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

The statistical data on the evolution of the fixed broadband market in 2018, aggregated by the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI), show that the number of subscribers to these services via fiber (FTTX) increased significantly - 13.4% (+46.6 thousand) and reached 394.2 thousand. At the same time, the number of subscribers via coaxial cable connections increased by 6.4% (+2.7 thousand), reaching 44.3 thousand, the number of users of other technologies increased by 4.9%, up to 2.4 thousand, while the number of xDSL connections went down to 182.2, which is 5.5% decrease (-10.5 thousand). The total number of fixed broadband subscribers increased compared to 2017 by 6.6% (+38.8 thousand) and reached 623.1 thousand.

The statistical data on the evolution of the fixed voice market in 2018, aggregated by the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI), demonstrate the continuous decrease of the main indicators of this market. Thus, the total number of subscribers decreased by 35.6 thousand (-3.1%) compared to 2017 and was equal to 1 million 108.2 thousand, the total traffic volume decreased by 248.9 million minutes (-15.7%) and was equal to more than 1 billion 338.9 million minutes, whereas the total volume of sales on this market decreased by 138.6 million lei (-19.9%) and was estimated at 556 million 853.8 thousand lei. As a result of this evolution, the average monthly revenue per user (ARPU) decreased by 17.6% down to 41.2 lei. The ARPU recorded by JSC Moldtelecom was 44.1 lei (down by 18.2%) and the ARPU of alternative providers - 17.1 lei (down 5.5%).

In 2018, the number of users who accessed mobile Internet via 4G technology increased by 50.3% compared with 2017 and reached 1 million 40.5 thousand. 938.3 thousand of this total browsed the Internet via smartphones, while 102.1 thousand used dedicated mobile Internet (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 2018 shows that the total number of broadband mobile Internet users (based on 3G, 4G and dedicated access technologies) increased by 21.3% and is estimated at 2 million 948.1 thousand.

The statistical data aggregated by the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) show that, in 2018, the volume of revenues from mobile voice services decreased by 187 million 155.6 thousand (-5.6%), compared to 2017, and was estimated at 3 billion 150.4 million lei, while the average monthly revenue per mobile user (ARPU) decreased by 2.2% to 72.7 lei. Thus, the ARPU of Moldtelecom was 85 lei, Orange Moldova - 77 lei and Moldcell - of 63.4 lei.

The National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI), in the public meeting on Thursday, February 28, 2019, approved Administrative Board Decision on Quality Indicators for Electronic Communications Services and the Decision to approve the Methodology for Measurement and Evaluation of Quality Parameters for publicly available electronic communications services provided via GSM, UTMS and LTE public terrestrial mobile networks, in 800, 900, 1800, 2100 and 2600 MHz frequency bands. These documents will be published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Moldova and will enter in force on March 15, 2019.

The National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) published on www.anrceti.md the information regarding the values of quality parameters for mobile and fixed voice services, Internet access and pay TV services, measured by the providers of these services in the fourth quarter of 2018 and ANRCETI Report on results of monitoring this information. The publication of these data is intended to inform the users about the quality of the electronic communications services they are using or intend to use.

On February 15, 2019, the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) has established the single window for the issuance and management of permissive acts. Thus, electronic communications providers and entrepreneurs intending to start activities in this field have the possibility to submit notifications of their intention and requests/statements for the issuance, extension, updating permissive acts, issued by ANRCETI, by means of Automated Information System for Management and Issuance of Permissive Acts (SIA GEAP).

On February 7-8, the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) is hosting a workshop on "Costs for postal services and access to the network of the universal postal service provider". The event is attended by specialists from ANRCETI, as well as from the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure.

The National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) has launched, on its Internet Website www.anrceti.md, public consultation on two draft administrative board decisions: 1) on quality indicators for publicly available communications services (.pdf) and 2) approving the Methodology for measuring and assessing the quality parameters (.pdf) for publicly available electronic communications services provided via GSM, UTMS and LTE terrestrial cell mobile public networks in 800, 900, 1800, 2100 and 2600 MHz frequency bands. The consultation will last until February 15, 2019, this being the deadline for the submission of comments and recommendations.

In 2018, the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) received and examined 229 petitions from the users of electronic communications and postal services, which is by 5,8% less than in 2017, as shown in the report on petitions received by ANRCETI during 2018.