Out of the total voice traffic (17.6 billion minutes) achieved during 2005, 4.9% was initiated in the alternative providers’ fixed telephony networks, 53.1% - in the mobile public networks, whereas the remaining 42% represent voice traffic originated in the incumbent’s network, as revealed by the “Report on the Romanian Electronic Communications Sector in 2005”, published today by the National Regulatory Authority for Communications.

On December 31, 2005, the total number of subscribers to fixed telephone services had exceeded 4.3 million, while the market share of the fixed telephony alternative operators reached approximately 10%, these providers registering 460,000 subscribers (through their own networks and through third parties’ access networks). Most of the subscribers to alternative providers installing fixed telephone lines (86%) are residential users, this category witnessing the greatest growth rate during 2004-2005 (increased 9.1 times).

At the end of 2005, most (70%) of the 74 active alternative operators provided international call services, 44 providers offered calls to national locations and 36 provided fixed-to-mobile calls.

Despite the overall slightly downwards trend of the traffic generated in the fixed telephone networks (8.2 billion minutes, as compared to 8.8 billion minutes one year before), the traffic achieved through the alternative’s networks rose significantly – by approximately 237%. The subscribers of the alternative providers use the fixed telephone to initiate calls mainly to other fixed networks than their own – 53% of the total traffic of the alternative providers is terminated in other fixed networks.

The number and duration of the calls performed by the mobile telephony users are steadily growing. In 2005, a call lasted 1.45 minute, on average, as compared to 1.37 minutes, in 2004. The over 13.3 million users of mobile telephone services generated more than 9.3 billion minutes, by approximately 44% as compared to 2004. Traffic on this market segment consists mainly of calls performed within one telephone network (76% of the total traffic). The majority (64%) of the mobile telephony users prefer prepaid cards, the rest having a subscription to such services.

The roaming voice traffic originated and terminated by the fixed providers’ users increased by 46.7% during 2004-2005, having reached 54 million minutes by the end of 2005. The total SMS traffic increased by 77% in 2005, i.e. amounted to more than 1.6 billion SMS (including roaming), while the MMS traffic increased 5 times, the providers reporting 17 million MMS.

Moreover, the market of Internet access services registered a spectacular boom, witnessing, by the end of 2005, more than 980 active providers, 600 of which provided broadband Internet access. Furthermore, the total number of access connections exceeded 1.8 million – almost double, as compared to the end of 2004. 41% of these connections ensured broadband Internet access, this sector of the market of Internet services growing by 96% in one year.

More and more users prefer dedicated Internet access, the number of dedicated access connections rising 3.3 times in 2005, thus exceeding the growth rate of dial-up connections. Out of the total number of 500,000 dedicated access connections, 75% are broadband connections.

The ANRC report, published twice a year, presents the evolution of the communications industry as outlined by the half-yearly statistical data reported by the providers, according to the ANRC President’s Decision no.1332/2003. The report proves to be a useful instrument in the Authority’s regulatory activity and a reliable information source for the investors in the Romanian electronic communications market.

Approximately 1900 providers had the obligation to report ANRC statistical data on the activity of providing electronic communications services spanning between July 1 and December 31, 2005. ANRC checked, processed and analysed the data received from approximately 95% of them.

The full version of the Report on the Romanian electronic communications sector in 2005 is available here, on the ANRC website.