A total of 35.6 million SMSs were sent in January 2006, the National Statistics Office said yesterday.

In January the mobile communication traffic included: 35.6 million SMSs; 67,307 MMSs; and 17,690 WAP.

An increase of 0.5 per cent was recorded in the mobile subscription index. Mobile telephones reached 326,446 in absolute terms; this translates into 81.6 per cent of the population.

Contract-based mobile telephone subscriptions were recorded at 27,315, while card-plan subscriptions reached 299,131. Around 13 million minutes were consumed in mobile telephone networks, while those directed to the fixed-line network amounted to 1.7 million.

As at end January 2006 the fixed telephone subscription index increased by 0.5 per cent from 103.9 in December 2005 to 104.4. Minutes used in fixed-line telephony on local calls amounted to around 61 million, with some 43 million minutes from residential subscriptions and the rest from businesses premises subscriptions. The international fixed-telephony traffic comprised 569,196 calls, equivalent to around 3 million minutes.

In the month under review VOIP minutes were estimated at 5.5 million. The pager subscription index decreased by 0.3 per cent from 91.8 in December 2005 to 91.5.

The internet subscription index rose by 0.4 per cent from 282.6 as at end December 2005 to 283.7 as at end January 2006. The rate of Internet subscriptions per 100 persons in the population reached 22.0. Narrowband and broadband subscriptions were respectively recorded at 46,760 and 42,339.

In the month under review, the cable subscription index rose by 0.5 per cent from 127.8 in December 2005 to 128.4 in January 2006. Cable television subscriptions where recorded at 25.4 per 100 persons in the population as at end January 2006.