As at the end of March subscriptions to all forms of communication technology, except for fixed telephony, registered increases when compared to 2011. Mobile telephone subscriptions advanced by 15.1 per cent.

Internet, analogue and digital TV subscriptions

During the first quarter this year, 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. The internet subscription index as at the end of March stood at 140.6.

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. Analogue subscriptions continued declining as in previous years, reaching 9,529 – 25.2 per cent less than last year.

Telecommunications

Fixed telephone subscriptions totalled 228,406, down by 5.9 per cent over quarter 1 of 2011. During the reference period, 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 (see methodological note 13). 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 year.

Total postal traffic for the reference 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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