3.11.2005
The number of mobile telephony users in Romania reached 11.37 million in June 2005, increasing by more than 10% (1.16 million) as compared to end-2004, according to the final report on the electronic communications sector for the period January 1st – June 30th 2005, published today by the National Regulatory Authority for Communications (ANRC). The mobile telephony penetration rate in Romania (number of users per 100 inhabitants) amounted to 52.50% by the end of June 2005. In comparison to the average penetration rate in the EU member states (83% by June 30, 2004), this figure proves that Romania still features an important growth potential for mobile telephone services.
The volume of voice traffic (including roaming) through the mobile networks in Romania, during the first half of 2005, registered 4,158 million minutes, i.e. was 45% higher than last year’s similar value. The number of SMS messages increased by 42%, from 517 in the second semester of 2004 to 732 million in the first half of 2005. Multimedia messages (MMS services) registered the steepest upward trend, as their number reached 9.4 million in the first semester of 2005, i.e. increased by 224.13% as compared to the last semester of 2004.
The total traffic registered by the providers of fixed telephone services witnessed a slight decrease: 4.24 billion minutes, as compared to 4.32 in the second half of 2004. The traffic generated by the new entrants on the fixed telephony market is rising, exceeding by 74%, in the first half of 2005, the same value of 2004. Moreover, the new entrants’ number of users, using both their own networks and another provider’s network, tripled in the first half of 2005 as compared to end-2004. Thus, the market share held by the 64 alternative operators actually providing fixed telephone services, based on the number of subscribers in their own network, reached 4.10%. As regards the alternative offer of fixed telephone services, out of the total number of new entrants on the market in the first half of 2005, 25 alternative operators installed telephone lines, 30 offered local and distance calls, as well as calls to other fixed public telephone networks, while most of them – 49 – provided international calls.
The total number of subscribers to fixed telephone services (fixed telephone connections whose users pay monthly subscriptions) reached 4,364,554 at the end of the first semester of 2005. As well, the rate of digital fixed telephone connections registered a steadily growing trend; therefore – by mid-2005 – 84.54% of the subscribers were connected to digital exchanges, as compared to 77.15% – at the end of 2004 and 71.90%, respectively, in December 2002.
The number of Internet access connections, as reported by the end of June, 2005, rose to 1,931,455, i.e. twice the 973,265 connections reported by the end of 2004. This number includes the connections provided by means of technologies such as CDMA, GPRS etc. within mobile subscription packages. Taking into account the fact that one Internet access connection may be used by several persons, one may estimate that the number of Internet users exceeded 4 million, in the first half of 2005.
Broadband Internet access connections (capacity = 128 Kbps) represented 27.07% (522,796) of the total number of Internet access connections, i.e. increased by 36.57% as compared to the end of 2004 (382,783). Regarding the dedicated Internet access services (on-line vs. dial-up access) by June 30, 2005, there were 278,587 connections, i.e. 86% more as compared to end-2004.
ANRC elaborated this report based on the data reported by 1540 providers on electronic communications networks and services operating on the market in the first semester of 2005. The report presents the updated indicators according to the rectified reports the providers transmitted. The report containing detailed information on the development of the main indicators of the market of telephone services, Internet and services of re-transmission of audio-visual programmes is available here, on the ANRC website.