Chapter CIII: Section 3: , telephone 886 (2) 2709-2000, FAX 886 (2) 2702-7675, (38)

Jordan:
general assessment: service has improved recently with the
increased use of digital switching equipment, but better access to
the telephone system is needed in the rural areas and easier access
to pay telephones is needed by the urban public

domestic: microwave radio relay transmission and coaxial and
fiber-optic cable are employed on trunk lines; considerable use is
made of mobile cellular systems; Internet service is available

international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat, 1 Arabsat,
and 29 land and maritime Inmarsat terminals; fiber-optic cable to
Saudi Arabia and microwave radio relay link with Egypt and Syria;
connection to international submarine cable FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link
Around the Globe); participant in MEDARABTEL; international links
total about 4,000

Kazakhstan:
general assessment: 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

Kenya:
general assessment: unreliable; little attempt to modernize
except for service to business

domestic: trunks are primarily microwave radio relay; business data
commonly transferred by a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) system

international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat

Kiribati:
general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

note: Kiribati is being linked to the Pacific Ocean Cooperative
Telecommunications Network, which should improve telephone service

Korea, North:
general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

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

Korea, South:
general assessment: 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)

Kuwait:
general assessment: the quality of service is excellent

domestic: new telephone exchanges provide a large capacity for new
subscribers; trunk traffic is carried by microwave radio relay,
coaxial cable, open wire, and fiber-optic cable; a cellular
telephone system operates throughout Kuwait, and the country is well
supplied with pay telephones

international: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi
Arabia; linked to Bahrain, Qatar, UAE via the Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG)
cable; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 2
Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 2 Arabsat

Kyrgyzstan:
general assessment: 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

Laos:
general assessment: service to general public is poor but
improving, with over 20,000 telephones currently in service and an
additional 48,000 expected by 2001; the government relies on a
radiotelephone network to communicate with remote areas

domestic: radiotelephone communications

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian
Ocean region)

Latvia:
general assessment: inadequate, but is being modernized to
provide an international capability independent of the Moscow
international switch; more facilities are being installed for
individual use

domestic: expansion underway in intercity trunk line connections,
rural exchanges, and mobile systems; still many unsatisfied
subscriber applications

international: international connections are now available via
cable and a satellite earth station at Riga, enabling direct
connections for most calls (1998)

Lebanon:
general assessment: telecommunications system severely
damaged by civil war; rebuilding well underway

domestic: primarily microwave radio relay and cable

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian
Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean) (erratic operations); coaxial cable to
Syria; microwave radio relay to Syria but inoperable beyond Syria to
Jordan; 3 submarine coaxial cables

Lesotho:
general assessment: 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)

Liberia:
general assessment: telephone and telegraph service via
microwave radio relay network; main center is Monrovia

domestic: NA

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Libya:
general assessment: 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)

Liechtenstein:
general assessment: automatic telephone system

domestic: NA

international: linked to Swiss networks by cable and microwave
radio relay

Lithuania:
general assessment: inadequate, but is being modernized
to provide an improved international capability and better
residential access

domestic: a national, fiber-optic cable, interurban, trunk system
is nearing completion; rural exchanges are being improved and
expanded; mobile cellular systems are being installed; access to the
Internet is available; still many unsatisfied telephone subscriber
applications

international: landline connections to Latvia and Poland; major
international connections to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway by
submarine cable for further transmission by satellite

Luxembourg:
general assessment: highly developed, completely
automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables

domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; buried cable

international: 3 channels leased on TAT-6 coaxial submarine cable
(Europe to North America)

Macau:
general assessment: fairly modern communication facilities
maintained for domestic and international services

domestic: NA

international: HF radiotelephone communication facility; access to
international communications carriers provided via Hong Kong and
China; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of:
general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: NA

Madagascar:
general assessment: 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)

Malawi:
general assessment: NA

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)

