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

In the timeframe January-September 2019, the fixed broadband access market increased significantly. The volume of sales obtained on this market increased by 6.1%, compared to the similar period of 2018 and reached 1 billion 16 million lei. The number of subscribers to these services increased, compared to the end of 2018, by 5.2% up to over 655.7 thousand. Following this evolution, the average monthly revenue per subscriber (ARPU) for fixed Internet access services decreased by 1.2% and was equal to 176.8 lei.

In the nine months of 2019, the fixed voice market decreased, as shown by the data processed by the National Agency for Regulation in Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI). The number of fixed voice subscribers decreased, compared to the end of 2018, by 27,6 thousand (-2.5%) to a total of 1 million 80.6 thousand, the volume of voice traffic generated by the users of the service decreased, compared to the same period of last year, by 135 million minutes (-13.3 %) and made 880.9 million minutes, whereas the volume of incomes in this sector decreased by 81.3 million lei (-19.3%) to a total of 341 million lei. Consequently, the penetration rate of fixed voice services per 100 inhabitants decreased by 0.3 percentage points and equaled 40.3%.

According to statistical data on the evolution of mobile broadband market in nine months of 2019, processed by the National Agency for Regulation in Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI), the total number of 4G mobile broadband users increased, compared to the end of 2018, by about 559 thousand (+55%) and reached 1 million 578.5 thousand, of which - about 1 million 484.3 thousand (+58.2%) - browsed mobile Internet via smartphones and 94.2 thousand (+ 15.6%) used dedicated broadband (modems/cards).

On November 28-29, a delegation of the National Agency for Regulation in Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI), by Director Octavian RĂU, takes part in two events organized by the European Regulators Group for Postal Services (ERGP) in cooperation with the Consumer and Markets Authority (ACM) of the Netherlands: ERGP Plenary Meeting and Workshop on data-based regulation of postal services, held in the Hague, the Netherlands.

Statistical data on the evolution of mobile voice market, aggregated by the National Agency for Regulation in Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI), show that in the nine months of this year there was a slight increase of voice traffic in mobile networks, compared to the same period last year, by 0.8% and amounted to 4 billion 650 million minutes.

On November 26-27, 2019, representatives of the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI), are taking part in two events organized by the Eastern Partnership Electronic Communications Regulators’ Network (EaPeReg): Plenary Meeting and Workshop on implementation of the Roam Like at Home (RLAH) regime in the EU. The events take place in Riga, Latvia, hosted by the Public Utilities Commission (SPRK), with the support of the European Commission.

On November 12, 2019, representatives of the National Agency for Regulation in Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) attended the Stakeholders Meeting of on Roaming issues, which took place in Vilnius, with the support of the European Union (EU). The event was hosted by the Regulatory Communications Authority (RRT) of the Republic of Lithuania, which is co-chair of the Roaming Expert Working Group (REWG) within EaPeReg, in cooperation with the National Commission for State Regulation of Communications and Informatization (NCCIR) of Ukraine – Chair of REWG.

The National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) of the Republic of Moldova and the Office of Electronic Communications (UKE) from the Republic of Poland signed a cooperation agreement in the field of electronic communications. The document was signed on July 3, in Warsaw, by ANRCETI Director Octavian Rau and UKE President Marcin Cichy.

The National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) announces that as of 1 August 2019 the 13xx short numbers will be available for public utility services provided by the contact points of the entities rendering such services: electricity, thermal energy, gas, water, sewerage, etc. The decision of the ANRCETI Administrative Board, approved in a public meeting on July 1, 2019, is intended to protect users against large charges invoiced for these services.

Since July 2013, when the telephone number portability was launched in Moldova, to this day the interest of telephone users for this service has constantly increased and their number in 2019 was estimated at more than 241,9 thousand. According to the data of the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI), mobile users are the most interested in switching the provider while keeping their phone number. Their number reached 223.8 thousand, which represents about 92,5% of the total number of ported numbers, whereas the number of fixed telephony users who benefitted from this service was equal to 18,9 thousand, representing 7,5% of the total.