The CIA World Factbook Edition 1995 Communications

Telecommunication systems In 35 editions of 36.

Telecommunication systems was published in 35 editions of the CIA World Factbook, from 1990 to 2024. The 1995 edition carries it in 251 entries, in its Communications section, under the heading “Telephone system”. Every entry is shown as that edition published it.

entries in the 1995 edition
251
the first edition with it
1990
the latest edition with it
2024

Published as “Telephone system” (1995 to 2019), “Telecommunication systems” (2020 to 2024) and “Telecommunications” (1990 to 1994).

the entry has the field in that editionnot in that editionthe open editionEach entry below ends in its editions with Telecommunication systems, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down; choose one in a row to read that edition’s text there.

1995

Every edition with Telecommunication systems

Entries with Telecommunication systems in each edition

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World

1 entry

World

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA

Africa

57 entries

Algeria

822,000 telephones; excellent domestic and international service in the north, sparse in the south

local:
NA
intercity:
12 domestic satellite links; 20 additional satellite links are planned
international:
  • 5 submarine cables;
  • microwave radio relay to Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia;
  • coaxial cable to Morocco and Tunisia;
  • 2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik, 1 ARABSAT earth station

Angola

  • 40,300 telephones;
  • 4.1 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • high frequency radio used extensively for military links;
  • telephone service limited mostly to government and business use
local:
NA
intercity:
limited system of wire, microwave radio relay, and troposcatter routes
international:
2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations

Benin

NA telephones; fair system of open wire and microwave radio relay

local:
NA
intercity:
microwave radio relay and open wire
international:
1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station, submarine cable

Botswana

  • 26,000 telephones;
  • sparse system;
  • telephone density - 18.67 telephones/1,000 persons
local:
NA
intercity:
small system of open wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and a few radio communication stations
international:
1 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth station

Burkina now Burkina Faso

NA telephones; all services only fair

local:
NA
intercity:
microwave radio relay, wire, and radio communication stations
international:
1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Burundi

  • 8,000 telephones;
  • primative system;
  • telephone density - 1.3 telephones/1,000 persons
local:
NA
intercity:
sparse system of wire, radiocommunications, and low-capacity microwave radio relay links
international:
1 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth station

Cape Verde now Cabo Verde

over 1,700 telephones; telephine density - about 4 telephones/1,000 persons

local:
NA
intercity:
interisland microwave radio relay system, high frequency radio links to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau
international:
2 coaxial submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Cameroon

  • 26,000 telephones;
  • telephone density - 2 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • available only to business and government
local:
NA
intercity:
cable, microwave radio relay, and troposcatter
international:
2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

Central African Republic

NA telephones; system is only fair

local:
NA
intercity:
network consists principally of micowave radio relay and low capacity, low powered radio communication
international:
1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Chad

NA telephones; primitive system

local:
NA
intercity:
fair system of radio communication stations for intercity links
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Comoros

over 1,800 telephones; sparse system of radio relay and high-frequency radio communication stations for interisland and external communications to Madagascar and Reunion

local:
NA
intercity:
high frequency radio and microwave radio relay
international:
high frequency radio

Zaire now Democratic Republic of the Congo

NA telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA barely adequate wire and microwave service in and between urban areas; 14 domestic earth stations
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Congo now Republic of the Congo

  • 18,100 telephones;
  • 7 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • services adequate for government use;
  • key centers are Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo
local:
NA
intercity:
primary network consists of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable
international:
1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Cote D'ivoire now Cote d'Ivoire

  • 87,700 telephones;
  • well-developed by African standards but operating well below capacity;
  • consists of open-wire lines and radio relay microwave links
local:
NA
intercity:
NA microwave radio relay
international:
2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) earth stations; 2 coaxial submarine cables

Djibouti

NA telephones; telephone facilities in the city of Djibouti are adequate as are the microwave radio relay connections to outlying areas of the country

local:
NA
intercity:
microwave radio relay network
international:
international connections via submarine cable to Saudi Arabia and by satellite link to other countries; 1 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station

Egypt

  • 600,000 telephones;
  • 11 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • large system by Third World standards but inadequate for present requirements and undergoing extensive upgrading
local:
NA
intercity:
principal centers at Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah, Ismailia Suez, and Tanta are connected by coaxial cable and microwave radio relay
international:
  • 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean), 1 ARABSAT, and 1 INMARSAT earth station;
  • 5 coaxial submarine cables, microwave troposcatter (to Sudan), and microwave radio relay (to Libya, Israel, and Jordan)

Equatorial Guinea

2,000 telephones; poor system with adequate government services

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
international communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Eritrea

NA

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA

Swaziland now Eswatini

17,000 telephones; telephone density is only 17.6 telephones/1,000 persons

local:
NA
intercity:
system consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines and low-capacity radio relay microwave links
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Ethiopia

NA telephones; open-wire and radio relay system adequate for government use

local:
NA
intercity:
open wire and microwave radio relay links
international:
  • open-wire to Sudan and Djibouti;
  • microwave radio relay to Kenya and Djibouti;
  • 3 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Pacific Ocean) earth stations

Gabon

15,000 telephones; telephone density - 13/1,000 persons

local:
NA
intercity:
adequate system, comprising cable, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, radiocommunication stations, and 12 domestic satellite links
international:
3 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

The Gambia

3,500 telephones; telephone density - 4 telephones/1,000 persons

local:
NA
intercity:
adequate network of radio relay and wire
international:
1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Ghana

  • 42,300 telephones;
  • poor to fair system;
  • telephone density - 2.4/1,000 persons
local:
NA
intercity:
primarily microwave radio relay
international:
1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Guinea

15,000 telephones; poor to fair system of open-wire lines, small radiocommunication stations, and new radio relay system

local:
NA
intercity:
microwave radio relay and radio communication stations
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Guinea-bissau now Guinea-Bissau

  • 3,000 telephones;
  • poor system;
  • telephone density - 2.7 telephones/1,000 persons
local:
NA
intercity:
combination of microwave radio relay, open wire lines and radiocommunications
international:
NA

Kenya

over 260,000 telephones; in top group of African systems

local:
NA
intercity:
consists primarily of microwave radio relay links
international:
2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) earth stations

Lesotho

5,920 telephones; rudimentary system

local:
NA
intercity:
consists of a few land lines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a minor radio communication system
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Liberia

  • NA telephones;
  • telephone and telegraph service via radio relay network;
  • main center is Monrovia;
  • most telecommunications services inoperable due to insurgency movement
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Libya

370,000 telephones; modern telecommunications system

local:
NA
intercity:
microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, tropospheric scatter, and 14 domestic satellites
international:
  • 2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) satellite earth stations;
  • submarine cables to France and Italy;
  • microwave radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt;
  • tropospheric scatter to Greece;
  • planned ARABSAT and Intersputnik satellite earth stations

