Rise in cable and digital subscriptions

The internet, cable, digital as well as fixed telephone subscription index increased at the end of March this year over the previous month but the index for mobile subscription dropped.

The National Statistics Office said internet subscription rose from 89,336 to 89,498. The rate of internet subscriptions per 100 persons reached 22.1. Narrowband and broadband subscriptions were recorded at 46,961 and 42,537 respectively.

In the month under review, the cable and digital subscription index rose by 0.1 per cent, from 127.9 to 128. Cable and digital television subscriptions were recorded at 26.8 per 100 persons as at end of March.

Cable and digital subscriptions amounted to 108,458. An increase of 0.2 per cent was recorded over the previous month. In the month under review residential analogue subscriptions dropped by 4.2 per cent while residential digital subscriptions went down by 11.6 per cent. The NSO said that a decrease of 0.02 per cent was recorded in the mobile subscription index.

The number of mobile telephones reached 325,642, which translates into 80.5 per cent of the population.

Contract-based mobile telephone subscriptions were recorded at 27,615 and card-plan subscriptions reached 298,027.

Around 14 million minutes were consumed in mobile telephone networks, while those directed to the fixed-line network amounted to 2.2 million. In March this year the mobile communication traffic included 35.1million SMSs; 57,592 MMSs and 13,584 WAPs.

As at end March, the fixed telephone subscription index increased by 0.1 per cent from 104 in February to 104.1.

Minutes used in fixed-line telephony on local calls amounted to about 58 million, with some 40 million minutes from residential subscriptions and the rest from business premises subscriptions. The international fixed-telephony traffic comprised 211,262 calls, equivalent to about 0.5 million minutes.

In the month under review, VOIP minutes were estimated at about 0.6 million. In March, the pager subscription index remained the same as that of February this year.