According to decisions made by the Storting (the Norwegian Parliament) specific tasks carried out by the Norwegian Post and Telecommunications Authority (NPT) shall be financed by administrative charges.
The total level of administrative charges NPT shall collect is decided by the Storting annually when the state budget is adopted. Following from this decision, and in accordance with the model for allocation of administrative charges as laid down in the Regulation on Administrative Charges payable to NPT, NPT shall collect the administrative charges. The model for allocating administrative charges is created to allocate the charges proportionally between those required to pay administrative charges. Administrative charges are calculated either as a one-time administrative charge or as annual administrative charges for whole calendar years (charge period).
Consequently, NPT collects administrative charges from different market players, e.g. those offering electronic communication networks and services, radio frequency licensees, numbering licensees and those registered as importer or distributor of radio- and telecommunications equipment or those authorised to provide installation services. Regulatory framework for administrative charges is laid down in section 12-1 of the Electronic Communications Act and the model for allocation of administrative charges is laid down in the Regulation on Administrative Charges payable to NPT.
Questions regarding administrative charges may be sent to gebyr@npt.no
Administrative Charges regulated by chapter II of the Regulation
According to section 1 of the Regulation on Administrative Charges 45.5 % of the total administrative charges shall be collected among market players offering electronic communications services, electronic communications networks and associated facilities, those issuing certificates for electronic signatures and numbering licensees.
Numbers, Names and Addresses
Licensees of Numbers, Names and Addresses shall pay administrative charges according to section 3 of the Regulation on Administrative Charges.
Issuer of Digital Certificates
Issuers of Digital Certificates which must register shall pay administrative charges according to section 5 of the Regulation on Administrative Charges.
Administrative Charges for provider of Electronic Communications Networks, Electronic Communications Services and Associated Facilities
Supervision of market players offering electronic communications networks, electronic communications services and associated facilities is financed by issuing administrative charges. The total level of administrative charges required to finance such supervision is allocated between market players based on their turnover in certain markets. Market players with relevant turnover of 30 million NOK or more shall pay a proportional share of the total administrative charges financing the supervision. The level of the administrative charge each market player will pay annually is dependent on the total relevant turnover. The relevant rules are laid down in section 6 of the Regulation on Administrative Charges.
Postal operators
According to section 1 of the Regulation on Administrative Charges 3 % of the total Administrative Charges shall be collected from postal operators. According to section 4 of the Regulation on Administrative Charges NPT shall by annual decision, and in accordance with section 20 of the Postal Services Act, require postal operators to pay Administrative Charges.
Administrative Charges according to Chapter III of the Regulation
According to section 1 of the Regulation on Administrative Charges 45.5 % of the total administrative charges shall be collected from licensees of radio frequency rights.
According to section 8 of the Regulation on Administrative Charges radio frequency licensees are divided into five different categories and those holding licences included in the different categories shall pay a specific fraction of the total radio frequency related administrative charges.
Several of the categories are calculated on the basis of two components; one component allocated among radio frequency licensees independent of the amount of radio frequencies they have the right to use, and one component dependent on the amount and spectral position of radio frequencies they have the right to use. The model takes into account the fact that resources spent by NPT when carrying out its tasks as frequency manager does not increase proportionally with the amount of radio frequencies each licensee have the right to use, and that the NPT spend more resources on some frequency bands than other bands.
A few administrative charges for use of radio frequencies are determined independent of those models, cf. section 7 and section 13 of the Regulation on Administrative Charges.
According to section 2 of the Regulation on Administrative Charges annual administrative charges for the use of radio frequencies is metered out for calendar years:
Any licensee with rights to use radio frequencies by 1 January shall pay annual administrative charges
Any licensee which are assigned a right to use radio frequencies during a calendar year shall pay annual administrative charges for this calendar year
If a right to use radio frequencies is handed back to the frequency manager at no later than 31 December the (former) licensee is no longer obliged to pay annual administrative charges for the following calendar years. When the NPT has received the written notice of termination of the frequency licence a letter of confirmation will be sent to the customer.
Overview of annual administrative charges for radio frequencies for 2009 (only in Norwegian) is available here.
Administrative Charges according to Chapter IV of the Regulation
According to section 1 of the Regulation on Administrative Charges 6 % of the total administrative charges shall be collected among those registered as importer or distributor of radio- and telecommunications equipment or authorised to provide installation services.
Supervision related to radio equipment and telecommunications equipment is financed by requiring those registered as importer or distributor of radio- and telecommunications equipment or authorised to provide installation services to pay administrative charges.
Aeromobile radio equipment
Licensees for use of aeromobile radio equipment shall pay administrative charges according to section 15 of the Regulation on Administrative Charges.
Emergency Beacon
Licensees for use of emergency beacon shall pay administrative charges according to section 16 of the Regulation on Administrative Charges.
Administrative Charges for those registered as importer or distributor of radio- and telecommunications equipment or authorised to provide installation services
Those registered as importer or distributor of radio- and telecommunications equipment or authorised to provide installation services shall pay administrative charges in accordance with the rules and distribution formula laid down in section 17 of the Regulation on Administrative Charges.