Madagascar

NA telephones; above average system

local:
NA
intercity:
open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter links
international:
submarine cable to Bahrain; 1 earth station for Indian Ocean INTELSAT

Malawi

42,250 telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
fair system of open-wire lines, radio relay links, and radio communications stations
international:
2 INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean ) earth stations

Mali

  • 11,000 telephones;
  • domestic system poor but improving;
  • provides only minimal service
local:
NA
intercity:
microwave radio relay, wire, and radio communications stations; expansion of microwave radio relay in progress
international:
2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) earth stations

Mauritania

NA telephones; poor system of cable and open-wire lines, minor microwave radio relay links, and radio communications stations (improvements being made)

local:
NA
intercity:
mostly cable and open wire lines
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) and 2 ARABSAT earth stations, with six planned

Mauritius

over 48,000 telephones; small system with good service

local:
NA
intercity:
utilizes primarily microwave radio relay
international:
  • 1 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth station;
  • new microwave link to Reunion;
  • high-frequency radio links to several countries

Mayotte

450 telephones; small system administered by French Department of Posts and Telecommunications

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
radio relay and high-frequency radio communications for links to Comoros and international communications

Morocco

280,000 telephones; 10.5 telephones/1,000 persons

local:
NA
intercity:
  • good system composed of wire lines, cables, and microwave radio relay links;
  • principal centers are Casablanca and Rabat;
  • secondary centers are Fes, Marrakech, Oujda, Tangier, and Tetouan
international:
  • 5 submarine cables;
  • 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station;
  • microwave radio relay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara;
  • coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria;
  • microwave radio relay network linking Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco

Mozambique

NA telephone density; fair system of troposcatter, open-wire lines, and radio relay

local:
NA
intercity:
microwave radio relay and tropospheric scatter
international:
5 INTELSAT (2 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean) earth stations

Namibia

62,800 telephones; telephone density - 38/1,000 persons

local:
good urban services
intercity:
  • fair rural service;
  • microwave radio relay links major towns;
  • connections to other populated places are by open wire
international:
NA

Niger

14,260 telephones; small system of wire, radiocommunications, and radio relay links concentrated in southwestern area

local:
NA
intercity:
wire, radiocommunications, and radio relay; 3 domestic satellite links, with 1 planned
international:
2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) earth stations

Nigeria

  • NA telephones;
  • above-average system limited by poor maintenance;
  • major expansion in progress
local:
NA
intercity:
microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and 20 domestic satellite earth stations carry intercity traffic
international:
3 INTELSAT earth stations (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 coaxial submarine cable carry international traffic

Reunion

  • 85,900 telephones;
  • adequate system;
  • principal center Saint-Denis
local:
NA
intercity:
modern open-wire and microwave network
international:
  • radiocommunication to Comoros, France, Madagascar;
  • new microwave route to Mauritius;
  • 1 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth station

Rwanda

NA telephones; telephone system does not provide service to the general public but is intended for business and government use

local:
NA
intercity:
  • the capital, Kigali, is connected to the centers of the prefectures by microwave radio relay;
  • the remainder of the network depends on wire and high frequency radio
international:
  • international connections employ microwave radio relay to neighboring countries and satellite communications to more distant countries;
  • 1 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) and 1 SYMPHONIE earth station in Kigali (includes telex and telefax service)

Saint Helena now Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha

550 telephones; automatic network

local:
NA
intercity:
HF radio links to Ascension, then into worldwide submarine cable and satellite networks
international:
major coaxial submarine cable relay point between South Africa, Portugal, and UK at Ascension; 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations

Sao Tome And Principe now Sao Tome and Principe

NA; minimal system

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Senegal

NA telephones; above-average urban system

local:
NA
intercity:
microwave and cable
international:
3 submarine cables; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Seychelles

13,000 telephones; direct radio communications with adjacent islands and African coastal countries

local:
NA
intercity:
radio communications
international:
1 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth station

Sierra Leone

  • 23,650 telephones;
  • telephone density - 5 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • marginal telephone and telegraph service
local:
NA
intercity:
national microwave radio relay system made unserviceable by military activities
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Somalia

  • NA telephones;
  • the public telecommunications system was completely destroyed or dismantled by the civil war factions;
  • all relief organizations depend on their own private systems (1993)
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA

South Africa

over 4,500,000 telephones; the system is the best developed, most modern, and has the highest capacity in Africa

local:
NA
intercity:
  • consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber optic cable, and radiocommunication stations;
  • key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria
international:
1 submarine cable; 3 INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean) earth stations

Sudan

  • NA telephones;
  • large,
  • well-equipped system by African standards,
  • but barely adequate and poorly maintained by modern standards
local:
NA
intercity:
consists of microwave radio relay, cable, radio communications, troposcatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 stations
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station

Tanzania

103,800 telephones; fair system operating below capacity

local:
NA
intercity:
  • open wire,
  • microwave radio relay,
  • troposcatter
international:
2 satellite earth stations - 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT

Togo

NA telephones; fair system based on network of radio relay routes supplemented by open wire lines

local:
NA
intercity:
microwave radio relay and open wire lines
international:
1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 SYMPHONIE earth station

Tunisia

  • 233,000 telephones;
  • 28 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • the system is above the African average;
  • key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis
local:
NA
intercity:
facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial cable, and microwave radio relay
international:
  • 5 submarine cables;
  • 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station with back-up control station;
  • coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya

Uganda

NA telephones; fair system

local:
NA
intercity:
microwave and radio communications stations
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Western Sahara

2,000 telephones; sparse and limited system

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
tied into Morocco's system by microwave radio relay, troposcatter, and 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations linked to Rabat, Morocco

Zambia

NA telephones; facilities are among the best in Sub-Saharan Africa

local:
NA
intercity:
high capacity micrwave radio relay connects most larger towns and cities
international:
2 INTELSAT earth stations (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)

Zimbabwe

247,000 telephones; system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance

local:
NA
intercity:
consists of microwave links, open-wire lines, and radio communications stations
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Antarctic Region

4 entries

Antarctica

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA

Bouvet Island

*** No data for this item ***

French Southern And Antarctic Lands now French Southern and Antarctic Lands

NA telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA

South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands now South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

NA telephones; coastal radio station at Grytviken

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA

Arctic Region

4 entries

Greenland

17,900 telephones; adequate domestic and international service provided by cables and microwave radio relay

local:
NA
intercity:
microwave radio relay
international:
2 coaxial submarine cables; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Iceland

140,000 telephones; adequate domestic service

local:
NA
intercity:
the trunk network consists of coaxial and fiber-optic cables and microwave radio relay links
international:
2 earth stations carry all international traffic through an Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT satellite

