Telecoms markets booming

The President of Romania’s telecoms regulator ANRC says the country’s telecoms market is expected to be worth around EUR4 billion in 2006, up from around EUR3 billion last year. Dan Georgescu said in a statement: “The communications market increased by 22% during 2003-2004, whereas for 2004-2005 we estimate a 20-25% rise, which is a pace of development high above the overall economic growth.” He added that alternative providers are becoming an increasingly strong force in the wireline market, claiming a 10% share of fixed line subscribers at the end of 2005, up from 1.2% a year earlier. Romania’s telecoms markets are dominated by state-backed RomTelecom.