The CIA World Factbook Every edition, 1990 to 2024 Central America and the Caribbean
Telecommunication systems Nicaragua, in 35 editions.
The entry for Nicaragua published Telecommunication systems in 35 editions of 36, from 1990 to 2024. The text changed in 26 editions. Each is shown as published. Telecommunication systems in every entry.
- editions changed the text
- 26
- 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
Same as 2023Published as “Telecommunications”
- low-capacity radio relay and wire system being expanded;
- connection into Central American Microwave System;
- 60,000 telephones;
- stations--45 AM, no FM, 7 TV, 3 shortwave;
- satellite earth stations--1 Intersputnik and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
low-capacity radio relay and wire system being expanded; connection into Central American Microwave System; 60,000 telephones; stations--45 AM, no FM, 7 TV, 3 shortwave; satellite earth stations--1 Intersputnik and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
Published as “Telecommunications”
- low-capacity radio relay and wire system being expanded;
- connection into Central American Microwave System;
- 60,000 telephones;
- stations--45 AM, no FM, 7 TV, 3 shortwave;
- earth stations--1 Intersputnik and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
low-capacity radio relay and wire system being expanded; connection into Central American Microwave System; 60,000 telephones; stations--45 AM, no FM, 7 TV, 3 shortwave; satellite earth stations--1 Intersputnik and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
The same text in 1992 and 1993.
Published as “Telecommunications”
- low-capacity radio relay and wire system being expanded;
- connection into Central American Microwave System;
- 60,000 telephones;
- broadcast stations - 45 AM, no FM, 7 TV, 3 shortwave;
- earth stations - 1 Intersputnik and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
low-capacity radio relay and wire system being expanded; connection into
Central American Microwave System; 60,000 telephones; stations--45 broadcast stations -
45 AM, no FM, 7 TV, 3 shortwave; earth stations--1 stations - 1 Intersputnik and 1
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
Published as “Telecommunications”
- low-capacity radio relay and wire system being expanded;
- connection into Central American Microwave System;
- 60,000 telephones;
- broadcast stations - 45 AM, no FM, 7 TV, 3 shortwave;
- earth stations - 1 Intersputnik and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
low-capacity radio relay and wire system being expanded; connection into
into Central American Microwave System; 60,000 telephones; broadcast
stations -
Intersputnik and 1
Published as “Telephone system”
- 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
60,000 telephones; low-capacity radio relay and wire
system being expanded; connectionSystem; 60,000 telephones; broadcaststations - 45 AM, no FM, 7 TV, 3 shortwave; earth stations - 1 System
local: NA
intercity: wire and radio relay
international: 1 Intersputnik and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth
station
Published as “Telephone system”
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)
60,000 telephones; low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire
system being expanded; connection into connected to Central American Microwavelocal: NA domestic: wire and microwave radio relay
intercity:
international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic
Ocean Region) and 1 INTELSAT Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) earth
station
Published as “Telephone system”
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)
low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire
being expanded; connected to Central American Microwave Systemdomestic: domestic : wire and microwave radio relay
international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic
Ocean Region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Published as “Telephone system”
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)
low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire system
being expanded; connected to Central American Microwave Systemdomestic : domestic: wire and microwave radio relay
international: satellite earth stations - 1 stations-1 Intersputnik (AtlanticRegion)
region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Published as “Telephone system”
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)
low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire system
system being expanded; connected to Central American Microwave System
domestic: wire and microwave radio relay
international: satellite earth stations-1 stations--1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean
Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Published as “Telephone system”
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)
low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire
domestic: wire and microwave radio relay
international: satellite earth stations--1 stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- inadequate system being upgraded by foreign investment domestic: low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire system being expanded;
- connected to Central American Microwave System international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
general assessment: inadequate system being upgraded by foreign investment domestic: low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire system being expanded; connected to Central American Microwave System
domestic: wire and microwave radio relay
The same text in 2002 and 2003.
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- inadequate system being upgraded by foreign investment
- domestic:
- low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire system being expanded; connected to Central American Microwave System
- international:
- satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
general assessment: inadequate system being upgraded by foreign investment
domestic: low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire system being expanded; connected to Central American Microwave System
international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
The same text in 4 editions, 2004 to 2007.
