The National Regulatory Agency in Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI) predicts that the Internet access and mobile phone services markets will continue to develop dynamically this year as well. Related statements were made by the ANRCETI director Sergiu Satnic at a news conference on March 16, Info-Prim Neo reports. “The electronic communications sector remains one of the most dynamic sectors of the national economy. The sales on this sector in 2008 rose by 12.3% to 5.725,4 billion lei. This is 9.11% of the Gross Domestic Product, which is a rather high index,” the ANRCETI director said. For 2009, the ANRCETI forecasts a sales growth of 10-12%. Despite the world economic crisis, the Agency predicts a stable rise in investments of about 2 billion lei. “Owing to the stable exchange rate of the leu, the foreign investors want to invest in Moldova, especially in information technology,” Sergiu Satnic said. The investments in the electronic communications sector last year increased by 1.8% to 1.96 billion lei. According to the ANRCETI director, following the rising demand for high-speed Internet services and the changeover from dial-up to broadband Internet, the number of subscribers to fixed-point broadband Internet services is expected to rise by at least 50% in 2009, to 170,000 -180,000 subscribers. Even if the penetration rate of these services per 100 people grew 2.4 times in 2008 to 3.23%, it is still rather low compared with the the EU, where it exceeded 22%, Sergiu Satnic said. This year, the ANRCETI plans to focus on the creation of conditions for developing the broadband Internet services, especially in rural areas, because 65% of the Internet users are concentrated in the municipality of Chisinau. According to Satnic, the regulations concerning the installation of electronic communication networks at Moldova’s state border approved by the Government will soon enable other operators except SA Moldtelecom to provide fiber-optic Internet services. This way, the Internet will reach more villages and will become cheaper following stiffer competition on the market. The Agency also plans to implement new technology like WiMax and LTE (Long Term Evolution). Speaking about the mobile phone market, Sergiu Satnic said that this market was one of the most dynamic in 2008, growing by 22.6%. The mobile phone penetration rate was 67.8%. For 2009, the Agency forecasts a rise of 18-20% in the turnover on this market and a penetration rate of 76 -79%. The forecast is based on the assumption that this year the 3G mobile electronic communications market will develop, especially owing to the rise in mobile Internet access services, other additional services and the launch of another 3G mobile network. In addition, the mobile telephony has sufficient potential for development, Satnic said, specifying that though the mobile phone penetration rate reached 67.8%, it is lower than the average of over 110% recorded in the EU countries. As concerns the fixed-line mobile phone market, in 2008 this market became saturated and started to decline on certain segments. Though the number of subscribers to fixed-line phone services rose by 3.2%, while the penetration rate of these services reached 31.2%, the sales on this market fell by 5.85%, the Agency’s director said. He also said that the penetration rate of these services is higher than the 2008 average in Southeastern Europe (28%) and in the CIS states (26%). According to Satnic, the number of subscribers to fixed-line phone services in 2009 could increase by about 2%, while the penetration rate to 32%. Valeriu Lazar, the director of BIS-Capital Investment House and former Minister of Economy, also considers that the world economic crisis will not affect the electronic communications market. “The people need connection always despite difficulties. The will continue to speak on the phone or use the Internet as they eat and drink,” he said. Turnover in the mobile phone sector made up 50.9% of the turnover on electronic communications market, in the fixed-line phone sector– 38.6%, in the data transportation and Internet access services sector – 6.4%, while in the broadcasting and retransmission services – 4.1%. Compared with 2007, the share of fixed-line telephone sector decreased by 7.4%, while of the mobile phone, Internet access and broadcastings services sectors rose by 4.3%, 2% and 1.1% respectively.