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

In 2021, the total number of users who accessed 4G mobile Internet increased by 21% compared to 2020, and reached over 1 million 998 thousand users. Over 1 million 911 thousand (95%) of these accessed mobile Internet via smartphones, and 86.9 thousand used dedicated mobile Internet (via modems/cards). At the same time, the data of the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) on the evolution of this market in 2021 show that the total number of mobile broadband Internet users (3G, 4G and dedicated access technologies) increased by 13.4% and totaled 2 million 689 thousand, and the number of those who accessed only dedicated mobile Internet decreased by 24.5% and showed about 147 thousand.

According to the data presented to ANRCETI by the three providers of mobile communications networks and services (Orange Moldova, Moldcell and Moldtelecom - Unite), in 2021 the penetration rate of mobile broadband services, per 100 inhabitants, increased by 13.7 percentage points and reached 103.5%.

The same data show that the total volume of traffic generated by mobile Internet users increased by 34.2% and was estimated 201 million 563.2 thousand GB. The 4G mobile Internet traffic generated via smartphones increased by 68.1% and reached 136 million 920 thousand GB, and the dedicated mobile Internet traffic decreased by 6% and totaled about 65 million GB. In 2021, a user who accessed mobile Internet from his phone generated 4.8 GB average monthly traffic (AUPU), and a user who used dedicated Internet access - 30.9 GB AUPU.

As a result of the increase in the number of users and traffic generated by them, the total volume of revenues obtained on this market increased, compared to 2020, by 6% and equaled to over 1 billion 281.4 million lei. Thus, the average monthly income (ARPU) per mobile broadband Internet user (smartphones) decreased by 3.7% and amounted to 37.9 lei, and ARPU per mobile internet user (dedicated access) increased by 3.4% and amounted to 94.8 lei.

At the end of 2021, the three providers of mobile broadband services, by revenues from these services, had the following market shares: Orange Moldova - 60.9%, Moldcell - 32.8% and Moldtelecom - 6.3%.

April 7, 2022