Number of Internet users up 47.7% in nine months

The number of users of broadband Internet connection at fixed points in the first nine months of this year rose by 47.7% compared with the corresponding period last year, to about 244,000, while the number of 3G mobile Internet users increased to 105,900, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting a communiqué from the national electronic communications and information technology regulator. The number of dial up Internet services users in the period fell by 96% to under 1,000. The broadband Internet penetration rate per 100 people increased by 1.6% from the start of the year to 6.85%. The sales of fixed-point Internet access services grew by 22.6% compared with January-September 2009 to over 383 million lei. The rise stemmed from the larger sales volumes of the companies Starnet and Moldtelecom. Starnet’s sales rose by about 94% to over 55 million lei, while Moldtelecom’s sales grew by 19.5% to about 259 million lei. Orange Moldova’s sales of broadband Internet access services totaled 17 million lei, up 5.2% compared with the first nine months of the year. Turnover on this market rose by 5.5% to over 52 million lei. Moldtelecom has a share of the fixed-point Internet access services market of 58.9%, Starnet SRL and SA Orange – Moldova – of 18.4% and, respectively 3.9%. The other providers hold together a market share of 18.7%.