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- inadequate system being upgraded by foreign investment
- domestic:
- low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire system being expanded; connected to Central American Microwave System
- international:
- country code - 505; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
general assessment: inadequate system being upgraded by foreign investment
domestic: low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire system being expanded; connected to Central American Microwave System
international: country code - 505; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- system being upgraded by foreign investment;
- nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company
- domestic:
- since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved but teledensity still lags behind other Central American countries;
- connected to Central American Microwave System
- international:
- country code - 505;
- the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US;
- satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
general assessment: inadequate system being upgraded by foreign investment investment; nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company
domestic: low-capacity microwave radio relay since privatization, access to fixed-line and wire system being expanded; mobile-cellular services has improved but teledensity still lags behind other Central American countries; connected to Central American Microwave System
international: country code - 505; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- system being upgraded by foreign investment;
- nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company
- domestic:
- since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved but teledensity still lags behind other Central American countries;
- fixed-line teledensity roughly 5 per 100 persons;
- mobile-cellular telephone subscribership increasing and now exceeds 50 per 100 persons;
- connected to Central American Microwave System
- international:
- country code - 505;
- the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US;
- satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2008)
general assessment:
system being upgraded by foreign investment; nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company
domestic:
since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved but teledensity still lags behind other Central American countries; fixed-line teledensity roughly 5 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership increasing and now exceeds 50 per 100 persons; connected to Central American Microwave System
international:
country code - 505; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007) (2008)
The same text in 2010 and 2011.
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- system being upgraded by foreign investment;
- nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company
- domestic:
- since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved but teledensity still lags behind other Central American countries;
- fixed-line teledensity roughly 5 per 100 persons;
- mobile-cellular telephone subscribership is increasing and reached 55 per 100 persons in 2009;
- connected to Central American Microwave System
- international:
- country code - 505;
- the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US;
- satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)
general assessment:
system being upgraded by foreign investment; nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company
domestic:
since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved but teledensity still lags behind other Central American countries; fixed-line teledensity roughly 5 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership is increasing and now exceeds 50 reached 55 per 100 persons; persons in 2009; connected to Central American Microwave System
international:
country code - 505; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2008) (2009)
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- system being upgraded by foreign investment;
- nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company
- domestic:
- since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved;
- fixed-line teledensity roughly 5 per 100 persons;
- mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has increased to roughly 85 per 100 persons
- international:
- country code - 505;
- the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US;
- satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
general assessment:
system being upgraded by foreign investment; nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company
domestic:
since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved but teledensity still lags behind other Central American countries; improved; fixed-line teledensity roughly 5 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership is increasing and reached 55 has increased to roughly 85 per 100 persons in 2009; connected to Central American Microwave System
international:
country code - 505; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)
The same text in 2013 and 2014.
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- system being upgraded by foreign investment;
- nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company
- domestic:
- since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved;
- fixed-line teledensity roughly 5 per 100 persons;
- mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has increased to roughly 85 per 100 persons
- international:
- country code - 505;
- the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US;
- satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)
general assessment:
system being upgraded by foreign investment; nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company
domestic:
since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved; fixed-line teledensity roughly 5 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has increased to roughly 85 per 100 persons
international:
country code - 505; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- system being upgraded by foreign investment;
- nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company
- domestic:
- since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved;
- fixed-line teledensity roughly 5 per 100 persons;
- mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has increased to roughly 85 per 100 persons
- international:
- country code - 505;
- the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US;
- satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)
general assessment:
domestic:
international:
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- system being upgraded by foreign investment;
- nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company
- domestic:
- since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved;
- fixed-line teledensity roughly 6 per 100 persons;
- mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has increased to over 120 per 100 persons
- international:
- country code - 505;
- the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US;
- satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2015)
general assessment: system being upgraded by foreign investment; nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company
domestic: since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved; fixed-line teledensity roughly 5 6 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has increased to roughly 85 over 120 per 100 persons
