The preliminary statistical data available on June 30, 2007, reported to the National Regulatory Authority for Communications and Information Technology by 98% of the providers of electronic communications networks and services, active in the first half of 2007, indicate a steadily growing trend of the number of mobile telephony users, as well as a considerable growth of the number of broadband connections to the Internet.
Thus, the number of mobile telephony users (number of active SIM cards, as of June 30, 2007) amounted to 19.5 million, by 31.4% higher than on June 30, 2006, when the providers reported 14.9 million active SIM cards. The penetration rate of mobile telephony per 100 inhabitants was 90.5 in mid-2007, as compared to 68.8% – one year before.
At the middle of 2007, 3.8 million customers benefited from one or several subscriptions to mobile telephony, as contract holders, and used 6.54 million SIM cards (33.5% of the total number of active SIM cards), triggering an average of 1.7 subscriptions per customer. Thus, one can see that most of the subscribers have two subscriptions, either with one operator, or with different operators.
As for fixed telephony services, ANRCTI had identified – by June 30 – 72 active providers of access services and/or calls on the retail market. The alternative providers had a 25% market share, having installed approximately 1.03 million lines. The total number of telephone connections (including the former monopoly operator’s ones), was approx. 4,106,000 (by 7% less than in the same period of 2006), revealing a fixed telephony penetration rate of 19 lines per 100 inhabitants.
There were 4.5 million Internet connections on June 30, by 78.2% more than at the middle of 2006, i.e. a penetration rate of 21 per 100 inhabitants. Out of these, 2.2 million were broadband Internet connections (connections featuring a speed of at least 128 kbps, including mobile access connections), by 90.4% more than in the same period of 2006, the penetration rate at population level being of 10.5%.
The services of re-transmission of audio-visual programmes based on a subscription underwent structural changes, the rate of DTH subscribers being by more than 172% higher than in the same period of last year. The number of DTH subscribers reached almost 1 million in the first half of 2007, while the number of subscribers to cable TV services was approx. 3.6 million. Thus, on June 30, 2007, the rate of cable subscribers was 79% of the total number of subscribers, whereas the rate of DTH subscribers reached 21%.
A detailed report, including traffic data, as well as the evolution of the key statistical indicators over the last years will be publicly available in November 2007.