More people use fixed-line phone services, but speak less

The number of users of fixed-line phone services last year rose by about 19,000 (1.38%) on 2010, to 1.179 million, while the sales of fixed-line telephone services increased by 14.06% to 1.647 billion lei, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting a report from the national ICT regulator ANRCETI. Consequently, the fixed-line phone penetration rate per 100 people grew by 0.56% to 33.14% at the end of last year. At the same time, the volume of voice traffic through fixed-line phone networks fell by 10.3% to 3.321 billion minutes. The reduction in traffic and tariffs led to a diminution in the incomes from sales of fixed-line telephone services. The sales of SA Moldtelecom decreased by about 14.5% to 1.619,4 billion lei, while of the alternative providers rose by about 17.27% to 27.8 million lei. The monthly average revenue per user (ARPU) was 117.25 lei (119.9 lei for SA Moldtelecom, and 51 lei for the alternative providers). Twenty providers worked on the fixed-line phone market in 2011. SA Moldtelecom on December 31, 2011 had a market share of 98.3%.