Telecommunication industry in Romania - statistics & facts
In 2023, Orange Romania opened its second 5G laboratory in Iași, focusing on automotive technology and being a hub for driving innovation in 5G-based solutions. By 2025, the widespread 5G coverage, a result of such pioneering initiatives, is expected to usher in a digital transformation across Romania.
As Romania continues to advance its digital infrastructure, the number of mobile broadband connections is projected to increase by a million by 2028. This growth reflects the country's commitment to improving internet accessibility and connectivity.
Everyone is focused on 5G
Mobile internet connections have increased rapidly and now represent the vast majority of internet connections. By the end of 2023, eight out of ten active mobile internet connections in Romania were 4G and 5G. Nonetheless, the focus for the following years is still on expanding the 5G technology. According to the Romanian Government’s 5G strategy, the launch of the new mobile standard began in 2020. Although the project is still under development, Vodafone, Digi, and Orange have already launched 5G connections in 15 counties and 11 cities in Romania, including Bucharest, Cluj, Brasov, and Constanta. However, despite having 5G subscriptions and 5G devices, the country’s 5G network is currently a hybrid one, registering over 720,000 connections in 2023. This means the network achieves very high data transfer speeds but continues operating on 4G frequencies.Big movements in the telecommunication industry
In 2023, the telecommunication service providers in Romania collectively contributed 1.06 percent to the country's gross domestic product. Orange emerged as the most influential player, with a revenue of six billion Romanian lei, followed closely by Vodafone, Digi, and Telekom. Digi's acquisition of Telekom Romania in May 2024 further solidified their position, making them one of the most dominant telecommunication providers in the country. This underlines Orange's significant influence in the industry.The two leaders of internet and telephony
Regarding fixed telephony service providers based on the number of subscribers, RCS&RDS and Orange were the leading providers as of December 2023, accounting for a market share of 46 and 26 percent. On the other hand, even before purchasing over half of Telekom’s shares in 2021, Orange was the leading mobile service provider based on the number of active SIM cards, while in the cable internet market, RCS&RDS has dominated the broadband internet market for the past three years.As Romania continues to advance its digital infrastructure, the number of mobile broadband connections is projected to increase by a million by 2028. This growth reflects the country's commitment to improving internet accessibility and connectivity.