Jan Mayen

NA telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA

Svalbard

NA telephones; local telephone service

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
satellite communication with Norwegian mainland

Asia

23 entries

Afghanistan

  • 31,200 telephones;
  • limited telephone, telegraph, and radiobroadcast services;
  • 1 public telephone in Kabul
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
one link between western Afghanistan and Iran (via satellite)

Armenia

  • about 650,000 telephones;
  • 177 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • progress on installation of fiber optic cable and construction of facilities for mobile cellular phone service remains in the negotiation phase for joint venture agreement
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
international connections to other former republics of the USSR are by landline or microwave and to other countries by satellite and by leased connection through the Moscow international gateway switch; 1 INTELSAT satellite link

Azerbaijan

  • 710,000 telephones;
  • 90 telephones/1,000 persons (1991);
  • 202,000 persons waiting for telephone installations (January 1991);
  • domestic telephone service is of poor quality and inadequate
local:
a joint venture to establish a cellular telephone system (Bakcel) in the Baku area is supposed to become operational in 1994
intercity:
NA
international:
  • connections to other former USSR republics by cable and microwave and to other countries via the Moscow international gateway switch;
  • INTELSAT link installed in late 1992 in Baku with Turkish financial assistance with access to 200 countries through Turkey;
  • since August 1993 an earth station near Baku has provided direct communications with New York through Russia's Stationar-11 satellite

Bangladesh

  • 241,250 telephones;
  • 1 telephone/522 persons;
  • poor domestic telephone service
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
2 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth stations; adequate international radio communications and landline service

Bhutan

NA telephones; domestic telephone service is very poor with very few telephones in use

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
international telephone and telegraph service is by land line through India; an earth station was planned (1990)

British Indian Ocean Territory

NA telephones; minimal facilities

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

China

  • 20,000,000 telephones (summer 1994);
  • domestic and international services are increasingly available for private use;
  • unevenly distributed internal system serves principal cities, industrial centers, and most townships;
  • expanding phone lines, interprovincial fiber optic links, satellite communications, cellullar/mobile communications, etc.
local:
NA
intercity:
fiber optic trunk lines, 55 earth stations for domestic satellites
international:
5 INTELSAT earth stations (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 INMARSAT earth station; several international fiber optic links to Japan and Hong Kong

Georgia

  • 672,000 telephones (mid-1993);
  • 117 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • poor telephone service;
  • 339,000 unsatisfied applications for telephones (December 1990)
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
  • links via landline to CIS members and Turkey;
  • low-capacity satellite link and leased international connections via the Moscow international gateway switch with other countries;
  • international electronic mail and telex service available

India

  • NA telephones;
  • 5 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • domestic telephone system is poor;
  • long-distance telephoning has been improved by a domestic satellite system which also carries TV
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
3 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth stations and submarine cables to Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates

Japan

64,000,000 telephones; excellent domestic and international service

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
5 INTELSAT (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) earth stations; submarine cables to US (via Guam), Philippines, China, and Russia

Kazakhstan

  • 2.2 million telephones;
  • telephone service is poor;
  • about 17 telephones/100 persons in urban areas and 7.6 telephones/100 persons in rural areas;
  • Almaty has 184,000 telephones
local:
NA
intercity:
land line and microwave radio relay
international:
  • international traffic with other former USSR republics and China carried by landline and microwave, and with other countries by satellite and through 8 international telecommunications circuits at the Moscow international gateway switch;
  • INTELSAT earth station;
  • new satellite earth station established at Almaty with Turkish financial help (December 1992) with 2500 channel band width

Korea, North now North Korea

telephone system is believed to be available only to government officials and not to private individuals

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 earth station near P'yongyang, uses an Indian Ocean INTELSAT satellite; other international connections through Moscow and Beijing

Korea, South now South Korea

13.3 million telephones; excellent domestic and international services

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
3 INTELSAT (2 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) earth stations

Kyrgyzstan

  • 342,000 telephones (1991);
  • 76 telephones/1,000 persons (December 1991);
  • poorly developed;
  • about 100,000 unsatisfied applications for household telephones
local:
NA
intercity:
principally by microwave radio relay
international:
  • connections with other CIS countries by landline or microwave and with other countries by leased connections with Moscow international gateway switch and by satellite;
  • 1 GORIZONT and 1 INTELSAT satellite link through Ankara to 200 other countries

Maldives

2,804 telephones; minimal domestic and international facilities

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth station

Mongolia

63,000 telephones (1989)

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
at least 1 satellite earth station

Nepal

  • 50,000 telephones (1990);
  • poor telephone and telegraph service;
  • fair radio communication service
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
international radio communication service is fair; 1 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth station

Pakistan

  • NA telephones;
  • about 7 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • the domestic telephone system is poor, adequate only for government and business use;
  • the system for international traffic is better
local:
NA
intercity:
microwave radio relay
international:
3 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) earth stations; microwave radio relay

Russia

  • 24,400,000 telephones;
  • 20,900,000 telephones in urban areas and 3,500,000 telephones in rural areas;
  • of these, total installed in homes 15,400,000;
  • total pay phones for long distant calls 34,100;
  • about 164 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • Russia is enlisting foreign help, by means of joint ventures, to speed up the modernization of its telecommunications system;
  • in 1992, only 661,000 new telephones were installed compared with 855,000 in 1991, and in 1992 the number of unsatisfied applications for telephones reached 11,000,000;
  • expanded access to international E-mail service available via Sprint network;
  • the inadequacy of Russian telecommunications is a severe handicap to the economy, especially with respect to international connections
local:
NMT-450 analog cellular telephone networks are operational and growing in Moscow and St. Petersburg
intercity:
intercity fiberoptic cable installation remains limited
international:
  • international traffic is handled by an inadequate system of satellites, land lines, microwave radio relay and outdated submarine cables;
  • this traffic passes through the international gateway switch in Moscow which carries most of the international traffic for the other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States;
  • a new Russian Raduga satellite will link Moscow and St. Petersburg with Rome from whence calls will be relayed to destinations in Europe and overseas;
  • satellite earth stations - INTELSAT, Intersputnik, Eutelsat (Moscow), INMARSAT, Orbita

Sri Lanka

114,000 telephones (1982); very inadequate domestic service, good international service

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
submarine cables extend to Indonesia and Djibouti; 2 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth stations

Tajikistan

  • 303,000 telephones (December 1991);
  • about 55 telephones/1,000 persons (1991);
  • poorly developed and not well maintained;
  • many towns are not reached by the national network
local:
NA
intercity:
cable and microwave radio relay
international:
  • linked by cable and microwave to other CIS republics, and by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch;
  • Dushanbe linked by INTELSAT to international gateway switch in Ankara;
  • 1 Orbita and 2 INTELSAT earth stations