international: country code - 505; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic fiber-optic submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011) (2015)
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- system being upgraded by foreign investment;
- nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company
- domestic:
- since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved;
- fixed-line teledensity roughly 6 per 100 persons;
- mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has increased to almost 130 per 100 persons
- international:
- country code - 505;
- the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US;
- satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2016)
general assessment: system being upgraded by foreign investment; nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company
domestic: since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved; fixed-line teledensity roughly 6 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has increased to over 120 almost 130 per 100 persons
international: country code - 505; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2015) (2016)
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- system being upgraded by foreign investment;
- nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company (2016)
- domestic:
- since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved;
- fixed-line teledensity roughly 6 per 100 persons;
- mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has increased to almost 130 per 100 persons (2016)
- international:
- country code - 505;
- the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US;
- satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2016)
general assessment: system being upgraded by foreign investment; nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company (2016)
domestic: since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved; fixed-line teledensity roughly 6 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has increased to almost 130 per 100 persons (2016)
international: country code - 505; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2016)
Published as “Telephone system”
- general assessment:
- system being upgraded by foreign investment;
- nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company;
- lowest fixed-line teledensity and mobile penetration in Central America;
- a Russian state corporation is operating in the area;
- LTE service in 60 towns and cities (2018)
- domestic:
- since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved;
- fixed-line teledensity roughly 6 per 100 persons;
- mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has increased to 136 per 100 persons (2018)
- international:
- country code - 505;
- landing point for the ARCOS fiber-optic submarine cable which provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US;
- satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)
general assessment: system being upgraded by foreign investment; nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company (2016) company; lowest fixed-line teledensity and mobile penetration in Central America; a Russian state corporation is operating in the area; LTE service in 60 towns and cities (2018)
domestic: since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved; fixed-line teledensity roughly 6 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has increased to almost 130 136 per 100 persons (2016) (2018)
international: country code - 505; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) ARCOS fiber-optic submarine cable which provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2016) (2019)
- general assessment:
- system being upgraded by foreign investment;
- new canal being built between Pacific and Caribbean with Chinese funding;
- nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company;
- lowest fixed-line teledensity and mobile penetration in Central America;
- Internet cafe's provide access to Internet and email services;
- telecom is bigger in the cities and marginal in rural area;
- liberalization slow;
- a Russian state corporation is operating in the area;
- LTE service in 60 towns and cities (2020)
- domestic:
- since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved;
- fixed-line teledensity roughly 4 per 100 persons;
- mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has increased to 88 per 100 persons (2019)
- international:
- country code - 505;
- landing point for the ARCOS fiber-optic submarine cable which provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US;
- satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic 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: system being upgraded by foreign investment; new canal being built between Pacific and Caribbean with Chinese funding; nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company; lowest fixed-line teledensity and mobile penetration in Central America; Internet cafe's provide access to Internet and email services; telecom is bigger in the cities and marginal in rural area; liberalization slow; a Russian state corporation is operating in the area; LTE service in 60 towns and cities (2018) (2020)
domestic: since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved; fixed-line teledensity roughly 6 4 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has increased to 136 88 per 100 persons (2018) (2019)
international: country code - 505; landing point for the ARCOS fiber-optic submarine cable which provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic 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:
- with authoritarian government, weak public institutions, and impoverished citizenry, Nicaragua’s telecom system is dependent on upgrades through foreign investment, primarily from Russia and China;
- World Bank funded national fiber broadband network and links to Caribbean submarine cables;
- Chinese-financed projects, including airport, oil pipeline, and roads in process;
- nearly all installed telecom capacity now uses financed digital technology;
- lowest fixed-line tele-density and mobile penetration in Central America;
- Internet cafes provide access to Internet and email services;
- rural areas lack access to most basic telecom infrastructure;
- LTE service in dozens of towns and cities;
- importer of broadcasting equipment and computers from China (2020)
- domestic:
- since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved;
- fixed-line teledensity roughly 4 per 100 persons;
- mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has increased to 88 per 100 persons (2019)
- international:
- country code - 505;
- landing point for the ARCOS fiber-optic submarine cable which provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US;
- satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic 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: with authoritarian government, weak public institutions, and impoverished citizenry, Nicaragua’s telecom system being upgraded by is dependent on upgrades through foreign investment; new canal being built between Pacific investment, primarily from Russia and China; World Bank funded national fiber broadband network and links to Caribbean with Chinese funding; submarine cables; Chinese-financed projects, including airport, oil pipeline, and roads in process; nearly all installed telecommunications telecom capacity now uses financed digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of the formerly state-owned telecommunications company; technology; lowest fixed-line teledensity tele-density and mobile penetration in Central America; Internet cafe's cafes provide access to Internet and email services; telecom is bigger in the cities and marginal in rural area; liberalization slow; a Russian state corporation is operating in the area; areas lack access to most basic telecom infrastructure; LTE service in 60 dozens of towns and cities cities; importer of broadcasting equipment and computers from China (2020)
