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

The National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI – www.anrceti.md) authorized one more company – „Norma” LLC – for activities of operation, management and maintenance of its electronic communications network, deployed in the Ungheni zone of state border of R. Moldova. Also, „Orange Moldova” JSC was authorized for such activities for the new network deployed in the Crihana Veche, Cahul zone of state border of R. Moldova.

„Norma” is the third company authorized in 2010 to run the activities mentioned above. The first two companies – „Orange Moldova” JSC and „Starnet” LLC, which installed their networks in the Ungheni border zone – were authorized in April 2010.

Previously companies „Norma” and „Orange Moldova” conducted network installation works up to the intersection line of the state border of R. Moldova with Romania, the networks subsequently being accepted by the Agency together with representatives from other relevant authorities. The two companies will perform all due work required to interconnect their networks with those of foreign operators, priorly to the launch of services. Company „Norma” LLC intends to provide data transmission services, Internet access and leased lines through a fixed network, whereas „Orange Moldova JSC” – through the radio network – voice services, data transmission and Internet access.

The Agency believes that this entry of new players to the market of direct access to the global Internet will enhance competition in this market, which, in turn, will reduce tariffs for broadband Internet services and increase quality of these services. Until recently, it was only “Moldtelecom" JSC that had direct access to global Internet traffic, now two more operators having this right.

Currently, about 50 operators are running business on the Internet access market. In the first quarter of 2010, the number of subscribers to broadband Internet at fixed locations increased over the same period of 2009 by with 60.7% exceeding 217 000. The number of 3G mobile Internet users reached 96 000. The most significant increase of sales on this market was recorded by „Moldtelecom" JSC, „Starnet" LLC and „Orange Moldova".

June 30, 2010