As at end December 2008, subscriptions to all forms of communication technology increased. Postal traffic totalled 12.9 million items.

Telecommunications

In the quarter under review, the absolute number of mobile telephone subscriptions reached 385,092. Contract-based mobile telephone subscriptions were recorded at 52,025, while card-plan subscriptions reached 333,067.

The fixed-telephone subscription index increased by 8.0 per cent from 112.7 in 2007 Q4 to 121.7 in the comparable quarter in 2008. Minutes used in fixed-line telephony amounted to around 147 million, while international fixed-telephony traffic comprised 439,788 calls, equivalent to around 1.7 million minutes.

VOIP minutes were estimated at around 9.9 million in the quarter under review. These cover all internetbased telephony systems.

Internet, Cable and Digital Subscriptions

The internet subscription index rose by 11.7 per cent from 318.5 as at the end of December 2007 to 355.9 as at the end of the equivalent quarter in 2008. Out of every 100 persons in the population, 27.1 had an internet subscription.

While, the number of narrowband subscriptions registered a drop of 39.3 per cent over the corresponding quarter of the previous year, the number of broadband subscriptions increased by 49.1 per cent when compared to the fourth quarter of 2007. The cable and digital subscriptions index also increased by 6.5 per cent. Cable and digital television subscriptions were recorded at 30.9 per cent of the population as at end December 2008.

Post and Couriers

Total postal traffic for the fourth quarter of 2008 amounted to around 12.9 million items, of which the absolute bulk represented letters and other printed items.

In the same reference period, courier traffic totalled 65,692 items, of which 50.7 per cent were letters or documents, and the rest parcels.

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