In the first half of 2017 the number of mobile services users rose slightly, but overall sales continued the downward trend seen previously, the regulator agency ANRCETI reported.

In particular, the number of users rose, from the end of 2016, by 47,600, or 1.08 percent, to over 4.4 million. Voice traffic also increased, from the similar period last year, by 20,300 million minutes, or 0.7 percent, to over 3.8 billion minutes. However, sales dropped by 55.6 million lei, or 3.3 percent, to 1.6 billion lei.

The increase in the overall number of users was due to a 1.88 percent rise in Orange Moldova’s client base, which now totals roughly 2.6 million; and a 1.37 percent increase in Moldtelecom/Unite’s client base, now amounting to 355,500. Moldcell reported a 0.37 percent drop in its client base of 1.5 million. Following these developments, the penetration rate of mobile services per 100 population rose by 1.42 percent to 126.1 percent.

Voice traffic inside networks and between networks constituted 2.3 billion and 500 millions, respectively.

ANRCETI says the downward trend in sales is due to the fact that users are increasingly seeking cheaper or free Internet-based solutions, such as Skype or Viber.