Malaysia:
general assessment: modern system; international service
excellent

domestic: good intercity service provided on Peninsular Malaysia
mainly by microwave radio relay; adequate intercity microwave radio
relay network between Sabah and Sarawak via Brunei; domestic
satellite system with 2 earth stations

international: submarine cables to India, Hong Kong, and Singapore;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific
Ocean) (2001)

Maldives:
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)

Mali:
general assessment: 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)

Malta:
general assessment: automatic system satisfies normal
requirements

domestic: submarine cable and microwave radio relay between islands

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

Man, Isle of:
general assessment: NA

domestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system

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

Marshall Islands:
general assessment: telex services

domestic: Majuro Atoll and Ebeye and Kwajalein islands have
regular, seven-digit, direct-dial telephones; other islands
interconnected by shortwave radiotelephone (used mostly for
government purposes)

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific
Ocean); US Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein

Martinique:
general assessment: domestic facilities are adequate

domestic: NA

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

Mauritania:
general assessment: limited 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

Mauritius:
general assessment: 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

Mayotte:
general assessment: 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

Mexico:
general assessment: low telephone density with about 11
main lines per 100 persons; privatized in December 1990; the opening
to competition in January 1997 has brightened prospects for
development

domestic: adequate telephone service for business and government,
but the population is poorly served; domestic satellite system with
120 earth stations; extensive microwave radio relay network;
considerable use of fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable, and mobile
cellular service

international: satellite earth stations - 32 Intelsat, 2
Solidaridad (giving Mexico improved access to South America, Central
America, and much of the US as well as enhancing domestic
communications), numerous Inmarsat mobile earth stations; linked to
Central American Microwave System of trunk connections; high
capacity Columbus-2 fiber-optic submarine cable with access to the
US, Virgin Islands, Canary Islands, Morocco, Spain, and Italy (1997)

Micronesia, Federated States of:
general assessment: adequate system

domestic: islands interconnected by shortwave radiotelephone (used
mostly for government purposes)

international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Moldova:
general assessment: inadequate, outmoded, poor service
outside Chisinau, some effort to modernize is under way

domestic: new subscribers face long wait for service; mobile
cellular telephone service being introduced

international: service through Romania and Russia via landline;
satellite earth stations - Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik

Monaco:
general assessment: modern automatic telephone system

domestic: NA

international: no satellite earth stations; connected by cable into
the French communications system

Mongolia:
general assessment: very low density: about 3.5
telephones for each thousand persons

domestic: NA

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian
Ocean Region)

Montserrat:
general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: NA

Morocco:
general assessment: modern system with all important
capabilities; however density is low with only 4.6 main lines
available for each 100 persons

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 (1998)

Mozambique:
general assessment: fair system but not available
generally (telephone density is only 3.5 telephones for each 1,000
persons)

domestic: the system consists of open-wire lines and trunk
connection by microwave radio relay and tropospheric scatter

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

Namibia:
general assessment: good system; about 6 telephones for
each 100 persons

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

Nauru:
general assessment: adequate local and international
radiotelephone communications provided via Australian facilities

domestic: NA

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Nepal:
general assessment: 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)

Netherlands:
general assessment: highly developed and well
maintained

domestic: the existing system of multi-conductor cables is
gradually being replaced by fiber-optic cables; the density of
cellular telephone traffic is rapidly increasing and further
modernization of the system is expected in the year 2001, with the
introduction of the third generation of the Global System for Mobile
Communications (GSM)

international: 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1
Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) (1996)

Netherlands Antilles:
general assessment: generally adequate
facilities

domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links

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

New Caledonia:
general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

New Zealand:
general assessment: excellent domestic and
international systems

domestic: NA

international: submarine cables to Australia and Fiji; satellite
earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Nicaragua:
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)

Niger:
general assessment: small system of wire, radio telephone
communications, and microwave radio relay links concentrated in the
southwestern area of Niger

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)

Nigeria:
general assessment: 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)

Niue:
general assessment: primitive system

domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on
island

international: NA

Norfolk Island:
general assessment: adequate

domestic: NA

international: radiotelephone service with Sydney (Australia)