Turkmenistan

  • NA telephones;
  • only 7.5 telephones/100 persons (1991);
  • poorly developed
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
  • linked by cable and microwave to other CIS republics and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch;
  • a new telephone link from Ashgabat to Iran has been established;
  • a new exchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkey via INTELSAT;
  • 1 Orbita and 1 INTELSAT earth station

Uzbekistan

  • 1,458,000 telephones;
  • 63 telephones/1,000 persons (1995);
  • poorly developed
local:
NMT-450 analog cellular network established in Tashkent
intercity:
NA
international:
  • linked by landline or microwave with CIS member states and by leased connection via the Moscow international gateway switch to other countries;
  • new INTELSAT links to Tokyo and Ankara give Uzbekistan international access independent of Russian facilities;
  • Orbita and INTELSAT earth stations

Central America and the Caribbean

31 entries

Anguilla

890 telephones; modern internal telephone system

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
radio relay microwave link to island of Saint Martin

Antigua And Barbuda now Antigua and Barbuda

6,700 telephones; good automatic telephone system

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
  • 1 coaxial submarine cable;
  • 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station;
  • tropospheric scatter links with Saba and Guadeloupe

Aruba

  • 72,168 telephones;
  • 1,100 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • more than adequate
local:
NA
intercity:
extensive interisland microwave radio relay links
international:
1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten

The Bahamas

  • 99,000 telephones;
  • totally automatic system;
  • highly developed
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
  • tropospheric scatter and submarine cable links to Florida;
  • 3 coaxial submarine cables;
  • 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Barbados

89,000 telephones

local:
island wide automatic telephone system;
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station; tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad and Saint Lucia

Belize

8,650 telephones; above-average system based on microwave radio relay

local:
NA
intercity:
microwave radio relay
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

British Virgin Islands

3,000 telephones; worldwide external telephone service

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
submarine cable communication links to Bermuda

Cayman Islands

35,000 telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 submarine coaxial cable; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Costa Rica

292,000 telephones; very good domestic telephone service

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
connection into Central American Microwave System; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Cuba

  • 229,000 telephones;
  • 20.7 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • among the world's least developed telephone systems
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Dominica

4,600 telephones; fully automatic network

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
SHF radio and microwave radio relay links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radio links to Saint Lucia

Dominican Republic

190,000 telephones; relatively efficient domestic system based on islandwide microwave radio relay network

local:
NA
intercity:
islandwide microwave radio relay network
international:
1 coaxial submarine cable; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

El Salvador

116,000 telephones; 21 telephones/1,000 persons

local:
NA
intercity:
nationwide microwave radio relay system
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station; connected to Central American Microwave System

Grenada

  • 5,650 telephones;
  • automatic, islandwide telephone system;
  • new SHF radio links to the islands of Trinidad, Tobago, and Saint Vincent;
  • VHF and UHF radio links to the islands of Trinidad and Carriacou
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
SHF, VHF, and UHF radio communications

Guadeloupe

57,300 telephones; domestic facilities inadequate

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station; interisland microwave radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Martinique

Guatemala

97,670 telephones; fairly modern network centered in the city of Guatemala

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
connection into Central American Microwave System; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Haiti

36,000 telephones; domestic facilities barely adequate, international facilities slightly better

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Honduras

  • NA telephones;
  • 7 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • inadequate system
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations and the Central American microwave radio relay system

Jamaica

127,000 telephones; fully automatic domestic telephone network

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations; 3 coaxial submarine cables

Martinique

68,900 telephones; domestic facilities are adequate

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
interisland microwave radio relay links to Guadeloupe, Dominica, and Saint Lucia; 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations

Montserrat

3,000 telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA

Netherlands Antilles

NA telephones; generally adequate facilities

local:
NA
intercity:
extensive interisland microwave radio relay links
international:
2 submarine cables; 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations

Nicaragua

  • 60,000 telephones;
  • low-capacity radio relay and wire system being expanded;
  • connection into Central American Microwave System
local:
NA
intercity:
wire and radio relay
international:
1 Intersputnik and 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Panama

220,000 telephones; domestic and international facilities well developed

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
  • 1 coaxial submarine cable;
  • 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations;
  • connected to the Central American Microwave System

Puerto Rico

  • NA telephones;
  • modern system, integrated with that of the US by high capacity submarine cable and INTELSAT with high-speed data capability;
  • digital telephone system with about 1 million lines;
  • cellular telephone service (1990)
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT earth station and submarine cable

Saint Kitts And Nevis now Saint Kitts and Nevis

2,400 telephones; good interisland VHF/UHF/SHF radio connections and international link via Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Martin

local:
NA
intercity:
interisland links are handled by VHF/UHF/SHF radio; within the islands all calls are local
international:
international calls are carried by radio to Antigua and Barbuda and there switched to submarine cable or to INTELSAT, or carried to Saint Martin by radio and switched to INTELSAT

Saint Lucia

9,500 telephones

local:
low density (6 telephones/100 persons) but the system is automatically switched
intercity:
no intercity traffic
international:
direct microwave link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; interisland troposcatter link to Barbados

Saint Vincent And The Grenadines now Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

6,500 telephones; islandwide fully automatic telephone system

local:
NA
intercity:
VHF/UHF interisland links from Saint Vincent to the other islands of the Grenadines
international:
VHF/UHF interisland links from Saint Vincent to Barbados; new SHF links to Grenada and to Saint Lucia

Trinidad And Tobago now Trinidad and Tobago

  • 109,000 telephones;
  • excellent international service via tropospheric scatter links to Barbados and Guyana;
  • good local service
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station; linked to Barbados and Guyana by tropospheric scatter system

Turks And Caicos Islands now Turks and Caicos Islands

1,446 telephones; fair cable and radio services

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
2 submarine cables; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Virgin Islands

58,931 telephones; modern telephone system using fiber-optic cable, submarine cable, microwave radio, and satellite facilities

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA

Europe

46 entries

Albania

about 55,000 telephones; about 15 telephones/1,000 persons

local:
primitive; about 11,000 telephones in Tirane, the capital city
intercity:
  • obsolete wire system;
  • no longer provides a telephone for every village;
  • in 1992, following the fall of the communist government, peasants cut the wire to about 1,000 villages and used it to build fences
international:
inadequate; carried through the Tirane exchange and transmitted through Italy on 240 microwave radio relay circuits and through Greece on 150 microwave radio relay circuits

Andorra

17,700 telephones; digital microwave network

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
landline circuits to France and Spain

Austria

4,014,000 telephones; highly developed and efficient

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), and EUTELSAT earth stations

