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

In the nine months of 2011, the total number of subscribers to broadband Internet access services at fixed and mobile locations (mobile Internet in 3G networks) increased over the same timeframe of 2010, by over 33% and exceeded 482,9 thousand, show the data available with the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI - www.anrceti.md) about the development of this market segment.

The number of broadband Internet subscribers at fixed locations increased by 34,8% and exceeded 329 thousand, whereas broadband mobile subscribers – by about 45,4% and reached 153,9 thousand. The penetration rate of broadband Internet at fixed locations, per 100 inhabitants, increased over the III quarter of 2010, by 2,4 percent points (p. p.) and exceeded 9,2%, the penetration rate of mobile broadband Internet – by 1,35 p. p. and reached 4,3%.

In the interval January – September 2011, the providers of fixed Internet services connected to their networks about 60 thousand new subscribers, by 5,2% exceeding the number of subscribers connected in the same interval last year. Almost half of the new subscribers (46,1%) were connected to the Internet via fiber, 43,8% – via ADSL networks (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) and 10,2% via cable TV. As per October 1, the share of subscribers to fixed broadband Internet via ASDL was 59%, via optical fiber – 36,4% and via cable TV – 4,2%.

In the reporting timeframe, the three providers of 3G mobile networks and services (JSC „Orange Moldova”, JSC „Moldcell” and SA „Moldtelecom”) connected to their networks about 32,3 thousand new subscribers. As per October 1, 2011, JSC „Orange Moldova” had over 77,4 thousand subscribers to mobile broadband Internet, JSC „Moldcell” – over 59,9 thousand and JSC „Moldtelecom” – 16,5 thousand.

According to ANRCETI data, in the interval January – September 2011, the volume of sales recorded by the providers of broadband fixed Internet services increased, over the same timeframe of last year, by 16,5% and exceeded 448,6 million lei. The increase was mainly caused by higher volume of sales by LLC „Starnet” and JSC „Moldtelecom”. The sales of company „Starnet” increased by 44,6% and exceeded 79,5 million lei, the ones of JSC „Moldtelecom” – by 15,1% and equaled to over 298,1 million lei.

According to the prognosis of ANRCETI for 2011, at the end of this year the number of subscribers to broadband fixed and mobile Internet services will reach 350 thousand and 165 thousand accordingly, whereas the penetration rate of these services, as per 100 inhabitants, will reach 10% and 4,7% accordingly.

Other data about the evolution of broadband internet access in quarters I, II, III of 2011 are available on the agency Internet page: www.anrceti.md, section Market Evolution.

November 23, 2011