The CIA World Factbook Every edition, 1990 to 2024 Asia
Telecommunication systems Maldives, in 35 editions.
The entry for Maldives published Telecommunication systems in 35 editions of 36, from 1990 to 2024. The text changed in 28 editions. Each is shown as published. Telecommunication systems in every entry.
- editions changed the text
- 28
- the first edition with it
- 1990
- the latest edition with it
- 2024
Published as “Telecommunications” (1990 to 1994), “Telephone system” (1995 to 2019) and “Telecommunication systems” (2020 to 2024).
field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe edition shownChoose an edition on the strip beside the text, or step through them with the arrows. Mark changes compares it with the edition before: the marks are ours, words added and words removed.
2024 edition
Changed since 2023Published as “Telecommunications”
- minimal domestic and international facilities;
- 2,325 telephones;
- stations--2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV;
- 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
minimal domestic and international facilities; 2,325 telephones; stations--2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Published as “Telecommunications”
- minimal domestic and international facilities;
- 2,804 telephones;
- stations--2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV;
- 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
minimal domestic and international facilities; 2,325 2,804 telephones; stations--2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
The same text in 1992 and 1993.
Published as “Telecommunications”
- minimal domestic and international facilities;
- 2,804 telephones;
- broadcast stations - 2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV;
- 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
minimal domestic and international facilities; 2,804 telephones; stations--2 broadcast
stations - 2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Published as “Telecommunications”
- minimal domestic and international facilities;
- 2,804 telephones;
- broadcast stations - 2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV;
- 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
minimal domestic and international facilities; 2,804 telephones; broadcast
broadcast stations - 2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth
station
Published as “Telephone system”
2,804 telephones; minimal domestic and international facilities
- local:
- NA
- intercity:
- NA
- international:
- 1 INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth station
2,804 telephones; minimal domestic and international facilities; 2,804 telephones;broadcast stations - 2 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; facilities
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT (Indian Ocean) earth
Published as “Telephone system”
minimal domestic and international facilities
- domestic:
- NA
- international:
- satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
2,804 telephones; minimal domestic and internationallocal: NA domestic: NA
intercity:
international: satellite earth station - 1 INTELSAT Intelsat (Indian Ocean) earth station
Published as “Telephone system”
minimal domestic and international facilities
- domestic:
- inter-atoll communication primarily through HF transceivers and VHF/UHF telephones
- international:
- satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
minimal domestic and international facilities
domestic: NA inter-atoll communication primarily through HF transceivers
and VHF/UHF telephones
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Published as “Telephone system”
minimal domestic and international facilities
- domestic:
- inter-atoll communication primarily through HF transceivers and VHF/UHF telephones
- international:
- satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
minimal domestic and international facilities
domestic: inter-atoll communication primarily through HF transceivers
and VHF/UHF telephones
international: satellite earth station - 1 station-1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Published as “Telephone system”
minimal domestic and international facilities
- domestic:
- inter-atoll communication primarily through HF transceivers and VHF/UHF telephones
- international:
- satellite earth station--1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
minimal domestic and international facilities
domestic: inter-atoll communication primarily through HF transceivers
transceivers and VHF/UHF telephones
international: satellite earth station-1 station--1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Published as “Telephone system”
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)
minimal domestic and international facilities
domestic: inter-atoll interatoll communication primarily through HF microwave links; all inhabited islands are connected with telephone and
transceiversVHF/UHF telephones fax service
international: satellite earth station--1 station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- 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)
general assessment: minimal domestic and international facilities
The same text in 2002 and 2003.
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- 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)
general assessment: 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)
The same text in 3 editions, 2004 to 2006.
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- minimal domestic and international facilities
- domestic:
- interatoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited islands are connected with telephone and fax service
- international:
- country code - 960; satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
general assessment: minimal domestic and international facilities
domestic: interatoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited islands are connected with telephone and fax service
international: country code - 960; satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- telephone services have improved; each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile cellular networks with expanding subscribership
- domestic:
- interatoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service
- international:
- country code - 960; satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
general assessment: minimal domestic telephone services have improved; each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and international facilities there are mobile cellular networks with expanding subscribership
domestic: interatoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service
international: country code - 960; satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- telephone services have improved; each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile cellular networks with a rapidly expanding subscribership approaching 90 per 100 persons
- domestic:
- interatoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service
- international:
- country code - 960;
- linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG);
- satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2007)
general assessment: telephone services have improved; each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile cellular networks with a rapidly expanding subscribership approaching 90 per 100 persons
domestic: interatoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service
international: country code - 960; linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2007)
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- telephone services have improved; each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile cellular networks with a rapidly expanding subscribership that exceeds 100 per 100 persons
- domestic:
- interatoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service
- international:
- country code - 960;
- linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG);
- satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2009)
general assessment:
telephone services have improved; each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile cellular networks with a rapidly expanding subscribership approaching 90 that exceeds 100 per 100 persons
domestic:
interatoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service
international:
country code - 960; linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2007) (2009)
The same text in 2010 and 2011.
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- telephone services have improved;
- interatoll communication through microwave links;
- all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service
- domestic:
- each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile-cellular networks with a rapidly expanding subscribership that exceeds 100 per 100 persons
- international:
- country code - 960;
- linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG);
- satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2009)
general assessment:
telephone services have improved; interatoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service
domestic:
each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile cellular mobile-cellular networks with a rapidly expanding subscribership that exceeds 100 per 100 persons
domestic:
interatoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service
international:
country code - 960; linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2009)
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- telephone services have improved;
- interatoll communication through microwave links;
- all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service
- domestic:
- each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile-cellular networks with a rapidly expanding subscribership that has reached 135 per 100 persons
- international:
- country code - 960;
- linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG);
- satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
general assessment:
telephone services have improved; interatoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service
domestic:
each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile-cellular networks with a rapidly expanding subscribership that exceeds 100 has reached 135 per 100 persons
international:
country code - 960; linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2009)
The same text in 2013 and 2014.
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- telephone services have improved;
- inter-atoll communication through microwave links;
- all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service
- domestic:
- each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile-cellular networks with a rapidly expanding subscribership that has reached 135 per 100 persons
- international:
- country code - 960;
- linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG);
- satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2011)
general assessment:
telephone services have improved; interatoll inter-atoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service
domestic:
each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile-cellular networks with a rapidly expanding subscribership that has reached 135 per 100 persons
international:
country code - 960; linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2011)
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- telephone services have improved;
- inter-atoll communication through microwave links;
- all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service
- domestic:
- each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile-cellular networks with a rapidly expanding subscribership that has reached 135 per 100 persons
- international:
- country code - 960;
- linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG);
- satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2011)
general assessment:
domestic:
international:
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- telephone services have improved;
- inter-atoll communication through microwave links;
- all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service
- domestic:
- each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile-cellular networks with a rapidly expanding subscribership that has reached over 180 per 100 persons
- international:
- country code - 960;
- linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG);
- satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2015)
general assessment: telephone services have improved; inter-atoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service
domestic: each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile-cellular networks with a rapidly expanding subscribership that has reached 135 over 180 per 100 persons
international: country code - 960; linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2011) (2015)
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- telephone services have improved;
- inter-atoll communication through microwave links;
- all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service
- domestic:
- each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile-cellular networks with a rapidly expanding subscribership that has reached over 200 per 100 persons
- international:
- country code - 960;
- linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG);
- satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2016)
general assessment: telephone services have improved; inter-atoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service
domestic: each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile-cellular networks with a rapidly expanding subscribership that has reached over 180 200 per 100 persons
international: country code - 960; linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2015) (2016)
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- telephone services have improved;
- inter-atoll communication through microwave links;
- all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service (2016)
- domestic:
- each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile-cellular networks with a rapidly expanding subscribership that has reached over 200 per 100 persons (2016)
- international:
- country code - 960;
- linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG);
- satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2016)
general assessment: telephone services have improved; inter-atoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service (2016)
domestic: each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile-cellular networks with a rapidly expanding subscribership that has reached over 200 per 100 persons (2016)
international: country code - 960; linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2016)
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service;
- two mobile operators extend LTE coverage;
- tourism has strengthened the telecom market with investment;
- the unusually high mobile penetration rate is also helped by tourism;
- Internet bandwidth increased 37% in 2016;
- mobile penetration passes 250% (2018)
- domestic:
- fixed-line is at 5 per 100 persons and high mobile-cellular subscriptions stands at 229 per 100 persons (2018)
- international:
- country code - 960;
- landing points for Dhiraagu Cable Network, NaSCOM, Dhiraagu-SLT Submarine Cable Networks and WARF submarine cables providing connections to 8 points in Maldives, India, and Sri Lanka;
- satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2019)
Rewritten: too little of the 2018 text remains to mark the changes.
general assessment: all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service; two mobile operators extend LTE coverage; tourism has strengthened the telecom market with investment; the unusually high mobile penetration rate is also helped by tourism; Internet bandwidth increased 37% in 2016; mobile penetration passes 250% (2018)
domestic: fixed-line is at 5 per 100 persons and high mobile-cellular subscriptions stands at 229 per 100 persons (2018)
international: country code - 960; landing points for Dhiraagu Cable Network, NaSCOM, Dhiraagu-SLT Submarine Cable Networks and WARF submarine cables providing connections to 8 points in Maldives, India, and Sri Lanka; satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2019)
- general assessment:
- upgrades to telecom infrastructure extended to outer islands;
- two mobile operators extend LTE coverage;
- tourism has strengthened the telecom market with investment and accounts for the high mobile penetration rate;
- mobile penetration passes 250%;
- launches 5G trials (2020)
- domestic:
- fixed-line is at 3 per 100 persons and high mobile-cellular subscriptions stands at 156 per 100 persons (2019)
- international:
- country code - 960;
- landing points for Dhiraagu Cable Network, NaSCOM, Dhiraagu-SLT Submarine Cable Networks and WARF submarine cables providing connections to 8 points in Maldives, India, and Sri Lanka;
- satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2019)
note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite - has moderated
general assessment: all inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service; upgrades to telecom infrastructure extended to outer islands; two mobile operators extend LTE coverage; tourism has strengthened the telecom market with investment; investment and accounts for the unusually high mobile penetration rate is also helped by tourism; Internet bandwidth increased 37% in 2016; rate; mobile penetration passes 250% (2018) 250%; launches 5G trials (2020)
domestic: fixed-line is at 5 3 per 100 persons and high mobile-cellular subscriptions stands at 229 156 per 100 persons (2018) (2019)
international: country code - 960; landing points for Dhiraagu Cable Network, NaSCOM, Dhiraagu-SLT Submarine Cable Networks and WARF submarine cables providing connections to 8 points in Maldives, India, and Sri Lanka; satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2019)
note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite - has moderated
- general assessment:
- upgrades to telecom infrastructure extended to outer islands;
- two mobile operators extend LTE coverage;
- tourism has strengthened the telecom market with investment and accounts for the high mobile penetration rate;
- launched 5G tests (2020)
- domestic:
- fixed-line is at 3 per 100 persons and high mobile-cellular subscriptions stands at 156 per 100 persons (2019)
- international:
- country code - 960;
- landing points for Dhiraagu Cable Network, NaSCOM, Dhiraagu-SLT Submarine Cable Networks and WARF submarine cables providing connections to 8 points in Maldives, India, and Sri Lanka;
- satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2019)
note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments
general assessment: upgrades to telecom infrastructure extended to outer islands; two mobile operators extend LTE coverage; tourism has strengthened the telecom market with investment and accounts for the high mobile penetration rate; mobile penetration passes 250%; launches launched 5G trials tests (2020)
domestic: fixed-line is at 3 per 100 persons and high mobile-cellular subscriptions stands at 156 per 100 persons (2019)
international: country code - 960; landing points for Dhiraagu Cable Network, NaSCOM, Dhiraagu-SLT Submarine Cable Networks and WARF submarine cables providing connections to 8 points in Maldives, India, and Sri Lanka; satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2019)
note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect consequent restriction on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable services as a tool for work and satellite - has moderated school from home became evident, and received some support from governments
- general assessment:
- with its economy so heavily dependent on tourism, the Maldives has suffered heavy economic as well as health casualties during the pandemic;
- the country had a relatively short period of lock down and was willing to welcome visitors back as early as July 2020;
- but the effective shutdown of international air travel for most of the year resulted in the bottom falling out of the Maldives’ tourism industry, taking GDP down 32% in the process;
- the economy fared better in 2021, with a return to growth, yet it may still be a few years before the country’s key industries can return to the same level of prosperity that they previously enjoyed;
- the country’s high number of tourists and expatriate workers has inflated the penetration rate for mobile services, making it one of the highest in the world;
- that rate crashed in 2020 as demand for SIM cards (primarily prepaid) dried up;
- however, the number of contract subscribers increased as locals took advantage of competitive pricing offers from operators;
- everything now rests on a fast return to normality, with tourists helping to boost the nation’s coffers as well as buying up those prepaid SIM cards;
- with commercial 5G services already launched and fiber networks rapidly expanding around the country, the Maldives is primed to deliver world-class telecommunications services to its domestic and international customers (2021)
- domestic:
- fixed-line is at nearly 3 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular subscriptions stands at nearly 133 per 100 persons (2020)
- international:
- country code - 960;
- landing points for Dhiraagu Cable Network, NaSCOM, Dhiraagu-SLT Submarine Cable Networks and WARF submarine cables providing connections to 8 points in Maldives, India, and Sri Lanka;
- satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2019)
note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services
Rewritten: too little of the 2021 text remains to mark the changes.
general assessment: with its economy so heavily dependent on tourism, the Maldives has suffered heavy economic as well as health casualties during the pandemic; the country had a relatively short period of lock down and was willing to welcome visitors back as early as July 2020; but the effective shutdown of international air travel for most of the year resulted in the bottom falling out of the Maldives’ tourism industry, taking GDP down 32% in the process; the economy fared better in 2021, with a return to growth, yet it may still be a few years before the country’s key industries can return to the same level of prosperity that they previously enjoyed; the country’s high number of tourists and expatriate workers has inflated the penetration rate for mobile services, making it one of the highest in the world; that rate crashed in 2020 as demand for SIM cards (primarily prepaid) dried up; however, the number of contract subscribers increased as locals took advantage of competitive pricing offers from operators; everything now rests on a fast return to normality, with tourists helping to boost the nation’s coffers as well as buying up those prepaid SIM cards; with commercial 5G services already launched and fiber networks rapidly expanding around the country, the Maldives is primed to deliver world-class telecommunications services to its domestic and international customers (2021)
domestic: fixed-line is at nearly 3 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular subscriptions stands at nearly 133 per 100 persons (2020)
international: country code - 960; landing points for Dhiraagu Cable Network, NaSCOM, Dhiraagu-SLT Submarine Cable Networks and WARF submarine cables providing connections to 8 points in Maldives, India, and Sri Lanka; satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2019)
note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services
- general assessment:
- with its economy so heavily dependent on tourism, the Maldives has suffered heavy economic as well as health casualties during the pandemic;
- the country had a relatively short period of lock down and was willing to welcome visitors back as early as July 2020;
- but the effective shutdown of international air travel for most of the year resulted in the bottom falling out of the Maldives’ tourism industry, taking GDP down 32% in the process;
- the economy fared better in 2021, with a return to growth, yet it may still be a few years before the country’s key industries can return to the same level of prosperity that they previously enjoyed;
- the country’s high number of tourists and expatriate workers has inflated the penetration rate for mobile services, making it one of the highest in the world;
- that rate crashed in 2020 as demand for SIM cards (primarily prepaid) dried up;
- however, the number of contract subscribers increased as locals took advantage of competitive pricing offers from operators;
- everything now rests on a fast return to normality, with tourists helping to boost the nation’s coffers as well as buying up those prepaid SIM cards;
- with commercial 5G services already launched and fiber networks rapidly expanding around the country, the Maldives is primed to deliver world-class telecommunications services to its domestic and international customers (2021)
- domestic:
- fixed-line is at nearly 3 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular subscriptions stands at nearly 135 per 100 persons (2021)
- international:
- country code - 960;
- landing points for Dhiraagu Cable Network, NaSCOM, Dhiraagu-SLT Submarine Cable Networks and WARF submarine cables providing connections to 8 points in Maldives, India, and Sri Lanka;
- satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2019)
general assessment: with its economy so heavily dependent on tourism, the Maldives has suffered heavy economic as well as health casualties during the pandemic; the country had a relatively short period of lock down and was willing to welcome visitors back as early as July 2020; but the effective shutdown of international air travel for most of the year resulted in the bottom falling out of the Maldives’ tourism industry, taking GDP down 32% in the process; the economy fared better in 2021, with a return to growth, yet it may still be a few years before the country’s key industries can return to the same level of prosperity that they previously enjoyed; the country’s high number of tourists and expatriate workers has inflated the penetration rate for mobile services, making it one of the highest in the world; that rate crashed in 2020 as demand for SIM cards (primarily prepaid) dried up; however, the number of contract subscribers increased as locals took advantage of competitive pricing offers from operators; everything now rests on a fast return to normality, with tourists helping to boost the nation’s coffers as well as buying up those prepaid SIM cards; with commercial 5G services already launched and fiber networks rapidly expanding around the country, the Maldives is primed to deliver world-class telecommunications services to its domestic and international customers (2021)
domestic: fixed-line is at nearly 3 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular subscriptions stands at nearly 133 135 per 100 persons (2020) (2021)
international: country code - 960; landing points for Dhiraagu Cable Network, NaSCOM, Dhiraagu-SLT Submarine Cable Networks and WARF submarine cables providing connections to 8 points in Maldives, India, and Sri Lanka; satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2019)
note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services
- general assessment:
- with its economy so heavily dependent on tourism, the Maldives has suffered heavy economic as well as health casualties during the pandemic;
- the country had a relatively short period of lock down and was willing to welcome visitors back as early as July 2020;
- but the effective shutdown of international air travel for most of the year resulted in the bottom falling out of the Maldives’ tourism industry, taking GDP down 32% in the process;
- the economy fared better in 2021, with a return to growth, yet it may still be a few years before the country’s key industries can return to the same level of prosperity that they previously enjoyed;
- the country’s high number of tourists and expatriate workers has inflated the penetration rate for mobile services, making it one of the highest in the world;
- that rate crashed in 2020 as demand for SIM cards (primarily prepaid) dried up;
- however, the number of contract subscribers increased as locals took advantage of competitive pricing offers from operators;
- with commercial 5G services already launched and fiber networks rapidly expanding around the country, the Maldives is primed to deliver world-class telecommunications services to its domestic and international customers (2021)
- domestic:
- fixed-line is at nearly 3 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular subscriptions stands at nearly 135 per 100 persons (2021)
- international:
- country code - 960;
- landing points for Dhiraagu Cable Network, NaSCOM, Dhiraagu-SLT Submarine Cable Networks and WARF submarine cables providing connections to 8 points in Maldives, India, and Sri Lanka;
- satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2019)
general assessment: with its economy so heavily dependent on tourism, the Maldives has suffered heavy economic as well as health casualties during the pandemic; the country had a relatively short period of lock down and was willing to welcome visitors back as early as July 2020; but the effective shutdown of international air travel for most of the year resulted in the bottom falling out of the Maldives’ tourism industry, taking GDP down 32% in the process; the economy fared better in 2021, with a return to growth, yet it may still be a few years before the country’s key industries can return to the same level of prosperity that they previously enjoyed; the country’s high number of tourists and expatriate workers has inflated the penetration rate for mobile services, making it one of the highest in the world; that rate crashed in 2020 as demand for SIM cards (primarily prepaid) dried up; however, the number of contract subscribers increased as locals took advantage of competitive pricing offers from operators; everything now rests on a fast return to normality, with tourists helping to boost the nation’s coffers as well as buying up those prepaid SIM cards; with commercial 5G services already launched and fiber networks rapidly expanding around the country, the Maldives is primed to deliver world-class telecommunications services to its domestic and international customers (2021)
domestic: fixed-line is at nearly 3 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular subscriptions stands at nearly 135 per 100 persons (2021)
international: country code - 960; landing points for Dhiraagu Cable Network, NaSCOM, Dhiraagu-SLT Submarine Cable Networks and WARF submarine cables providing connections to 8 points in Maldives, India, and Sri Lanka; satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2019)
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Central Intelligence Agency. “Maldives: Telecommunication systems.” The World Factbook, 1990–2024 editions. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/maldives/telecommunication-systems.