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

According to the data available with the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI – www.anrceti.md), in the first semester of 2011, the number of mobile telephone users exceeded 3 million 306,8 thousand, which is a 15,8% increase over the same timeframe of the last year. The total sales volume increased by 5,2% and reached 1 billion 709,5 million lei.

In this timeframe, company MOLDCELL connected the highest number of new users to its network – over 78,4 thousand. ORANGE Moldova connected 33,6 thousand, and JSC „Moldtelecom”, under the brand „UNITE”, – about 29,7 thousand. The number of users, by the end of the first semester was as follows: MOLDCELL – 1 million 112,6 thousand users, ORANGE Moldova – 2 million 33,3 thousand and MOLDTELECOM – about 161 thousand. In January – June 2011, the penetration rate of mobile telephone services per 100 population increased by 4,1 percentage points and reached 92,9%.

The dynamics of sales realized by the three providers was more moderate compared to the increasing number of users. The sales of ORANGE Moldova increased by 26,1 million lei (+2,2%) and reached 1 billion 216,5 million lei, MOLDCELL – by 45,6 million lei (+11,8 %) and reached 433 million lei, MOLDTELECOM – by 13,3 million lei (+28,5%) and constituted 59,9 million lei.

The Average Revenue per User (ARPU) decreased by 9,4% to 86,91 lei, as compared to the same semester last year: ORANGE Moldova – 100,07 lei, MOLDCELL – 65,21 lei, MOLDTELECOM – 68,67 lei. The decrease of this indicator is due to the reduced tariffs for end users and the tariffs for call termination on mobile networks.

The regulator’s data show that in the reporting timeframe, the highest market share in terms of turnover – 70,6% – was held by company ORANGE Moldova. Companies MOLDCELL and MOLDTELECOM held 26% and 3,4% accordingly. In terms of number of users, ORANGE Moldova holds 61,5% share, MOLDCELL – 33,6% and MOLDTELECOM – 4,9%.

More information as to the mobile telephone market in the first semester of 2011 is available on the Agency’s Web site: www.anrceti.md, section Market Evolution.

August 9, 2011