Mobile telephone subscriptions advanced by 15.1 per cent  in the first quarter of this year, data published today by the NSO shows.

Broadband subscriptions grew by 5.8 per cent reaching 130,189. No active narrowband (dial-up) internet or broadband subscriptions of less than 144 kbps were recorded. There was also a sharp rise in subscriptions with bandwidths
greater than 10 Mbps, while broadband internet connections between 2 Mbps and 10 Mbps decreased by 35.4 per cent. 

Television subscriptions numbered 146,231, edging up 0.3 per cent over 2011. Digital subscriptions dominated the market with a share of 93.5 per cent. 
 
Fixed telephone subscriptions totalled 228,406, down by 5.9 per cent over the first quarter of 2011. Total fixed originating minutes to national and international networks went down by 0.1 and 20.3 per cent respectively. On the other hand, total fixed originating minutes to national networks between fixed and mobile telephone lines increased by 14.4 per cent.

Mobile telephone subscriptions reached 521,764, up by 15.1 per cent when compared to the previous year. Increases were recorded in both post-paid and pre-paid schemes. The mobile penetration rate per 100 persons amounted to 124.1 per cent, implying that a considerable number of individuals have more than one mobile account.

Increases were recorded in local originating mobile traffic, both towards fixed and mobile telephone networks - 11.5 and 28.0 respectively. An increase was registered in all outbound roaming activities. In contrast, inbound roaming activities decreased by 13.7 per cent in total outgoing minutes, while total incoming visitor minutes rose by 17.1 per cent compared with the corresponding quarter last yea.

POSTAL SERVICES

Postal traffic for the first quarter amounted to almost 10.5 million items, decreasing by 0.6 per cent when compared to the corresponding quarter in 2011. Total parcels and other items were recorded at 21,326 - a decrease of 7 per cent when compared to last year.

Items received and dispatched by couriers totalled 152,633 - up by 8.1 per cent when compared to the corresponding quarter last year

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