Belarus

  • 1,849,000 telephones (December 1991);
  • 18 telephones/100 persons;
  • telephone service inadequate for the purposes of either business or the population;
  • about 70% of the telephones are in homes;
  • over 750,000 applications from households for telephones remain unsatisfied (1992);
  • new investment centers on international connections and business needs;
  • the new BelCel NMT 450 cellular system (a joint venture) is now operating in Minsk
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
international traffic is carried by the Moscow international gateway switch and also by 2 satellite earth stations near Minsk - INTELSAT (through Canada) and EUTELSAT (through the UK)

Belgium

4,720,000 telephones; highly developed, technologically advanced, and completely automated domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities

local:
NA
intercity:
  • extensive cable network;
  • limited microwave radio relay network;
  • nationwide mobile phone system
international:
5 submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations and 1 EUTELSAT earth station

Bosnia And Herzegovina now Bosnia and Herzegovina

  • 727,000 telephones;
  • telephone and telegraph network is in need of modernization and expansion;
  • many urban areas are below average when compared with services in other former Yugoslav republics
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
no earth stations

Bulgaria

  • 2,600,000 telephones;
  • 29 telephones/100 persons (1992);
  • extensive but antiquated transmission system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay;
  • direct dialing to 36 countries;
  • telephone service is available in most villages;
  • almost two-thirds of the lines are residential;
  • 67% of Sofia households have phones (November 1988)
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 earth station using Intersputnik; INTELSAT link used through a Greek earth station

Croatia

350,000 telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
no satellite links

Czech Republic now Czechia

NA telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA

Denmark

  • 4,509,000 telephones;
  • excellent telephone and telegraph services;
  • buried and submarine cables and microwave radio relay support trunk network
local:
NA
intercity:
microwave radio relay
international:
19 submarine coaxial cables; 7 INTELSAT, EUTELSAT, and INMARSAT earth stations

Estonia

  • about 400,000 telephones;
  • 246 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • telephone system is antiquated;
  • improvements are being made piecemeal, with emphasis on business needs and international connections;
  • there are still about 150,000 unfulfilled requests for telephone service
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
  • international traffic is carried to the other former USSR republics by land line or microwave and to other countries partly by leased connection to the Moscow international gateway switch, and partly by a new Tallinn-Helsinki fiber optic submarine cable which gives Estonia access to international circuits everywhere;
  • substantial investment has been made in cellular systems which are operational throughout Estonia and also Latvia and which have access to the international packet switched digital network via Helsinki

Faroe Islands

  • 27,900 telephones;
  • good international communications;
  • fair domestic facilities
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
3 coaxial submarine cables

Finland

3,140,000 telephones; good service from cable and microwave radio relay network

local:
NA
intercity:
cable and microwave radio relay
international:
1 submarine cable; INTELSAT satellite transmission service via Swedish earth station and a receive-only INTELSAT earth station near Helsinki for TV programs

France

  • 39,200,000 telephones;
  • highly developed;
  • extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks;
  • large-scale introduction of optical-fiber systems;
  • satellite systems for domestic traffic
local:
NA
intercity:
microwave radio relay, optical fiber cable, and domestic satellites
international:
  • 2 INTELSAT earth stations (with total of 5 antennas - 2 Indian Ocean and 3 for Atlantic Ocean);
  • HF radio communications with more than 20 countries;
  • INMARSAT service;
  • EUTELSAT TV service

Germany

western:
  • 40,300,000 telephones;
  • highly developed, modern telecommunication service to all parts of the country;
  • fully adequate in all respects;
  • intensively developed, highly redundant cable and microwave radio relay networks, all completely automatic
local:
very modern
intercity:
domestic satellite, microwave radio relay, and cable systems
international:
  • 12 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean), 2 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean), and 1 EUTELSAT earth station;
  • 2 HF radiocommunication centers;
  • tropospheric scatter links
eastern:
3,970,000 telephones; badly needs modernization
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT earth station and 1 Intersputnik system

Gibraltar

9,400 telephones; adequate, automatic domestic system and adequate international radiocommunication and microwave facilities

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Greece

  • 4,080,000 telephones;
  • adequate, modern networks reach all areas;
  • microwave radio relay carries most traffic;
  • extensive open-wire network;
  • submarine cables to off-shore islands
local:
NA
intercity:
microwave radio relay and open wire
international:
tropospheric links, 8 submarine cables; 2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 EUTELSAT ground station

Guernsey

41,900 telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 submarine cable

Holy See (vatican City) now Holy See (Vatican City)

2,000 telephones; automatic exchange

local:
NA
intercity:
tied into Italian system
international:
uses Italian system

Hungary

  • 1,520,000 phones;
  • 14.7 telephones/100 inhabitants (1993);
  • 14,213 telex lines;
  • automatic telephone network based on microwave radio relay system;
  • 608,000 telephones on order;
  • 12-15 year wait for a telephone;
  • 49% of all phones are in Budapest (1991)
local:
NA
intercity:
microwave radio relay
international:
1 INTELSAT and Intersputnik earth stations

Ireland

900,000 telephones; modern digital system using cable and microwave radio relay

local:
NA
intercity:
microwave radio relay
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Man, Isle Of now Isle of Man

24,435 telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA

Italy

  • 25,600,000 telephones;
  • modern, well-developed, fast;
  • fully automated telephone, telex, and data services
local:
NA
intercity:
high-capacity cable and microwave radio relay trunks
international:
  • international service by 21 submarine cables, 3 satellite earth stations operating in INTELSAT with 3 Atlantic Ocean antennas and 2 Indian Ocean antennas;
  • also participates in INMARSAT and EUTELSAT systems

Jersey

63,700 telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
3 submarine cables

Latvia

  • 660,000 telephones;
  • 240 telephones/1,000 persons (1993);
  • Latvia is better provided with telephone service than most of the other former Soviet republics;
  • an NMT-450 analog cellular telephone network covers 75% of Latvia's population
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
  • international traffic carried by leased connection to the Moscow international gateway switch and through the new Ericsson AXE local/transit digital telephone exchange in Riga and through the Finnish cellular net;
  • electronic mail capability by Sprint data network

Liechtenstein

25,400 telephones; limited, but sufficient automatic telephone system

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
linked to Swiss networks by cable and radio relay

Lithuania

  • 900,000 telephones;
  • 240 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • telecommunications system ranks among the most modern of the former Soviet republics
local:
NA
intercity:
land lines and microwave radio relay
international:
  • international connections no longer depend on the Moscow gateway switch, but are established by satellite through Oslo from Vilnius and through Copenhagen from Kaunas;
  • 1 EUTELSAT and 1 INTELSAT earth station;
  • an NMT-450 analog cellular network operates in Vilnius and other cities and is linked internationally through Copenhagen by EUTELSAT;
  • international electronic mail is available;
  • land lines or microwave to former USSR republics

