National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology of the Republic of Moldova

The National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI – www.anrceti.md) authorized the first two companies - Orange Moldova and Starnet LLC for activities of operation, management and maintenance of electronic communications networks at the state border of R. Moldova. ANRCETI director Sergiu Sitnic handed over the relevant documents to the leadership of these companies at a meeting held yesterday, April 1st, by the Ministry of Information and Communications Technologies. Minister Alexander Oleinic referred to this event as to one of historical importance.

Previously the two operators had been working to install their networks up to the intersection line of the state border between R. Moldova and Romania. Then, the Agency together with the representatives of other relevant authorities accepted the networks. The managers of company Orange and Starnet are planning to launch the operation of the networks in the nearest future. Currently, another Company Norma LLC - is preparing its network for acceptance.

Sergiu Sitnic said that it is the Internet end users that will, first of all, benefit from direct access to the global Internet traffic. The market entry of two other players will stimulate competition, which will drop prices for broadband Internet services and increase service quality. Sitnic said that de facto the de-monopolization of the market of access to cross-border global Internet will directly contribute to the development of broadband services, which makes the cornerstone of a modern information society.

Currently, only one operator - Moldtelecom JSC - has direct access to fiber optic global Internet traffic. This allows this company to charge high prices to other providers acquiring global Internet access services from it. In order to redress this state of things and create favorable conditions for the development of the broadband Internet access market, the Agency developed and approved, pursuant to Government Decree 974 12. 08. 2008, the procedure of coordination of their activities for installation, operation, management, maintenance and / or liquidation of electronic communications networks at the state border of R. Moldova with the competent public authorities. The first three operators licensed by the Agency to carry out such works were Orange Moldova, Starnet LLC and Norma Ltd.

At the beginning of 2010, 50 Internet access providers were running their business on the market. In 2009, the volume of sales on this market increased 34.7% over 2008 and constituted 436.39 million MDL. The most significant sales increase on this market was registered by Moldtelecom JSC, Starnet LLC and Orange Moldova JSC, the latter having acquired the company Telemedia Group JSC in December 2008.

April 2, 2010