domestic: since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved; fixed-line teledensity roughly 4 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has increased to 88 per 100 persons (2019)
international: country code - 505; landing point for the ARCOS fiber-optic submarine cable which provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic 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:
- Nicaragua’s telecoms market has mirrored the country’s poor economic achievements, with fixed-line teledensity and mobile penetration also being the lowest in Central America;
- the fixed line broadband market remains nascent, with population penetration below 4%;
- most internet users are concentrated in the largest cities, given that rural and marginal areas lack access to the most basic telecom infrastructure;
- internet cafés provide public access to internet and email services, but these also tend to be restricted to the larger population centers;
- to address poor infrastructure, the World Bank has funded a project aimed at improving connectivity via a national fiber broadband network;
- there are separate schemes to improve broadband in eastern regions and provide links to Caribbean submarine cables;
- the number of mobile subscribers overtook the number of fixed lines in early 2002, and the mobile sector now accounts for most lines in service (2021)
- domestic:
- since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved;
- fixed-line teledensity roughly 3 per 100 persons;
- mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has increased to roughly 90 per 100 persons (2020)
- international:
- country code - 505;
- landing point for the ARCOS fiber-optic submarine cable which provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US;
- satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic 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 authoritarian government, weak public institutions, and impoverished citizenry, Nicaragua’s telecom system is dependent on upgrades through foreign investment, primarily from Russia and China; World Bank funded national fiber broadband network and links to Caribbean submarine cables; Chinese-financed projects, including airport, oil pipeline, and roads in process; nearly all installed telecom capacity now uses financed digital technology; lowest telecoms market has mirrored the country’s poor economic achievements, with fixed-line tele-density teledensity and mobile penetration also being the lowest in Central America; Internet cafes provide access to Internet and email services; the fixed line broadband market remains nascent, with population penetration below 4%; most internet users are concentrated in the largest cities, given that rural and marginal areas lack access to the most basic telecom infrastructure; LTE service internet cafés provide public access to internet and email services, but these also tend to be restricted to the larger population centers; to address poor infrastructure, the World Bank has funded a project aimed at improving connectivity via a national fiber broadband network; there are separate schemes to improve broadband in dozens of towns eastern regions and cities; importer provide links to Caribbean submarine cables; the number of broadcasting equipment mobile subscribers overtook the number of fixed lines in early 2002, and computers from China (2020) the mobile sector now accounts for most lines in service (2021)
domestic: since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved; fixed-line teledensity roughly 4 3 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has increased to 88 roughly 90 per 100 persons (2019) (2020)
international: country code - 505; landing point for the ARCOS fiber-optic submarine cable which provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic 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; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards toward 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and has increased due to the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became is still evident, and received some support from governments the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services
The same text in 2023 and 2024.
- general assessment:
- Nicaragua’s telecoms market has mirrored the country’s poor economic achievements, with fixed-line teledensity and mobile penetration also being the lowest in Central America;
- the fixed line broadband market remains nascent, with population penetration below 4%;
- most internet users are concentrated in the largest cities, given that rural and marginal areas lack access to the most basic telecom infrastructure;
- internet cafés provide public access to internet and email services, but these also tend to be restricted to the larger population centers;
- to address poor infrastructure, the World Bank has funded a project aimed at improving connectivity via a national fiber broadband network;
- there are separate schemes to improve broadband in eastern regions and provide links to Caribbean submarine cables;
- the number of mobile subscribers overtook the number of fixed lines in early 2002, and the mobile sector now accounts for most lines in service (2021)
- domestic:
- fixed-line teledensity is 3 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership is 91 per 100 persons (2021)
- international:
- country code - 505;
- landing point for the ARCOS fiber-optic submarine cable which provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US;
- satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)
general assessment: Nicaragua’s telecoms market has mirrored the country’s poor economic achievements, with fixed-line teledensity and mobile penetration also being the lowest in Central America; the fixed line broadband market remains nascent, with population penetration below 4%; most internet users are concentrated in the largest cities, given that rural and marginal areas lack access to the most basic telecom infrastructure; internet cafés provide public access to internet and email services, but these also tend to be restricted to the larger population centers; to address poor infrastructure, the World Bank has funded a project aimed at improving connectivity via a national fiber broadband network; there are separate schemes to improve broadband in eastern regions and provide links to Caribbean submarine cables; the number of mobile subscribers overtook the number of fixed lines in early 2002, and the mobile sector now accounts for most lines in service (2021)
domestic: since privatization, access to fixed-line and mobile-cellular services has improved; fixed-line teledensity roughly is 3 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has increased to roughly 90 is 91 per 100 persons (2020) (2021)
international: country code - 505; landing point for the ARCOS fiber-optic submarine cable which provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic 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
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Cite this page
Central Intelligence Agency. “Nicaragua: Telecommunication systems.” The World Factbook, 1990–2024 editions. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/nicaragua/telecommunication-systems.