Luxembourg

  • 230,000 telephones;
  • highly developed, completely automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables;
  • nationwide mobile phone system
local:
NA
intercity:
buried cable
international:
3 channels leased on TAT-6 coaxial submarine cable

Malta

153,000 telephones; automatic system satisfies normal requirements

local:
NA
intercity:
submarine cable and microwave radio relay between islands
international:
1 submarine cable and 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Moldova

  • 577,000 telephones;
  • 134 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • telecommunication system not well developed;
  • 215,000 unsatisfied requests for telephone service (1991)
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
international connections to the other former Soviet republics by land line and microwave radio relay through Ukraine, and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; 1 EUTELSAT and 1 INTELSAT earth station

Monaco

38,200 telephones; automatic telephone system

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
no satellite links; served by cable into the French communications system

Netherlands

  • 9,418,000 telephones;
  • highly developed, well maintained, and integrated;
  • extensive redundant system of multiconductor cables, supplemented by microwave radio relay links
local:
nationwide mobile phone system
intercity:
microwave radio relay
international:
5 submarine cables; 3 INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean) and 1 EUTELSAT earth station

Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic Of now North Macedonia

125,000 telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
no satellite links

Norway

3,102,000 telephones; high-quality domestic and international telephone, telegraph, and telex services

local:
NA
intercity:
domestic earth stations
international:
  • 2 buried coaxial cable systems;
  • 4 coaxial submarine cables;
  • EUTELSAT, INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean), and MARISAT earth stations

Poland

  • 4.9 million telephones;
  • 12.7 phones/100 residents (1994);
  • severely underdeveloped and outmoded system;
  • exchanges are 86% automatic (1991)
local:
NA
intercity:
cable, open wire, and microwave
international:
INTELSAT, EUTELSAT, INMARSAT, and Intersputnik earth stations

Portugal

2,690,000 telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
  • generally adequate integrated network of coaxial cables,
  • open wire and microwave radio relay,
  • domestic satellite earth stations
international:
  • 6 submarine cables;
  • 3 INTELSAT (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), EUTELSAT earth stations;
  • tropospheric link to Azores

Romania

  • about 2.3 million telephones;
  • 99 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • 89% of phone network is automatic;
  • poor service;
  • cable and open wire
local:
NA
intercity:
trunk network is microwave; roughly 3,300 villages with no service (February 1990)
international:
1 INTELSAT earth station; new digital international direct dial exchanges are in Bucharest (1993)

San Marino

11,700 telephones; automatic telephone system completely integrated into Italian system

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
microwave and cable links into Italian networks; no communication satellite facilities

Serbia And Montenegro now Serbia and Montenegro

700,000 telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Slovakia

NA telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA

Slovenia

130,000 telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA

Spain

15,350,464 telephones; generally adequate, modern facilities

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
  • 22 coaxial submarine cables;
  • 2 earth stations for INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean);
  • earth stations for working the EUTELSAT, INMARSAT, and MARECS satellite communications systems;
  • microwave tropospheric scatter links to adjacent countries

Sweden

  • 8,200,000 telephones;
  • excellent domestic and international facilities;
  • automatic system
local:
NA
intercity:
coaxial and multiconductor cable carry most voice traffic; parallel microwave network carries TV, radio, and some additional telephone channels
international:
5 submarine coaxial cables; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 EUTELSAT earth station

Switzerland

5,890,000 telephones; excellent domestic, international, and broadcast services

local:
NA
intercity:
extensive cable and microwave networks
international:
2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean) earth stations

Ukraine

  • 7,886,000 telephone circuits;
  • about 151.4 telephone circuits/1,000 persons (1991);
  • the telephone system is inadequate both for business and for personal use;
  • 3.56 million applications for telephones had not been satisfied as of January 1991;
  • electronic mail services have been established in Kiev, Odesa, and Luhans'k by Sprint
local:
an NMT-450 analog cellular telephone network operates in Kiev (Kyyiv) and allows direct dialing of international calls through Kiev's EWSD digital exchange
intercity:
NA
international:
  • calls to other CIS countries are carried by land line or microwave;
  • other international calls to 167 countries are carried by satellite or by the 150 leased lines through the Moscow gateway switch;
  • INTELSAT, INMARSAT, and Intersputnik earth stations

United Kingdom

30,200,000 telephones; technologically advanced domestic and international system

local:
NA
intercity:
NA equal mix of buried cables, microwave and optical-fiber systems
international:
  • 40 coaxial submarine cables;
  • 10 INTELSAT (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean), 1 INMARSAT, and 1 EUTELSAT earth satellite;
  • at least 8 large international switching centers

Middle East

17 entries

Bahrain

  • 98,000 telephones;
  • 170 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • modern system;
  • good domestic services;
  • excellent international connections
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
  • 2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station;
  • tropospheric scatter to Qatar, UAE;
  • microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia;
  • submarine cable to Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia

Cyprus

  • 210,000 telephones;
  • excellent in both the area controlled by the Cypriot Government (Greek area), and in the Turkish-Cypriot administered area;
  • largely open-wire and microwave radio relay
local:
NA
intercity:
microwave radio relay
international:
international service by tropospheric scatter, 3 submarine cables, and 2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 EUTELSAT earth station

Gaza Strip

  • NA; note - 10% of Palestinian households have telephones (1992 est.)
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA

Iran

2,143,000 telephones; 35 telephones/1,000 persons

local:
NA
intercity:
microwave radio relay extends throughout country; system centered in Tehran
international:
  • 3 INTELSAT (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) earth stations;
  • HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan;
  • submarine fiber optic cable to UAE

Iraq

  • 632,000 telephones;
  • reconstitution of damaged telecommunication facilities began after the Gulf war;
  • most damaged facilities have been rebuilt
local:
NA
intercity:
the network consists of coaxial cables and microwave radio relay links
international:
  • 2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 GORIZONT (Atlantic Ocean) in the Intersputnik system, and 1 ARABSAT earth station;
  • coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey;
  • Kuwait line is probably non-operational

Israel

1,800,000 telephones; most highly developed in the Middle East although not the largest

local:
NA
intercity:
good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay
international:
3 submarine cables; 3 INTELSAT (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) earth stations

Jordan

81,500 telephones; adequate telephone system

local:
NA microwave, cable, and radio links
intercity:
NA
international:
  • 2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station;
  • coaxial cable and microwave to Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Syria;
  • microwave link to Lebanon is inactive;
  • participant in MEDARABTEL, a microwave radio relay network linking Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco

Kuwait

NA telephones; civil network suffered extensive damage as a result of the Gulf war and reconstruction is still under way with some restored international and domestic capabilities

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
  • earth stations destroyed during Gulf war and not rebuilt yet;
  • temporary mobile satellite antennae provide international telecommunications;
  • coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia;
  • service to Iraq is nonoperational

Lebanon

  • 325,000 telephones;
  • 95 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • telecommunications system severely damaged by civil war;
  • rebuilding still underway
local:
NA
intercity:
primarily microwave radio relay and cable
international:
  • 2 INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean) earth stations (erratic operations);
  • coaxial cable to Syria;
  • microwave radio relay to Syria but inoperable beyond Syria to Jordan;
  • 3 submarine coaxial cables

Oman

  • 50,000 telephones;
  • modern system consisting of open-wire, microwave, and radio communications stations;
  • limited coaxial cable
local:
NA
intercity:
open wire, microwave, radio communications, and 8 domestic satellite links
international:
2 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station

Qatar

110,000 telephones; modern system centered in Doha

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
  • tropospheric scatter to Bahrain;
  • microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE;
  • submarine cable to Bahrain and UAE;
  • 2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station

Saudi Arabia

1,624,000 telephones; modern system

local:
NA
intercity:
extensive microwave and coaxial and fiber optic cable systems
international:
  • microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan;
  • coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan;
  • submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain;
  • earth stations - 5 INTELSAT (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 ARABSAT, and 1 INMARSAT

Syria

  • 512,600 telephones;
  • 37 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • fair system currently undergoing significant improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber optic technology
local:
NA
intercity:
coaxial cable and microwave radio relay network
international:
  • 1 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik earth station;
  • 1 submarine cable;
  • coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey

Turkey now Turkiye

3,400,000 telephones; fair domestic and international systems

local:
NA
intercity:
trunk radio relay microwave network; limited open wire network
international:
2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 EUTELSAT earth station; 1 submarine cable

United Arab Emirates

  • 386,600 telephones;
  • modern system consisting of microwave and coaxial cable;
  • key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubayy
local:
NA
intercity:
microwave and coaxial cable
international:
  • 3 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station;
  • submarine cables to Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan;
  • tropospheric scatter to Bahrain;
  • microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia

West Bank

  • NA telephones; note - 8% of Palestinian households have telephones (1992 est.)
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA

note: Israeli company BEZEK is responsible for communication services in the West Bank

Yemen

65,000 telephones; since unification in 1990, efforts are still being made to create a national domestic civil telecommunications network

local:
NA
intercity:
the network consists of microwave radio relay, cable, and troposcatter
international:
3 INTELSAT (2 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Intersputnik, and 2 ARABSAT earth stations; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and Djibouti

North America

5 entries

Bermuda

52,670 telephones; modern, fully automatic telephone system

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
3 submarine cables; 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations

Canada

18,000,000 telephones; excellent service provided by modern media

local:
NA
intercity:
about 300 earth stations for domestic satellite communications
international:
5 coaxial submarine cables; 5 INTELSAT earth stations (4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)

Mexico

  • 6,410,000 telephones;
  • highly developed system with extensive microwave radio relay links;
  • privatized in December 1990
local:
adequate phone service for business and government, but, at a density of less than 7 telephones/100 persons, the population is poorly served
intercity:
includes 120 domestic satellite terminals and an extensive network of microwave radio relay links
international:
  • 5 INTELSAT (4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) earth stations;
  • connected into Central America Microwave System;
  • launched Solidarity I satellite in November 1993

Saint Pierre And Miquelon now Saint Pierre and Miquelon

3,601 telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
radio communication with most countries in the world; 1 satellite link in French domestic satellite system

United States

126,000,000 telephones; 7,557,000 cellular telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites
international:
16 satellites and 24 ocean cable systems in use; 61 INTELSAT (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16 Pacific Ocean) earth stations (1990)

Oceania

28 entries

American Samoa

8,399 telephones; good telex, telegraph, and facsimile services

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) and 1 COMSAT earth station

Australia

8,700,000 telephones; good international and domestic service

local:
NA
intercity:
domestic satellite service
international:
submarine cables to New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia; 10 INTELSAT (4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean) earth stations

Cook Islands

2,052 telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station

Fiji

  • 53,228 telephones;
  • 71 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • modern local, interisland, and international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities;
  • regional radio center
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
important COMPAC cable link between US-Canada and NZ-Australia; 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station

French Polynesia

33,200 telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station

Guam

26,317 telephones (1989)

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
2 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth stations

Johnston Atoll

NA telephones; excellent system including 60-channel submarine cable, Autodin/SRT terminal, digital telephone switch, Military Affiliated Radio System (MARS station), and UHF/VHF air-ground radio

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA

Kiribati

1,400 telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station

Marshall Islands

570 telephones (Majuro) and 186 telephones (Ebeye); telex services

local:
NA
intercity:
islands interconnected by shortwave radio (used mostly for government purposes)
international:
2 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth stations; US Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein

Micronesia, Federated States Of now Federated States of Micronesia

960 telephones on Kolonia and Truk

local:
NA
intercity:
islands interconnected by shortwave radio (used mostly for government purposes
international:
4 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth stations

Midway Islands

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA

Nauru

1,600 telephones; adequate local and international radio communications provided via Australian facilities

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station

New Caledonia

32,578 telephones (1987)

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) satellite link

New Zealand

2,110,000 telephones; excellent international and domestic systems

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
submarine cables extend to Australia and Fiji; 2 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth stations

Niue

383 telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
single-line telephone system connects all villages on island
international:
NA

Norfolk Island

987 telephones (1983)

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
radio link service with Sydney

Northern Mariana Islands

NA telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
2 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth stations

Palau

NA telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station

Papua New Guinea

  • more than 70,000 telephones (1987);
  • services are adequate and being improved;
  • facilities provide radiobroadcast, radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio, aeronautical radio, and international radiocommunication services
local:
NA
intercity:
mostly radio telephone
international:
  • submarine cables extend to Australia and Guam;
  • 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station;
  • international radio communication service

Pitcairn Islands

24 telephones; party line telephone service on the island

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA

Western Samoa now Samoa

7,500 telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station

Solomon Islands

3,000 telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station

Tokelau

NA telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
radiotelephone service between islands
international:
radiotelephone service to Western Samoa

Tonga

3,529 telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station

Tuvalu

108 telephones; 300 radiotelephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA

Vanuatu

3,000 telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station

Wake Island

  • NA telephones;
  • satellite communications;
  • 1 Autovon circuit off the Overseas Telephone System (OTS)
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA

note: Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) radio and television service provided by satellite

