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

In the third quarter of 2021, the mobile voice market increased by 10% in terms of the total number of users, reaching over 4.5 million, compared to number registered at the end of the previous year, while the total volume of traffic generated by them decreased by 1.6% compared to the same period of the previous year, reaching 1 billion 677.2 million minutes. At the same time, the total volume of providers’ revenues increased by 0.1%, compared to the third quarter of 2020, reaching 764.3 million lei.

According to data reported to the National Agency for Regulation in Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) by mobile communications service providers, the increase in the total number of mobile phone users was determined by the increase in the number of users of the three mobile communications companies. Thus, the number of users increased as follows: Orange Moldova - by 5.1%, reaching over 2.4 million, Moldcell - by 14.8%, reaching 1 million 561 thousand, and Moldtelecom – Unite - by 20.3% to a total of 553.3 thousand. Out of the total number of mobile voice users, 3 million 830.2 thousand were active users, 689.6 thousand - passive users. As a result of this evolution, the penetration rate of mobile voice services (active users), per 100 population increased by 17.9 percentage points and reached 147.5%.

The same data show that the volume of traffic generated by users in their own networks decreased by 6.5% and made up 1 billion 151 million minutes, the volume of traffic generated towards fixed networks decreased by 2.1% and reached 67.4 million minutes, and the volume of traffic generated to other mobile networks increased by 16.6% and totaled about 428 million minutes. As a result, the average monthly traffic (MoU) of minutes spoken by a user during the reporting period decreased by 10.8% to 291 minutes (four hours and 51 minutes) and the average duration of a call was 1, 9 minutes.

During the reporting period, the average monthly revenue per user (ARPU) decreased by 9.4% and equaled 68.6 lei. Orange Moldova reported ARPU of 74.8 lei, Moldtelecom - of 61.5 lei and Moldcell - of 60.1 lei.

The market shares of the three providers of mobile voice services, by revenues, did not undergo major changes: Orange Moldova - 62.2%, Moldcell - 30.3% and Moldtelecom - 7.5%.

December 1, 2021