The number of subscribers to mobile phone services in the first half of this year increased by 17%, while of subscribers to fixed Internet services by only 5%. SA Orange Moldova registered the largest number of new customers using mobile Internet services, while the commercial brand Unite registered the lowest number of new clients, IPN reports.

According to a communiqué from the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology, over 18,000 subscribers to fixed Internet services were connected to the broadband Internet access network of SA Moldtelecom. SRL Starnet and Sun Communications attracted about 3,000 and, respectively, 1,000 new customers.

The revenues of the three mobile network providers from sales of dedicated mobile Internet access services in January – June rose by about 28% on the corresponding period last year, to 132 million lei. The total sales of the 50 providers of data transmission and fixed-Internet access services increased by over 20% to about 460 million lei.

The three mobile Internet network providers have the following market shares: SA Orange Moldova – 40.9%, SA Moldcell – 37.3%, while SA Moldtelecom – 21.8%. The largest shares on the fixed Internet access services market are held by SA Moldtelecom - 71%, SRL Starnet- 5.4%, and SA Orange Moldova – 3.1%.