPS) of the United States of America and Russia’s GLONASS System. However both systems are controlled by military structures, which is why there are doubts as to uninterrupted continuity of connection. Moreover, both systems (GPS and GLONASS) are not adjusted to transmit signals in Northern Europe.
Project on RAIN Information Technology Broadband Network for Rural Areas
The Institute of Mathematics and Informatics, the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Ministry of Education and Science participate in the implementation of the RAIN Project.
Due to low density of population, current social problems and related minimal financial capacities as well as due to high development costs of the communication infrastructure and low initial demand for commercial broadband connection and the Internet services, rural areas are often not attractive for commercial activities. This contributes to the aggravation of social and economic gaps between rural and urban areas.
The implementation of the RAIN Project will end with the construction of optical paths to 241 rural neighbourhoods of the country thus creating a backbone network of especially high data transmission bandwidth which will allow providing the Internet access services to the population of rural areas, non-governmental organisations, public organisations and business enterprises.
Digital Television Implementation Model of Lithuania
The Digital Television Implementation Model of Lithuania sets out specific actions to implement terrestrial digital television, implementing authorities, their functions, measures to be implemented and deadlines.
The Digital Television Implementation Model of Lithuania is drafted following the Strategy of Allocation of Radio Frequencies for Broadcasting and Transmitting Radio and Television Programmes approved by Resolution No. 376 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania as of 27 March 2003.
This Model sets out the minimal network development obligations for the DTV transmitters for the first digital television implementation stage:
§ by 30 June 2006 to install DTV transmitters in Vilnius which would jointly be capable of transmitting at least 20 television programmes;
§ by the end of 2007 to install DTV transmitters which would jointly be capable of transmitting at least 16 television programmes in the 5 largest cities of Lithuania;
§ by the beginning of 2009 to achieve that the coverage of at least one DTV network would be at least 95% of the area of the
DTV transmitters and/or retransmitters whose programmes will be transmitted via the DTV network (networks) on a competitive basis are selected by the Radio and Television Commission of Lithuania in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on the Provision of Information to the Public, the Strategy of Allocation of Radio Frequencies for Broadcasting and Transmitting Radio and Television Programmes, the DTV Implementation Model of Lithuania and the Rules of Licensing Transmission and Retransmitting Activities approved by Decision No. 47 of the Radio and Television Commission of Lithuania as of 2 May 2001 and coordinated with the provisions of the DTV Implementation Model of Lithuania.
Gradual reconnection of analogue television programmes to digital television is to be commenced in 2012. It is to be implemented by regions taking into consideration the provisions of the DTV Implementation Model of Lithuania.
The DTV Implementation Model of Lithuania sets out the necessary conditions of disconnection of analogue television:
1. When carrying out temporary transmission or retransmitting of a programme (programmes) in two formats, the data transmission flow allocated for other programme in the digital format must be temporarily reduced;
2. Within the area of coverage of the analogue transmitter to be disconnected the number of households which can receive DTV programmes must be at least 90% of households receiving terrestrial analogue television programmes.
Specific deadlines, regions and procedures of disconnecting analogue television and other related measures will be drafted and set out by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Ministry of Culture, the Communications Regulatory Authority and the Radio and Television Commission of Lithuania in cooperation with one another having regard to the conditions provided for in the Strategy of Allocation of Radio Frequencies for Broadcasting and Transmitting Radio and Television Programmes, the pace of the development of the digital television, the results of the 2006 Regional Conference of the International Telecommunication Union on the Replanning of Television Channels and other circumstances and, where needed, submit the same for approval to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania.