Telecommunication systems In 35 editions of 36.

domestic:

NA

international:

NA

domestic:

good service in north but sparse in south; domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations (20 additional domestic earth stations are planned)

international:

• 5 submarine cables;
• microwave radio relay to Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia;
• coaxial cable to Morocco and Tunisia;
• participant in Medarabtel;
• satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik, and 1 Arabsat

telephone service limited mostly to government and business use; HF radiotelephone used extensively for military links

domestic:

limited system of wire, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter

international:

satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

domestic:

fair system of open wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); submarine cable

sparse system

domestic:

small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations

international:

• two international exchanges;
• digital microwave radio relay links to Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa;
• satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

all services only fair

domestic:

microwave radio relay, open wire, and radiotelephone communication stations

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

primitive system

domestic:

sparse system of open wire, radiotelephone communications, and low-capacity microwave radio relay

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

domestic:

• interisland microwave radio relay system with both analog and digital exchanges;
• work is in progress on a submarine fiber-optic cable system which was scheduled for completion in 1998

international:

• 2 coaxial submarine cables;
• HF radiotelephone to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau;
• satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

available only to business and government

domestic:

cable, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter

international:

satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

fair system

domestic:

network consists principally of microwave radio relay and low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

primitive system

domestic:

fair system of radiotelephone communication stations

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

sparse system of microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communication stations

domestic:

HF radiotelephone communications and microwave radio relay

international:

HF radiotelephone communications to Madagascar and Reunion

domestic:

barely adequate wire and microwave radio relay service in and between urban areas; domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

• services barely adequate for government use;
• key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo;
• intercity lines frequently out-of-order

domestic:

primary network consists of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

well-developed by African standards but operating well below capacity

domestic:

open-wire lines and microwave radio relay; 90% digitalized

international:

satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); 2 coaxial submarine cables (June 1999)

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

domestic:

microwave radio relay network

international:

• submarine cable to Jiddah, Suez, Sicily, Marseilles, Colombo, and Singapore;
• satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat;
• Medarabtel regional microwave radio relay telephone network

large system by Third World standards but inadequate for present requirements and undergoing extensive upgrading; Internet access available

domestic:

principal centers at Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah, Ismailia, Suez, and Tanta are connected by coaxial cable and microwave radio relay

international:

• satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat;
• 5 coaxial submarine cables;
• tropospheric scatter to Sudan;
• microwave radio relay to Israel;
• a participant in Medarabtel and a signatory to Project Oxygen (a global submarine fiber-optic cable system)

poor system with adequate government services

domestic:

NA

international:

international communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

domestic:

• very inadequate;
• most telephones are in Asmara;
• government is seeking international tenders to improve the system

international:

NA

domestic:

• system consists of carrier-equipped,
• open-wire lines and low-capacity,
• microwave radio relay

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

open wire and microwave radio relay system adequate for government use

domestic:

• open wire;
• microwave radio relay;
• radio communication in the HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies;
• two domestic satellites provide the national trunk service

international:

• open wire to Sudan and Djibouti;
• microwave radio relay to Kenya and Djibouti;
• satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Pacific Ocean)

domestic:

adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations

international:

satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

domestic:

adequate network of microwave radio relay and open wire

international:

microwave radio relay links to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

• poor to fair system;
• Internet accessible;
• many rural communities not yet connected;
• expansion of services is underway

domestic:

primarily microwave radio relay; wireless local loop has been installed

international:

satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay link to Panaftel system connects Ghana to its neighbors

poor to fair system of open-wire lines, small radiotelephone communication stations, and new microwave radio relay system

domestic:

microwave radio relay and radiotelephone communication

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

small system

domestic:

combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines, radiotelephone, and cellular communications

international:

NA

unreliable; little attempt to modernize

domestic:

trunks are primarily microwave radio relay; data commonly transferred by a very small aperature terminal (VSAT)

international:

satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat

rudimentary system

domestic:

consists of a few landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a minor radiotelephone communication system

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

telephone and telegraph service via microwave radio relay network; main center is Monrovia

domestic:

NA

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

telecommunications system is being modernized; mobile cellular telephone system became operational in 1996

domestic:

microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, cellular, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations

international:

• satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat, NA Arabsat, and NA Intersputnik;
• submarine cables to France and Italy;
• microwave radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt;
• tropospheric scatter to Greece;
• participant in Medarabtel (1999)

system is above average for the region

domestic:

open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter links

international:

submarine cable to Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)

domestic:

fair system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone communications stations

international:

satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)

domestic system poor but improving; provides only minimal service

domestic:

network consists of microwave radio relay, open wire, and radiotelephone communications stations; expansion of microwave radio relay in progress

international:

satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)

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

domestic:

mostly cable and open-wire lines; a recently completed domestic satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with regional capitals

international:

satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 2 Arabsat

small system with good service

domestic:

primarily microwave radio relay

international:

• satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean);
• new microwave link to Reunion;
• HF radiotelephone links to several countries

small system administered by French Department of Posts and Telecommunications

domestic:

NA

international:

microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communications to Comoros and other international connections

domestic:

• good system composed of open-wire lines, cables, and microwave radio relay links;
• Internet available but expensive;
• principal switching centers are Casablanca and Rabat;
• national network nearly 100% digital using fiber-optic links;
• improved rural service employs microwave radio relay

international:

• 7 submarine cables;
• satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat;
• microwave radio relay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara;
• coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria;
• participant in Medarabtel;
• fiber-optic cable link from Agadir to Algeria and Tunisia

fair system of tropospheric scatter, open-wire lines, and microwave radio relay

domestic:

microwave radio relay and tropospheric scatter

international:

satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean)

domestic:

• good urban services;
• fair rural service;
• microwave radio relay links major towns;
• connections to other populated places are by open wire;
• 100% digital

international:

• fiber-optic cable to South Africa, microwave radio relay link to Botswana, direct links to other neighboring countries;
• connected to Africa ONE and South African Far East (SAFE) submarine cables through South Africa;
• satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat

small system of wire, radiotelephone communications, and microwave radio relay links concentrated in southwestern area

domestic:

wire, radiotelephone communications, and microwave radio relay; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations and 1 planned

international:

satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)

an inadequate system, further limited by poor maintenance; major expansion is required and a start has been made

domestic:

• intercity traffic is carried by coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, a domestic communications satellite system with 19 earth stations, and a coastal submarine cable;
• mobile cellular facilities and the Internet are available

international:

satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); coaxial submarine cable SAFE (South African Far East)

adequate system; principal center is Saint-Denis

domestic:

modern open wire and microwave radio relay network

international:

• radiotelephone communication to Comoros, France, Madagascar;
• new microwave route to Mauritius;
• satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

telephone system primarily serves business and government

domestic:

• the capital, Kigali, is connected to the centers of the prefectures by microwave radio relay;
• the remainder of the network depends on wire and HF radiotelephone

international:

• international connections employ microwave radio relay to neighboring countries and satellite communications to more distant countries;
• satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) in Kigali (includes telex and telefax service)

domestic:

automatic network; HF radiotelephone from Saint Helena 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; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

domestic:

minimal system

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

domestic:

above-average urban system; microwave radio relay, coaxial cable and fiber-optic cable in trunk system

international:

4 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

domestic:

radiotelephone communications between islands in the archipelago

international:

direct radiotelephone communications with adjacent island countries and African coastal countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

marginal telephone and telegraph service

domestic:

national microwave radio relay system made unserviceable by military activities

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

• the public telecommunications system was completely destroyed or dismantled by the civil war factions;
• all relief organizations depend on their own private systems

domestic:

recently, local cellular telephone systems have been established in Mogadishu and in several other population centers

international:

international connections are available from Mogadishu by satellite

the system is the best developed and most modern in Africa

domestic:

• consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops;
• key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria

international:

2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)

large, well-equipped system by regional standards, but barely adequate and poorly maintained by modern standards; cellular communications started in 1996

domestic:

consists of microwave radio relay, cable, radiotelephone communications, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations

international:

satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat

fair system operating below capacity and being modernized for better service; VSAT (very small aperature terminal) system under construction

domestic:

trunk service provided by open wire, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and fiber-optic cable; some links being made digital

international:

satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)

fair system based on network of microwave radio relay routes supplemented by open-wire lines and cellular system

domestic:

microwave radio relay and open-wire lines for conventional system; cellular system has capacity of 10,000 telephones

international:

satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Symphonie

• above the African average and continuing to be upgraded;
• key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis;
• Internet access available

domestic:

trunk facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial cable, and microwave radio relay

international:

• 5 submarine cables;
• satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat;
• coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya;
• participant in Medarabtel;
• two international gateway digital switches

• seriously inadequate;
• two cellular systems have been introduced, but a sharp increase in the number of main lines is essential;
• e-mail and Internet services are available

domestic:

intercity traffic by wire, microwave radio relay, and radiotelephone communication stations, fixed and mobile cellular systems for short range traffic

international:

satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat; analog links to Kenya and Tanzania

sparse and limited system

domestic:

NA

international:

• tied into Morocco's system by microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite;
• satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to Rabat, Morocco

facilities are among the best in Sub-Saharan Africa

domestic:

• high-capacity microwave radio relay connects most larger towns and cities;
• several cellular telephone services in operation;
• Internet service is widely available;
• very small aperature terminal (VSAT) networks are operated by private firms

international:

satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)

• system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor maintenance;
• more than 100,000 outstanding requests for connection despite an equally large number of installed but unused main lines

domestic:

• consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines, radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop installations, and a substantial mobile cellular network;
• Internet connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns and for some of the smaller ones

international:

satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; two international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru)

domestic:

NA

international:

NA

domestic:

NA

international:

coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken

adequate domestic and international service provided by cables and microwave radio relay; totally digitalized in 1995

domestic:

microwave radio relay

international:

2 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

adequate domestic service

domestic:

the trunk network consists of coaxial and fiber-optic cables and microwave radio relay links

international:

• satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions);
• note - Iceland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden)

domestic:

local telephone service

international:

satellite earth station - 1 of NA type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only)

domestic:

• very limited telephone and telegraph service;
• in 1997, telecommunications links were established between Mazar-e Sharif, Herat, Kandahar, Jalalabad, and Kabul through satellite and microwave systems

international:

• satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) linked only to Iran and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region);
• commercial satellite telephone center in Ghazni

system inadequate; now 90% privately owned and undergoing modernization and expansion

domestic:

the majority of subscribers and the most modern equipment are in Yerevan (this includes paging and mobile cellular service)

international:

• Yerevan is connected to the Trans-Asia-Europe fiber-optic cable through Iran;
• additional international service is available by microwave radio relay and landline connections to the other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and through the Moscow international switch and by satellite to the rest of the world;
• satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat

• Azerbaijan's telephone system is a combination of old Soviet era technology used by Azerbaijani citizens and small- to medium-size commercial establishments, and modern cellular telephones used by an increasing middle class, large commercial ventures, international companies, and most government officials;
• the average citizen waits on a 200,000-person list for telephone service;
• Internet and e-mail service are available in Baku

domestic:

• local - the majority of telephones are in Baku or other industrial centers - about 700 villages still do not have public telephone service;
• intercity;
• all long distance service must use Azertel's (Ministry of Communications) lines;
• satellite service connects Baku to a modern switch in its separated enclave of Naxcivan

international:

• the old Soviet system of cable and microwave is still serviceable;
• satellite service between Baku and Turkey provides access to 200 countries;
• additional satellite providers supply services between Baku and specific countries;
• Azerbaijan is a signator of the Trans-Asia-Europe Fiber-Optic Line (TAE);
• their lines are not laid but a Turkish satellite and a microwave link between Azerbaijan and Iran could provide Azerbaijan worldwide access

domestic:

• modernizing;
• introducing digital systems;
• trunk systems include VHF and UHF microwave, and some fiber-optic cable in cities

international:

satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); international radiotelephone communications and landline service to neighboring countries

domestic:

domestic telephone service is very poor with few telephones in use

international:

international telephone and telegraph service is by landline through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990)

separate facilities for military and public needs are available

domestic:

all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet

international:

international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)

• domestic and international services are increasingly available for private use;
• unevenly distributed domestic system serves principal cities, industrial centers, and many towns

domestic:

interprovincial fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular telephone systems have been installed; a domestic satellite system with 55 earth stations is in place

international:

• satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions);
• several international fiber-optic links to Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Russia, and Germany

domestic:

• local - T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi have cellular telephone networks with about 10,000 customers total;
• urban areas 20 telephones/100 people;
• rural areas 4 telephones/100 people;
• intercity - a fiber-optic line connects T'bilisi to K'ut'aisi (Georgia's second largest city);
• nationwide pager service

international:

• Georgia and Russia are working on a fiber-optic line between P'ot'i and Sochi (Russia);
• present international service is available by microwave, landline, and satellite through the Moscow switch;
• international electronic mail and telex service available

• mediocre service;
• local and long distance service provided throughout all regions of the country, with services primarily concentrated in the urban areas;
• major objective is to continue to expand and modernize long-distance network in order to keep pace with rapidly growing number of local subscriber lines;
• steady improvement is taking place with the recent admission of private and private-public investors, but demand for communication services is also growing rapidly

domestic:

• local service is provided by microwave radio relay and coaxial cable, with open wire and obsolete electromechanical and manual switchboard systems still in use in rural areas;
• starting in the 1980s, a substantial amount of digital switch gear has been introduced for local and long-distance service;
• long-distance traffic is carried mostly by coaxial cable and low-capacity microwave radio relay;
• since 1985 significant trunk capacity has been added in the form of fiber-optic cable and a domestic satellite system with 254 earth stations;
• mobile cellular service is provided in four metropolitan cities

international:

• satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region);
• nine gateway exchanges operating from Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, Calcutta, Chennai (Madras), Jalandhar, Kanpur, Gaidhinagar, Hyderabad, and Ernakulam;
• 4 submarine cables - LOCOM linking Chennai (Madras) to Penang;
• Indo-UAE-Gulf cable linking Mumbai (Bombay) to Al Fujayrah, UAE;
• India-SEA-ME-WE-3, SEA-ME-WE-2 with landing sites at Cochin and Mumbai (Bombay);
• Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) with landing site at Mumbai (Bombay)

excellent domestic and international service

domestic:

NA

international:

• satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region), and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions);
• submarine cables to China, Philippines, Russia, and US (via Guam)

service is poor; equipment antiquated

domestic:

intercity by landline and microwave radio relay; mobile cellular systems are available in most of Kazakhstan

international:

• international traffic with other former Soviet republics and China carried by landline and microwave radio relay;
• with other countries by satellite and by the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable;
• satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat

international:

satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Russian (Indian Ocean Region); other international connections through Moscow and Beijing

excellent domestic and international services

domestic:

NA

international:

• fiber-optic submarine cable to China;
• the Russia-Korea-Japan submarine cable;
• satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean region)

poorly developed; about 100,000 unsatisfied applications for household telephones

domestic:

principally microwave radio relay; one cellular provider, probably limited to Bishkek region

international:

• connections with other CIS countries by landline or microwave radio relay and with other countries by leased connections with Moscow international gateway switch and by satellite;
• satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik and 1 Intelsat;
• connected internationally by the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line

minimal domestic and international facilities

domestic:

interatoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited islands are connected with telephone and fax service

international:

satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

domestic:

NA

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region)

poor telephone and telegraph service; fair radiotelephone communication service and mobile cellular telephone network

domestic:

NA

international:

• radiotelephone communications;
• microwave landline to India;
• satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

• the domestic system is mediocre, but improving;
• service is adequate for government and business use, in part because major businesses have established their own private systems;
• since 1988, the government has promoted investment in the national telecommunications system on a priority basis, significantly increasing network capacity;
• despite major improvements in trunk and urban systems, telecommunication services are still not readily available to the majority of the rural population

domestic:

microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, cellular, and satellite

international:

• satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean);
• 3 operational international gateway exchanges (1 at Karachi and 2 at Islamabad);
• microwave radio relay to neighboring countries

• the telephone system has undergone significant changes in the 1990s;
• there are more than 1,000 companies licensed to offer communication services;
• access to digital lines has improved, particularly in urban centers;
• Internet and e-mail services are improving;
• Russia has made progress toward building the telecommunications infrastructure necessary for a market economy

domestic:

• cross-country digital trunk lines run from Saint Petersburg to Khabarovsk, and from Moscow to Novorossiysk;
• the telephone systems in 60 regional capitals have modern digital infrastructures;
• cellular services, both analog and digital, are available in many areas;
• in rural areas, the telephone services are still outdated, inadequate, and low density

international:

• Russia is connected internationally by three undersea fiber-optic cables;
• digital switches in several cities provide more than 50,000 lines for international calls;
• satellite earth stations provide access to Intelsat, Intersputnik, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Orbita

• very inadequate domestic service, particularly in rural areas;
• some hope for improvement with privatization of national telephone company and encouragement to private investment;
• good international service (1999)

domestic:

• national trunk network consists mostly of digital microwave radio relay;
• fiber-optic links now in use in Colombo area and two fixed wireless local loops have been installed;
• competition is strong in mobile cellular systems;
• telephone density remains low at 2.6 main lines per 100 persons (1999)

international:

submarine cables to Indonesia and Djibouti; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (1999)

poorly developed and not well maintained; many towns are not reached by the national network

domestic:

cable and microwave radio relay

international:

• linked by cable and microwave radio relay to other CIS republics, and by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch;
• Dushanbe linked by Intelsat to international gateway switch in Ankara (Turkey);
• satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 2 Intelsat

poorly developed

domestic:

NA

international:

• linked by cable and microwave radio relay 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;
• satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat

antiquated and inadequate; in serious need of modernization

domestic:

• the domestic telephone system is being expanded and technologically improved, particularly in Tashkent and Samarqand, under contracts with prominent companies in industrialized countries;
• moreover, by 1998, six cellular networks had been placed in operation - four of the GSM type (Global System for Mobile Communication), one D-AMPS type (Digital Advanced Mobile Phone System), and one AMPS type (Advanced Mobile Phone System)

international:

• linked by landline or microwave radio relay with CIS member states and to other countries by leased connection via the Moscow international gateway switch;
• after the completion of the Uzbek link to the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable, Uzbekistan will be independent of Russian facilities for international communications;
• Inmarsat also provides an international connection, albeit an expensive one;
• satellite earth stations - NA (1998)

domestic:

modern internal telephone system

international:

microwave radio relay to island of Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles)

domestic:

good automatic telephone system

international:

• 1 coaxial submarine cable;
• satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean);
• tropospheric scatter to Saba (Netherlands Antilles) and Guadeloupe

domestic:

more than adequate

international:

1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio relay links

domestic:

totally automatic system; highly developed

international:

• tropospheric scatter and submarine cable to Florida;
• 3 coaxial submarine cables;
• satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

domestic:

island-wide automatic telephone system

international:

satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia

above-average system

domestic:

trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

worldwide telephone service

domestic:

NA

international:

submarine cable to Bermuda

domestic:

NA

international:

1 submarine coaxial cable; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

very good domestic telephone service

domestic:

point-to-point and point-to-multi-point microwave, fiber-optic and coaxial cable link rural areas; Internet service is available

international:

• connected to Central American Microwave System;
• satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean);
• two submarine cables (1999)

domestic:

• principal trunk system, end to end of country, is coaxial cable;
• fiber-optic distribution in Havana and on Isla de la Juventud;
• 2 microwave radio relay installations (one is old, US-built; the other newer, Soviet-built);
• both analog and digital mobile cellular service established

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)

domestic:

fully automatic network

international:

microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia

domestic:

relatively efficient system based on islandwide microwave radio relay network

international:

1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

domestic:

nationwide microwave radio relay system

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System

automatic, islandwide telephone system

domestic:

interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links

international:

new SHF radiotelephone links to Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to Trinidad

domestic facilities inadequate

domestic:

NA

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Martinique

fairly modern network centered in the city of Guatemala

domestic:

NA

international:

connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

domestic facilities barely adequate; international facilities slightly better

domestic:

coaxial cable and microwave radio relay trunk service

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

inadequate system

domestic:

NA

international:

satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System

fully automatic domestic telephone network

domestic:

NA

international:

satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); 3 coaxial submarine cables

domestic facilities are adequate

domestic:

NA

international:

microwave radio relay to Guadeloupe, Dominica, and Saint Lucia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

domestic:

NA

international:

NA

generally adequate facilities

domestic:

extensive interisland microwave radio relay links

international:

2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire system being expanded; connected to Central American Microwave System

domestic:

wire and microwave radio relay

international:

satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

domestic and international facilities well developed

domestic:

NA

international:

• 1 coaxial submarine cable;
• satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean);
• connected to the Central American Microwave System

modern system, integrated with that of the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with high-speed data capability

domestic:

digital telephone system; cellular telephone service

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; submarine cable to US

good interisland VHF/UHF/SHF radiotelephone connections and international link via Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles)

domestic:

interisland links are handled by VHF/UHF/SHF radiotelephone

international:

international calls are carried by radiotelephone to Antigua and Barbuda and from there switched to submarine cable or to Intelsat, or carried to Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles) by radiotelephone and switched to Intelsat

domestic:

system is automatically switched

international:

• direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines;
• tropospheric scatter to Barbados;
• international calls beyond these countries are carried by Intelsat from Martinique

domestic:

islandwide, fully automatic telephone system; VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to the other islands of the Grenadines

international:

• VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to Barbados;
• new SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and to Saint Lucia;
• access to Intelsat earth station in Martinique through Saint Lucia

excellent international service; good local service

domestic:

NA

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and Guyana

fair cable and radiotelephone services

domestic:

NA

international:

2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

domestic:

modern, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay

international:

submarine cable and satellite communications; satellite earth stations - NA

domestic:

• 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; international traffic carried by microwave radio relay from the Tirana exchange to Italy and Greece

domestic:

modern system with microwave radio relay connections between exchanges

international:

landline circuits to France and Spain

domestic:

highly developed and efficient

international:

satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 2 Eutelsat

the Ministry of Telecommunications controls all telecommunications through its carrier (a joint stock company) Beltelcom which is a monopoly

domestic:

• local - Minsk has a digital metropolitan network and a cellular NMT-450 network;
• waiting lists for telephones are long;
• local service outside Minsk is neglected and poor;
• intercity - Belarus has a partly developed fiber-optic backbone system presently serving at least 13 major cities (1998);
• Belarus's fiber optics form synchronous digital hierarchy rings through other countries' systems;
• an inadequate analog system remains operational

international:

• Belarus is a member of the Trans-European Line (TEL), Trans-Asia-Europe Fiber-Optic Line (TAE) and has access to the Trans-Siberia Line (TSL);
• three fiber-optic segments provide connectivity to Latvia, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine;
• worldwide service is available to Belarus through this infrastructure;
• additional analog lines to Russia;
• Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik earth stations

highly developed, technologically advanced, and completely automated domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities

domestic:

• nationwide cellular telephone system;
• extensive cable network;
• limited microwave radio relay network

international:

5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Eutelsat

• 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

domestic:

NA

international:

no satellite earth stations

more than two-thirds of the lines are residential

domestic:

• extensive but antiquated transmission system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay;
• telephone service is available in most villages;
• a more modern digital cable trunk line now connects switching centers in most of the regions, the others being connected by digital microwave

international:

• direct dialing to 58 countries;
• satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region);
• 2 Intelsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions)

domestic:

• reconstruction plan calls for replacement of all analog circuits with digital and enlarging the network;
• a backup will be included in the plan for the main trunk

international:

• digital international service is provided through the main switch in Zagreb;
• Croatia participates in the TEL project which consists of two fiber-optic trunk connections with Slovenia and a fiber-optic trunk line from Rijeka to Split and Dubrovnik;
• Croatia is also investing in ADRIA 1, a joint fiber-optic project with Germany, Albania, and Greece (2000)

domestic:

• 70% of exchanges now digital;
• existing copper subscriber systems now being enhanced with Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) equipment to accommodate Internet and other digital signals;
• trunk systems include fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay

international:

satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat

excellent telephone and telegraph services

domestic:

buried and submarine cables and microwave radio relay form trunk network, 4 cellular radio communications systems

international:

• 18 submarine fiber-optic cables linking Denmark with Norway, Sweden, Russia, Poland, Germany, Netherlands, UK, Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Canada;
• satellite earth stations - 6 Intelsat, 10 Eutelsat, 1 Orion, 1 Inmarsat (Blaavand-Atlantic-East);
• note - the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) share the Danish earth station and the Eik, Norway, station for world-wide Inmarsat access

• foreign investment in the form of joint business ventures greatly improved telephone service;
• Internet services available throughout most of the country;
• about 150,000 unfilled subscriber requests

domestic:

• local - the Ministry of Transport and Communications is expanding cellular telephone services to form rural networks;
• intercity - highly developed fiber-optic backbone (double loop) system presently serving at least 16 major cities (1998)

international:

fiber-optic cables to Finland, Sweden, Latvia, and Russia provide worldwide packet switched service; two international switches are located in Tallinn

good international communications; good domestic facilities

domestic:

digitalization was to have been completed in 1998

international:

satellite earth stations - 1 Orion; 1 fiber-optic submarine cable linking the Faroe Islands with Denmark and Iceland

modern system with excellent service

domestic:

cable, microwave radio relay, and an extensive cellular net take provide of domestic needs

international:

• 1 submarine cable;
• satellite earth stations - access to Intelsat transmission service via a Swedish satellite earth station, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions);
• note - Finland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden)

highly developed

domestic:

• extensive cable and microwave radio relay;
• extensive introduction of fiber-optic cable;
• domestic satellite system

international:

• satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (with total of 5 antennas - 2 for Indian Ocean and 3 for Atlantic Ocean), NA Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region);
• HF radiotelephone communications with more than 20 countries

• Germany has one of the world's most technologically advanced telecommunications systems;
• as a result of intensive capital expenditures since reunification, the formerly backward system of the eastern part of the country has been modernized and integrated with that of the western part

domestic:

• Germany is served by an extensive system of automatic telephone exchanges connected by modern networks of fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, and a domestic satellite system;
• cellular telephone service is widely available and includes roaming service to many foreign countries

international:

• satellite earth stations - 14 Intelsat (12 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), 2 Intersputnik (1 Atlantic Ocean region and 1 Indian Ocean region);
• 7 submarine cable connections;
• 2 HF radiotelephone communication centers;
• tropospheric scatter links

adequate, automatic domestic system and adequate international facilities

domestic:

automatic exchange facilities

international:

• radiotelephone;
• microwave radio relay;
• satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

• adequate, modern networks reach all areas;
• microwave radio relay carries most traffic;
• extensive open-wire network;
• submarine cables to off-shore islands

domestic:

microwave radio relay, open wire, and submarine cable

international:

• tropospheric scatter;
• 8 submarine cables;
• satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)

domestic:

NA

international:

1 submarine cable

automatic exchange

domestic:

tied into Italian system

international:

uses Italian system

the telephone system has been modernized and is capable of satisfying all requests for telecommunication service

domestic:

• the system is digitalized and highly automated;
• trunk services are carried by fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay;
• a program for fiber-optic subscriber connections was initiated in 1996;
• heavy use is made of mobile cellular telephones

international:

• Hungary has fiber-optic cable connections with all neighboring countries;
• the international switch is in Budapest;
• satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Inmarsat, 1 very small aperture terminal (VSAT) system of ground terminals

modern digital system using cable and microwave radio relay

domestic:

microwave radio relay

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

domestic:

• landline,
• telefax,
• mobile cellular telephone system

international:

• fiber-optic cable,
• microwave radio relay,
• satellite earth station,
• submarine cable