Market of Internet at fixed locations continues positive trend

In the first quarter of this year, the market for data transmission and Internet access at fixed locations has continued its positive trend, and has overcome the growth rates registered in the last quarter of the previous year. According to data from the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI), the number of subscribers to Broadband Internet has increased by 7.8%, summing up to 382 thousand clients, reports Info-Prim Neo. In the first quarter of the year, out of the 27.7 thousand new subscribers 18 thousand were connected to the global network through FTTx technologies (Fiber to the premises), and 7.2 thousand through xDSL (Digital Subscriber Line). According to the situation in March 2012, the highest Broadband subscriber base at fixed points was registered by “Moldtelecom” JSC, at 256.6 thousand subscribers. Companies “Starnet” and “Sun Communications” had a pool of 65.6 and 19.3 thousand subscribers, respectively; the rest of the service providers altogether had 41.4 thousand. According to the data from the three 3G mobile network providers, the number of dedicated Internet access subscribers, connected through modems, has increased relative to 2011 by 15.7% and summed up to 144.3 thousand clients. The operators’ incomes have increased, relative to the first quarter of 2011 by 17.4%, and have reached 189.6 mil lei. Meanwhile, the average monthly income per subscriber of the internet service providers has decreased, relative to the first quarter of 2011 by 4.5% and summed to 141.4 lei. During the report period, the market for data transmission and Internet access at fixed locations had 52 active operators. The largest player on the market, “Moldtelecom” JSC, as of March 31, had a 65.3% market share; “Starnet” Ltd. had 17.7%, and the other 50 operators altogether shared 17% of the market.