Wireless Carrier Orange Moldova Launches 3G Services

Orange Moldova officials declined to disclose to SeeNews the value of the company's investment in the 3G network.

"Orange Moldova has the most advanced 3G network, which covers the majority of the country’s population centres, including the capital Chisinau and the second-largest town of Balti,” the operator said in a statement.

In September, Orange’s competitor in Moldova, Moldcell, also launched 3G services, spending $11 million (8.6 million euro) on the rollout.

Among Moldova's four mobile operators, only Moldcell and Orange Moldova have obtained 3G licences. Under the conditions of the licences, they are required to launch the service by August 1, 2009, and cover the capital Chisinau and the second-largest town of Balti in the first year of operation.

Orange Moldova said it had wireless coverage of 97% of Moldova's territory and 98% of its population at the end of 2007.

The other two wireless operators active in Moldova are Evenits, which operates under the GSM standard, and Unite, a CDMA carrier.

($=0.7802 euro)