APPENDIX 2 OVERVIEW OF THE ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS MARKET During 2013, the electronic communications sector sustained an increase in relation to utilization of mobile networks and broadband Internet services. In the mean time, for the same period there was a reduction in relation to the fixed telephony segment. These tendencies are similar to the tendencies of the recent years, whereupon the utilization of fixed telephony was decreasing and was being replaced by the mobile telephony. Also, the access to the broadband segment has sustained growth on both of its segments: from the fixed networks as well as from the mobile networks. The number of active mobile phone users (subscribers who have utilized mobile services in the last 3 months) by the end of 2013 reached 3.7 million, compared to 3.5 million at the end of 2012. This consists of an annual growth of 4% for the four operators, whilst the number of users of the mobile telephony according to the active SIM cards, sustained a decrease by 6%, by reaching 5.3 million compared to 5.6 million by the end of 2012. The penetration rate (number of users per 100 inhabitants) in 2013 was 130% according to the active users and 187% according to the SIM card users. The number of fixed telephony subscribers by the end of 2013, reached approximately 281 thousand compared to 311 thousand by the end of 2012, thus consisting in a reduction by 10%. The reduction of the number of 58 subscribers for the fixed telephony was following the reduction trend started in 2010 (with the exception of 2011 where a growth was sustained). This reduction came as a result of the continuous decrease of the Albtelecom subscribers by 9%, as well as the decrease by 13% of subscribers of the alternative operators. The penetration rate of the fixed telephony by the end of 2013 was about 10%. The number of subscribers with fixed and mobile broadband access (3G USB/ modem cards) by the end of 2013 reached approximately 294 thousand, consisting in a 36% growth in comparison with 2012. In 2013, both broadband access segments, fixed and 3G (with USB/modem cards), sustained a growth of respectively 14% and 101%. The penetration rate for both types of access together is 10.4% per population and 37% per family. Below is an overview of the development of the number of subscribers for the mobile telephony (active users) and that of the fixed telephony in relation to the broadband access of mobile and fixed networks. The figures indicate clearly that the rates of growth for the broadband access in both networks are higher than those of the telephony. The fixed networks are even noticing opposite trends: growth of the broadband access and reduction of fixed telephony. In 2013, only 33% of active mobile users utilized the 3G broadband access and