The Regulatory Authority of Post and Electronic Communications (ARPCE), hereinafter referred to as the "Regulatory Authority", is an independent institution with legal personality and financial autonomy, established by the Law n° 2000-03 of Joumada El Oula5,1421 corresponding to August 5, 2000, as amended and supplemented, laying down the general rules relating to postal and telecommunications, repealed by Law No 18-04 of Chaabane 24,1439 corresponding to May 10, 2018, laying down the general rules relating to post and electronic communications.

Missions of the RAPEC

The missions of the Regulatory Authority are laid down in the Article 13 of the said Law and include in particular what follows:

•  to ensure the existence of effective and fair competition in postal markets and electronic communications by taking all necessary measures to promote or restore competition in these markets;
•  to ensure the establishment, in respect of the right of ownership, of the sharing of electronic communications infrastructures;
•  assign frequencies to operators of electronic communications networks open to the public in the bands allocated to it by the national frequencies agency and control their use in accordance with the principle of non-discrimination;
•  to develop and update the frequency situation that assigns to operators and to send it regularly to the national frequencies agency;
•  To establish a national numbering plan, examine number requests and assign them to operators;
•  to approve reference offers for interconnection and access to electronic communications networks;
•  to grant general authorizations for the establishment and / or exploitation of electronic communications networks and the provision of electronic communications services, the authorizations of private networks, as well as the authorizations for the provision of postal services;
•  to certify postal and electronic communications equipment in accordance with the specifications and standards established by regulation;
•  to decide on disputes between operators when it comes to interconnection, access, infrastructure sharing and national roaming;
•  to resolve disputes between operators and subscribers;
•  to collect from the operators all the information necessary for the accomplishment of the missions assigned to it;
•  to cooperate, in the framework of its missions, with other authorities or organisms, both national and foreign, having the same purpose;
•  to develop and publish regularly reports and statistics for the public on postal and electronic communications;
•  to develop and publish an annual report of its decisions, opinions and recommendations, subject to the protection of confidentiality and business secrets, which will be forwarded to both chambers of Parliament, the Prime Ministry and the Ministry of Post and electronic communications;
•  to publish its decisions in the Official Bulletin of the Regulatory Authority, subject to the protection of confidentiality and business secrets;
•  to ensure respect by operators of post and electronic communications, legal and regulatory provisions relating in particular to post, electronic communications and cyber security;
•  to ensure the protection of the rights of subscribers to electronic communications services and postal users;
•  to put in place a procedure for processing subscriber complaints;
•  to publish any information useful for the protection of subscribers' rights and to organize awareness campaigns for their benefit;
•  to participate in the Algerian representation in international organizations competent in the fields of postal and electronic communications;
•  to pay the contributions and other expenses due by Algeria to regional and international organizations specialized in the fields of post and electronic communications in which Algeria is a member, on the basis of the supporting documents sent to it by the Minister of Post and Electronic Communications;
•  to carry out any control within the framework of its powers in accordance with the regulations in force and the provisions of the operators' specifications.

In order to accomplish its missions efficiently, the Regulatory Authority has two bodies, both defined by Law 18-04 of May 10, 2018:
• The Council, deliberative body;
• The General directorate, management body.