Broadband Internet in Moldova continues to develop only in large towns
The National Regulatory Agency in Electronic Communications and Information Technologies (ANRCETI) is concerned about the fact that the broadband Internet access services develop mainly in large towns, while the districts continue to use dial-up access services, which do not satisfy the current user demands.
According to the Agency’s director Sergiu Satnic, though the number of subscribers to broadband Internet access services in the first half of this year has increased by 60% to 75,000 and the penetration rate per 100 inhabitants rose from 1.4% in December 2007 to 2.2% in June 2008, the needs of an information society are not met.
The ANRCETI director said that SA Moldtelecom limits the alternative ADSL service providers’ access to the local telephone loop and related infrastructure. Consequently, the providers cannot furnish competitive broadband Internet access services in the country’s districts. Satnic also said that the Agency will not tolerate such an approach as it has a negative impact on the market and on the Internet users.
Satnic stated that for the first time in the Internet development history in Moldova, the number of subscribers to broadband Internet access services has increased on the back of a slight reduction in the number of subscribers to dial-up access services. He anticipated that this trend will become more prominent in 2009, after the mobile phone companies launch 3G services.
In this connection, he said that the implementation of new electronic services such as e-statements, e-trading, e-voting, e-training and others will also stimulate the use of the Internet.
Sales in the data transfer and Internet access services sector in the first half of this year rose by 14% year on year, to 72.5 million lei. By turnover, SA Moldtelecom had a market share of 64.2%, up by 13.6%. In the broadband access services market, this operator had a share of 76%, an increase of 10.2% on last year.
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