The number of users of mobile Internet through 4G networks in the first quarter of 2015 rose by 34.7% compared with the corresponding period last year, to about 35,400, IPN reports, quoting the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology.

The number of users of broadband mobile Internet (through modems/cards/USBs) increased by 4.8% to over 1.2 million. The penetration rate of this service per 100 people grew by 1.6% to 35% at the end of March.

According to the data furnished by the three providers of public mobile communications networks and services -Orange Moldova, Moldcell and Moldtelecom – the number of users of mobile Internet (through mobile phones/smartphones, modems/cards/USBs) in the period rose to 1.7 million, while the penetrate rate of this type of Internet access service reached 48.5%.

The mobile Internet traffic increased by 43% to over 9.6 million GB. The average monthly traffic consumption per user was 256.3 MB (+178%), while the average monthly traffic consumption per user of mobile Internet through modems/cards/USBs was 9.9 GB (+17%).

Of the total number of users of mobile broadband Internet, 1.28 million used the 3G technology, while 42,200 – the 4G technology. As regards the access method, 82.9% of the users accessed mobile Internet through the mobile telephone/smartphone, while the other 17.1 % - through modems, cards or USBs.