Communications in Moldova

Telecommunications

After the break of USSR Moldova's telecommunications facilities were very poor and remained like that till 1995 when they were being updated. In 1990 Moldova had an average of 11 telephones per 100 inhabitants, and there were more than 200,000 unfilled orders for telephone installation. In 1994 Moldova installed 23,800 telephone lines, which included public phones with direct international dialing capabilities.
When in 1998 Moldtelecom became a JSC it begun full restructurization of all telephone and communications lines throughout the country. In 2000 approx. 435,930 new lines were installed. Overall power of telephone stations increased up to 645,000 numbers. The average number of telephones increased up to 16 telephones per 100 inhabitants. Number of digital telephone stations increased up to 34.6% "(4% in 1993)".
In 2005 number of telephone lines reached 929,400. Overall power of telephone stations increased up to 950,700 numbers. The average number of telephones increased up to 23 telephones per 100 inhabitants.

Modile network

In 2005 overall number of mobile telephone serveices users reached 1,089,767. In 2008 that number encreased up to 1,900,000 users.
At the moment there are 5 mobile operators in the country: Unite, IDC - "(CDMA2000)" / Orange, Moldcell, Eventis - "(GSM)".
The overall mobile network penetration in the country is 55% "(2008)"

Internet

On September 2007 there were 727,700 Internet users in Moldova with overall Internet penetration of 19.5%. In 2004 theer were 183 Internet Cafe registered in Chişinău, that number decreased in later years.
On 2008 there are 6 main Internet Service Providers in the country - Moldtelecom, StarNet, Arax, SunCommunications, Telemedia Grup and InterDnestrCom "(Transnistria)"
The most spread Internet connection type is ADSL, also fiber-optic access is growing rapidly in the capital of Chisinau. With average download speed of 2Mbit/s throughout the country. As for capital, Chisinau - the numbers are much higher - with average download speed of 4Mbit/s external and 100Mbit/s within Moldova throughout the country.

Television

Until 2007 there have been dozens of broadcast companies in Chisinau providing analog tv - major ones are SunTV (about 70,000 subscribers) and Satellit (about 20,000 subscribers). Smaller ones are Delta, Alfa TV and others.

Starting the mid-2007 - Zebra TV (provided by Arax) introduced first digital cable network in Chisinau. SunTV also launched digital TV.

Press

The main daily newspaper in the republic, Moldova Suverana, is published by the government. Sfatul Ţarii is published by Parliament, which also publishes the daily Nezavisimaya Moldova in Russian. Other principal newspapers include Rabochiy Tiraspol' (in Russian, the main newspaper of the Slavs in Transnistria), Ţara, Tineretul Moldovei/Molodëzh Moldovy (in Romanian and Russian), and Viaţa satului (published by the government).

The main cultural publication in Moldova is the weekly journal Literatura şi arts, published by the Union of Writers of Moldova. Other principal periodicals include Basarabia (also published by the Writers' Union), Chiparus, Alunelul, Femeie Moldovei, Lanterna Magica, Moldova, Noi, and SudEst .

Kishinëvskiye novosti, Kodry, and Russkoye Slovo are Russian-language periodicals. Other minority-language periodicals include Prosvita and Homin in Ukrainian, Ana sözu and Cîrlangaci in Gagauz, Rodno slovo in Bulgarian, and Undzer kol/Nash golos in Yiddish and Russian. In all, 240 newspapers (ninety-seven in Romanian) and sixty-eight magazines (thirty-five in Romanian) were being published in the republic in 1990. Basa Press, an independent news service, was established in November 1992.

Related Information

* Telephone lines in use: 929,400 (2005)
* Mobile telephones users: 1.9million (2008)
* Level of penetration of fixed telephony in households: 52,6% (2004)
* Level of penetration of fixed telephony: 27,7% (2006)
* Level of penetration of mobile telephony:55% (2008)
* Radio broadcast stations: AM - 7, FM - 50, shortwave - 3 (1998)
* Radios: 3.22million (1997)
* Television broadcast stations: 40 (1998)
* Televisions: 1,26million (1997)
* Internet Service Providers (ISP's): 38 (2007)
* Internet hosts: 58,886 (2006)
* Internet users: 727,700 (2007)
* Internet penetration: 19.5% (2007)
* Country code (Top level domain): MD

ee also

*Mobile Telephony Market of Moldova
*Internet in Moldova
*Moldova

External links

* [http://www.mdi.gov.md/home_en/ The Ministry of Information Development of Moldova]
* [http://www.statistica.md/ National Bureau of Statistic of Moldova]