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

At the beginning of this week the amount of ported phone numbers in Moldova exceeded 100 thousand. "This figure shows that telephone users in Moldova fully benefit from the facility introduced by ANRCETI on the electronic communications market in 2013 and retain their phone numbers when switching telephone providers. I am convinced that many more users make use of number portability to renegotiate contracts, a fact which entails the increase of competition and reduction of prices for telephone services," declared the Director of the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (NARECIT), Grigore Varanita.

The 100 thousand ported numbers in the timeframe July 2013 - September 2015 make more than 1,4% of the total of numbering resources assigned by ANRCETI to telephone service providers. Out of the 100,220 numbers ported by September 15, 2015, about 91,6 thousand (91%) are mobile numbers and 8,6 thousand are fixed numbers. According to ANRCETI data, in 2015 in Moldova the monthly average of ported numbers was 3,7 thousand mobile and 250 fixed numbers. Biggest amount of mobile numbers - 5,5 thousand - were ported in July 2013 and most fixed telephone numbers - 760 - in November 2013.

On the mobile telephony segment, Moldcell continues to be the operator that received biggest amount of ported numbers - over 54,7 thousand, followed by Orange Moldova that received 18,6 thousand and Moldtelecom (Unite) – 16,5 thousand numbers. 61,4 thousand numbers were ported from Orange Moldova to other mobile networks, 22,8 thousand numbers were ported from Moldcell and 5,2 thousand from Moldtelecom (Unite).

The amount of 8,6 thousand fixed numbers were ported to the 24 providers, most of which to companies Starnet Solutions (over 4,6 thousand), Orange Moldova (2,1 thousand) and Arax Impex (over 500).

ANRCETI believes that the project for number portability implementation achieved its goal. "This is evident not only from the number of ported numbers, but also from ANRCETI’s information on the electronic communications market developments. The operators have adjusted their offers so as to better meet the needs of their clients, offering them various advantages either to keep them in their own network or to attract them. ANRCETI data show that these days users speak more but pay much less for their calls than previously. One reason for this is availability of number portability on the domestic electronic communications market" said Grigore Varanita.

Number portability allows phone users to retain their telephone number when they switch providers. This service was launched in mobile networks on July 1, 2013 and in fixed networks on July 31, 2013. Fixed and mobile numbers are subject to portability, as well as numbers from series „8” and „9”. Any mobile or fixed telephone user can benefit from number portability service within 5 working days after submitting an application to the provider of his choice. This service is free of charge in the Republic of Moldova.

September 15, 2015