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

The data of the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI - www.anrceti.md) show that In nine months of 2010, the number of broadband Internet subscribers at fixed locations increased by 47,7% over the similar timeframe of the last year and reached 244 thousand, whereas the number of 3G mobile Internet subscribers reached 105,9 thousand.

Over this period of time, the number of Dial-up subscribers dropped by 96% and is now below one thousand. As a result of this development, the penetration rate for broadband Internet at fixed locations, per 100 inhabitants, increased since early 2010 by 1,6 percentage points and reached 6,85%. The Agency considers that the rapid broadband development was driven by the higher degree of availability of these services, lower tariffs and dial-up-broadband substitution at fixed and mobile locations.

Throughout the timeframe under report, the total volume of sales on the market of Internet access at fixed locations increased by 22,6% over the similar timeframe of 2009, and reached 383,1 million lei. This increase was caused mainly by higher volume of sales achieved by companies „Starnet” (exceeded 55 million lei, 94% increase) and „Moldtelecom” (exceeded 258,9 million lei, 19,5% increase). The sales of company „Orange Moldova” totaled 17 million lei, a decrease by 5,2% compared to the similar timeframe of 2009. The turnover of other operators on this market increased by 5,5% and reached 52,1 million lei.

According to the data available with ANRCETI, the most significant share of the market of Internet access at fixed locations – 58,9% – belongs to JSC „Moldtelecom”. Companies „Starnet” LLC and „Orange-Moldova” JSC hold 18,4% and, accordingly, 3,9%. The remaining 18,7% of the market is shared by the other operators.

More data with reference to this market for quarters I - III of 2010 are available on the Agency Web page: www.anrceti.md, in the section „Statistical Data”.

November 19, 2010