With 5.5 million more mobile phone users, Romania saw the highest increase of the mobile phone penetration rate in the EU last year, according to data from the activity report of the National Communications Authority. The penetration rate of mobile telephony in Romania went up 25.5% last year, to 106.2%. The fact that the number of active SIM cards exceeds the population of Romania shows that increasingly more people prefer to use two or even three mobile phones. Around 26% of the urban population has two mobile phones, while 9% of urban inhabitants use as many as three mobile phones, according to a survey conducted by Germanos. Around 4 million phones are sold in Romania every year, worth over 300 million euros. The year 2007 was a record year for the Romanian mobile phone market, seeing the highest increase in the number of users, amid a tightened competition among local operators. Cosmote, one of the most aggressive players on the market, boosted its portfolio by 2.37 million clients in 2007, trailed by Orange (with 1.8 million) and Vodafone (with 1,1 million). After Romania, the biggest growth rates in the EU were recorded by Portugal and Greece, where the mobile phone penetration rate went up 19%. In countries like Spain, Sweden and Luxembourg, the penetration rate was down against 2006.
Pentru alte știri, analize, articole și informații din business în timp real urmărește Ziarul Financiar pe WhatsApp Channels