Wallis And Futuna now Wallis and Futuna

225 telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA

South America

14 entries

Argentina

  • 2,650,000 telephones;
  • 12,000 public telephones;
  • 78 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • extensive modern system but many families do not have telephones;
  • microwave widely used;
  • however, during rainstorms, the telephone system frequently grounds out, even in Buenos Aires
local:
NA
intercity:
microwave radio relay and domestic satellite network with 40 earth stations
international:
2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations

Bolivia

  • about 150,000 telephones;
  • about 2.0 telephones/100 persons;
  • new subscribers face bureaucratic difficulties;
  • most telephones in La Paz and other cities;
  • microwave radio relay system being expanded;
  • improved international services
local:
NA
intercity:
microwave radio relay system
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Brazil

  • 9.86 million telephones;
  • telephone density - 61/1,000 persons;
  • good working system
local:
NA
intercity:
extensive microwave radio relay systems and 64 domestic satellite earth stations
international:
3 coaxial submarine cables; 3 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

Chile

768,000 telephones; modern telephone system based on extensive microwave radio relay facilities

local:
NA
intercity:
extensive microwave radio relay links and 3 domestic satellite stations
international:
2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations

Colombia

1,890,000 telephones; modern system in many respects

local:
NA
intercity:
nationwide microwave radio relay system; 11 domestic earth stations
international:
2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations

Ecuador

  • 318,000 telephones;
  • 30 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • domestic facilities generally inadequate and unreliable
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Falkland Islands (islas Malvinas) now Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

590 telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
government-operated radiotelephone and private VHF/CB radio networks provide effective service to almost all points on both islands
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station with links through London to other countries

French Guiana

18,100 telephones; fair open-wire and microwave radio relay system

local:
NA
intercity:
open wire and microwave radio relay
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Guyana

over 27,000 telephones; fair system for long distance calling

local:
NA
intercity:
microwave radio relay network for trunk lines
international:
tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Paraguay

  • 78,300 telephones;
  • 16 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • meager telephone service;
  • principal switching center in Asuncion
local:
NA
intercity:
fair microwave radio relay network
international:
1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Peru

544,000 telephones; fairly adequate for most requirements

local:
NA
intercity:
nationwide microwave radio relay system and 12 domestic satellite links
international:
2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

Suriname

27,500 telephones; international facilities good

local:
NA
intercity:
microwave radio relay network
international:
2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations

Uruguay

  • 337,000 telephones;
  • telephone density 10/100 persons;
  • some modern facilities
local:
most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo
intercity:
new nationwide microwave network
international:
2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations

Venezuela

1,440,000 telephones; modern and expanding

local:
NA
intercity:
3 domestic satellite earth stations
international:
3 submarine coaxial cables; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Southeast Asia

17 entries

Brunei

  • 33,000 telephones (1987);
  • service throughout country is adequate for present needs;
  • international service good to adjacent Malaysia
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
INTELSAT (NA Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) earth stations

Burma now Burma (Myanmar)

  • 53,000 telephones (1986);
  • meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service for business and government;
  • international service is good
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth station

Cambodia

NA telephones; service barely adequate for government requirements and virtually nonexistent for general public

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
international service limited to Vietnam and other adjacent countries

Christmas Island

NA telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA

Cocos (keeling) Islands now Cocos (Keeling) Islands

NA telephones

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
linked by telephone, telex, and facsimile communications via satellite with Australia

Hong Kong

3,000,000 telephones; modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services

local:
NA
intercity:
microwave transmission links and extensive optical fiber transmission network
international:
  • 3 INTELSAT (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) earth stations;
  • coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China;
  • links to 5 international submarine cables providing access to ASEAN member nations, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe

Indonesia

763,000 telephones (1986); domestic service fair, international service good

local:
NA
intercity:
interisland microwave system and HF police net; 1 earth station for a domestic satellite
international:
2 INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) earth stations

Laos

  • 7,390 telephones (1986);
  • service to general public very poor;
  • radio communications network provides generally erratic service to government users
local:
16 telephone lines per 1,000 people
intercity:
radio communications
international:
1 earth station

Macau

52,000 telephones; fairly modern communication facilities maintained for domestic and international services

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
  • high-frequency radio communication facility;
  • access to international communications carriers provided via Hong Kong and China;
  • 1 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth station

Malaysia

994,860 telephones (1984); international service good

local:
NA
intercity:
  • good intercity service provided on Peninsular Malaysia mainly by microwave radio relay;
  • adequate intercity microwave radio relay network between Sabah and Sarawak via Brunei;
  • 2 domestic satellite links
international:
  • submarine cables extend to India and Sarawak;
  • SEACOM submarine cable links to Hong Kong and Singapore;
  • satellite earth stations - 2 INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)

Paracel Islands

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA

Philippines

  • 872,900 telephones;
  • good international radio and submarine cable services;
  • domestic and interisland service adequate
local:
NA
intercity:
11 domestic satellite links
international:
submarine cables extended to Hong Kong, Guam, Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan; 3 INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Pacific Ocean) earth stations

Singapore

  • 1,110,000 telephones;
  • good domestic facilities;
  • good international service;
  • good radio and television broadcast coverage
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
  • submarine cables extend to Malaysia (Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia), Indonesia, and the Philippines;
  • 2 INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) earth stations

Spratly Islands

local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
NA

Taiwan

7,800,000 telephones; best developed system in Asia outside of Japan

local:
NA
intercity:
extensive microwave radio relay links on east and west coasts
international:
  • 2 INTELSAT (1 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) earth stations;
  • submarine cable links to Japan (Okinawa), Philippines, Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe

Thailand

  • 739,500 telephones (1987);
  • service to general public inadequate;
  • bulk of service to government activities provided by multichannel cable and microwave radio relay network
local:
NA
intercity:
microwave radio relay and multichannel cable; domestic satellite system being developed
international:
2 INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) earth stations

Vietnam

  • NA telephones;
  • 2 telephones/1,000 persons;
  • the inadequacies of the obsolete switching equipment and cable system are a serious constraint on the business sector and on economic growth, and restrict access to the international links that Vietnam has established with most major countries;
  • the telephone system is not generally available for private use
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
3 satellite earth stations

Oceans

4 entries

Arctic Ocean

international:
no submarine cables ARGENTINA

Atlantic Ocean

international:
  • numerous submarine cables with most between continental Europe and the UK, North America and the UK, and in the Mediterranean;
  • numerous direct links across Atlantic via INTELSAT satellite network AUSTRALIA

Indian Ocean

international:
submarine cables from India to United Arab Emirates and Malaysia, and from Sri Lanka to Djibouti and Indonesia INDONESIA

Pacific Ocean

international:
several submarine cables with network nodal points on Guam and Hawaii PAKISTAN

Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook 1995, “Telecommunication systems”, all entries. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/fields/telecommunication-systems/1995.

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