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

After the moderate 4% growth in 2009, the mobile sector returned, in the first two quarters of 2010, to the dynamically ascending line of the previous years, shows a report of the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI – www.anrceti.md) on the evolution of this market in the first half-year of 2010.

The report specifies that within this timeframe, mobile sales increased over the first semester of 2009, by 18% and reached 1 billion 624,5 million lei, whereas the average monthly revenue per user (ARPU) – by 6,6% and totaled 102,28 lei.

The tendency of market growth was determined by higher sales of “Orange Moldova” and “Moldcell”. “Orange Moldova” increased sales by 19,19% and reached 1 billion 190,4 million lei, “Moldcell” – by 21,26% and reached 387,5 million MDL. However, the mobile sales by “Moldtelecom” decreased by 12,9% and showed 46,6 million lei. Following these developments, the average monthly revenue per user (ARPU) for “Orange Moldova” was 109,47 lei (4,3% increase), the ARPU for “Moldcell” was 76,76 lei – (4,9% increase) and the ARPU for Moldtelecom was 78,11 (23% decrease).

In the first half of 2010, the total number of mobile users increased 6,8% and reached 2 million 855,3 thousand, the penetration of these services per 100 inhabitants increased by 2 percent points coming to 80,1%. “Orange Moldova” connected 32,4 thousand new subscribers, “Moldcell” – 52,6 thousand. The number of “Moldtelecom” customers reduced by 2,7 thousand, making 98,3 thousand as of July 1, 2010. As per this date, “Orange Moldova” had 1 million 858,4 thousand users, and “Moldcell” – 898,6 thousand.

In the first semester of 2010 the mobile market was run by three operators: JSC „Orange-Moldova”, JSC „Moldcell” and JSC „Moldtelecom”, under the brand „Unite”. The highest market share - 72,5% - is held by “Orange Moldova”. “Moldcell” and “Moldtelecom”’s shares are 24,8% and 2,7%. The fourth mobile provider - „Eventis Mobile” LLC - has not operated since the beginning of this year for the reason of insolvency.

Other details on mobile market evolution in the first half-year of 2010 are available on the Agency Web page: www.anrceti.md, under „Statistical Data”.

August 10, 2010