17.05.2017

 

 

During 2016, the number of mobile telephony subscription users kept growing, unlike the number of active prepaid card users. Thus, for the first time, the number of subscriptions exceeded that of active prepaid cards. Last year, telephony users in Romania called – on average - 1 hour and 4 minutes per month on the fixed networks and four times as much on the mobile networks (4 hours and 17 minutes). Although a call originated on the fixed telephone (3 minutes and 4 seconds) lasts, on average, longer than a call initiated on the mobile one (2 minutes and 37 de seconds), the gap between the two traffic categories is narrowing every year.

Evolution of mobile telephony

At the end of 2016, there were 22.9 million active mobile telephony users (1% less than at the end of 2015), among which 11.5 million (+8%) – subscription-based users and 11.4 million (-9%) active prepaid card-based users. The number of subscriptions increased, mainly due to the residential users who prefer this type of mobile telephony access, by +11% in 2016, up to 8.6 million. 

The active mobile telephony SIM card penetration rate on the population level reached 116% at the end of 2016.

In spite of the slight decrease in the total number of active mobile telephony users, the total voice traffic (excluding international roaming) increased by +2% in 2016, compared to 2015, reaching 70.6 billion minutes. Only on-net mobile traffic dropped by -10%, to 44 billion minutes, the other traffic categories witnessing growth in 2016: off-net mobile traffic - by +36%, up to 20.3 billion minutes, the traffic to networks outside Romania - by +10%, to 4.1 billion minutes and, respectively, mobile-to-fixed traffic - by +4%, up to 2.3 billion minutes.

The total number of SMS messages decreased in 2016 by -10%, to 18 billion messages, most likely following the uptake of alternative instant messaging means. Most voice traffic (60%) was performed by subscription-based users, whereas most SMS (52%) were sent by active prepaid card holders.

The average duration of a call achieved on mobile public networks (excluding international roaming) increased in 2016 to 2 minutes and 37 seconds, while the average monthly voice traffic achieved by an active user was 4 hours and 17 minutes, 4 minutes more than in 2015. Moreover, a user sent, on average, 67 SMS messages per month.

Concerning the international roaming services, voice traffic saw significant growth in 2016, by +56%, up to 1.6 billion minutes (of which, 0.5 billion stand for outgoing calls and 1.1 billion - for incoming calls), whereas the traffic of outgoing roaming SMS rose by +16% y.o.y., up to 151 million messages. Data roaming services saw the highest increase, by +59%, up to 967 TB in 2016, from 607 TB in 2015.

Evolution of fixed telephony

Fixed telephony continued the downward usage trend during 2016, witnessing both fewer access lines (-4%, to 4.1 million), and lower voice traffic. On 31 December 2016, the fixed telephony penetration rate per 100 households was 44%.

The total voice traffic achieved by means of fixed networks went down to 3.2 billion minutes in 2016, dropping -15% y.o.y. All the voice traffic categories were on a downward trend: traffic to fixed public networks decreased by -17% to 2.1 billion minutes, traffic to mobile public networks sunk by -9% to 0.9 billion minutes, whereas traffic to networks outside Romania dropped by -15%, to 0.24 billion minutes.

The average monthly traffic initiated from a subscriber’s terminal kept shrinking, down to 1 hour and 4 minutes, 8 minutes less than the 2015 average value, the average call duration being 3 minutes and 4 seconds.

Statistical data report

ANCOM draws up the statistical data report on the Romanian electronic communications market in 2016 based on the statistical data reported – on a half-yearly basis – by the providers under the obligation to send to ANCOM the values of the indicators corresponding to the service categories according to Decision no. 333/2013 and will be soon available on www.ancom.org.ro.