Internet subscriptions

The internet subscription index rose by 0.2 per cent from 285.5 as at end April 2006 to 286.1 as at end May 2006, the National Statistics Office reported yesterday.

Narrowband and broadband subscriptions were respectively recorded at 47,061 and 42,808.

Cable and digital subscriptions

In the month under review, the cable and digital subscription index rose by 0.1 per cent from 135.3 in April 2006 to 135.5 in May 2006.

In absolute terms, the total of cable and digital subscriptions totalled 108,819.

An increase of 0.2 per cent was recorded over the previous month. In the month under review analogue subscriptions decreased by 0.8 per cent while digital subscriptions increased by 1.6 per cent.

Telephone communication

In the month under review, an increase of 0.4 per cent was recorded in the mobile subscription index.

The number of mobile telephone subscriptions reached 327,032 in absolute terms. Contract-based mobile telephone subscriptions were recorded at 28,238, while card-plan subscriptions reached 298,794.

Around 14.9 million minutes were consumed in mobile telephone networks, while those directed from mobile to fixed-line networks amounted to around 2.2 million.

In May 2006, the mobile communication traffic included around 37.1 million SMSs, 59,110 MMSs and 11,997 WAPs.

As at end May 2006, the fixed telephone subscription index decreased by 0.2 from the previous month. Minutes consumed in fixed-line telephony on local calls amounted to around 57.5 million, with some 39.3 million minutes from residential subscriptions and the rest from business premises subscriptions.

The international fixed-telephony traffic comprised 209,910 calls, equivalent to around 0.6 million minutes.

In the month under review VOIP minutes were estimated at around 0.8 million. The pager subscription index decreased by 0.1 per cent in the month under review.