Moldovan Mobile Operators' Combined Revenue Up 38% on Yr in 2006

CHISINAU, Mar 2 (Prime-Tass) -- The combined revenue of Moldova's two mobile operators, Voxtel and Moldcell, rose 38% on the year to 1.886 billion lei in 2006, Moldova's National Agency for Telecommunications and Information Regulation said Friday.

Of the total, Voxtel's revenue amounts to 1.321 billion lei in 2006, while Moldcell's revenue was at 570.3 million lei, the agency said.

Voxtel's monthly average revenue per user (ARPU) amounted to 143 lei in 2006, while Moldcell's ARPU was at 104 lei, the agency said.

The number of mobile users in Moldova increased by around 270,000 users in 2006 to 1.3 million, the agency said, adding that Voxtel signed up 215,000 new users and Moldcell signed up around 53,000 users.

Mobile penetration rate increased to 39.6% in late 2006 from 32.2% in late 2005, the agency said.

In 2005, the combined revenue of Voxtel and Moldcell rose 52% on the year to 1.3 billion lei.

(12.8014 lei - U.S. $1)

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Posted to the site on 3rd March 2007