OREANDA-NEWS. May 19, 2010. As it was informed in ANRCETI, for the same period, sales of broadband access services increased by 36,9%- up to 80,4 million lei (USD6.4 million).

The largest market share- 70.3% accounts for SC Moldtelecom. The share of Starnet and Orange Moldova companies accounts for 11,2% and 4,7%, respectively, and share of other suppliers makes 13,8% of the market. As ANRCETI notes, in January-March 2010, the number of subscribers of fixed broadband Internet access has grown compared with the last year, by 60,7%- from 135 thousand up to 217 thousand, while the number of users of mobile Internet services, provided by operators of third generation (3G) communication has reached 96 thousand.

During the same period, the total number of subscribers of fixed Internet access has increased compared with I quarter of 2009 by 36,3% and reached 229 thousand. At the same time, the number of subscribers to Internet through dial - up has decreased by 63,6% amounting to 12 thousand. The agency experts explain this trend by the increase in accessibility of high-speed Internet services, reduction of tariffs, as well as the replacement of dial - up services with broadband services.

As a consequence, the penetration level of fixed broadband Internet access services in Moldova has increased by 2.3% and amounted to 6,1%. Though this indicator has significantly increased, its level is much lower compared with European Union, where the average penetration rate of broadband Internet access exceeds 25%. The agency explains this situation by a significant gap between urban and rural areas in regard to the broadband Internet services development. If the number of subscribers of broadband services in Chisinau is 43.3% per 100 households, in most regions this figure varies between 8 and 15%.