Northern Mariana Islands:
general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Norway:
general assessment: modern in all respects; one of the most
advanced telecommunications networks in Europe

domestic: Norway has a domestic satellite system; moreover the
prevalence of rural areas encourages the wide use of cellular mobile
systems instead of fixed wire systems

international: 2 buried coaxial cable systems; 4 coaxial submarine
cables; satellite earth stations - NA Eutelsat, NA Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean), and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean
regions); note - Norway shares the Inmarsat earth station with the
other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden) (1999)

Oman:
general assessment: modern system consisting of open wire,
microwave, and radiotelephone communication stations; limited
coaxial cable

domestic: open wire, microwave, radiotelephone communications, and
a domestic satellite system with 8 earth stations

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
and 1 Arabsat

Pakistan:
general assessment: 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 networks

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 (1999)

Palau:
general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Panama:
general assessment: 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

Papua New Guinea:
general assessment: services are adequate and
being improved; facilities provide radiotelephone and telegraph,
coastal radio, aeronautical radio, and international radio
communication services

domestic: mostly radiotelephone

international: submarine cables to Australia and Guam; satellite
earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); international radio
communication service

Paraguay:
general assessment: meager telephone service; principal
switching center is Asuncion

domestic: fair microwave radio relay network

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Peru:
general assessment: adequate for most requirements

domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system and a domestic
satellite system with 12 earth stations

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean); Pan American submarine cable

Philippines:
general assessment: good international radiotelephone
and submarine cable services; domestic and interisland service
adequate

domestic: domestic satellite system with 11 earth stations

international: 9 international gateways; satellite earth stations -
3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Pacific Ocean); submarine cables to
Hong Kong, Guam, Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan

Pitcairn Islands:
general assessment: only party line telephone
service is available for this small, closely related community

domestic: party line service only

international: radiotelephone

Poland:
general assessment: underdeveloped and outmoded system;
government aimed to have 10 million telephones in service by 2000;
the process of partial privatization of the state-owned telephone
monopoly has begun; in 1998 there were over 2 million applicants on
the waiting list for telephone service

domestic: cable, open wire, and microwave radio relay; 3 cellular
networks; local exchanges 56.6% digital

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat, NA Eutelsat,
2 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions), and 1 Intersputnik
(Atlantic Ocean region)

Portugal:
general assessment: undergoing rapid development in
recent years, Portugal's telephone system, by the end of 1998,
achieved a state-of-the-art network with broadband, high-speed
capabilities and a main line telephone density of 53%

domestic: integrated network of coaxial cables, open wire,
microwave radio relay, and domestic satellite earth stations

international: 6 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat;
tropospheric scatter to Azores; note - an earth station for Inmarsat
(Atlantic Ocean region) is planned

Puerto Rico:
general assessment: 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

Qatar:
general assessment: modern system centered in Doha

domestic: NA

international: tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio
relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable to Bahrain and UAE;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian
Ocean) and 1 Arabsat

Reunion:
general assessment: 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)

Romania:
general assessment: poor domestic service, but improving

domestic: 90% of telephone network is automatic; trunk network is
mostly microwave radio relay, with some fiber-optic cable; about
one-third of exchange capacity is digital; roughly 3,300 villages
have no service

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; new digital,
international, direct-dial exchanges operate in Bucharest; note -
Romania is an active participant in several international
telecommunication network projects (1999)

Russia:
general assessment: 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; however, a large demand for main line service
remains unsatisfied

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 systems

Rwanda:
general assessment: 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)

Saint Helena:
general assessment: can communicate with any place in
the world

domestic: automatic network

international: HF radiotelephone from Saint Helena to Ascension
which is a major coaxial submarine cable relay point between South
Africa, Portugal, and UK ; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean)

Saint Kitts and Nevis:
general assessment: good interisland and
international connections

domestic: interisland links to Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Martin
(Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles) are handled by VHF/UHF/SHF
radiotelephone

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

Saint Lucia:
general assessment: adequate system

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

Saint Pierre and Miquelon:
general assessment: adequate

domestic: NA

international: radiotelephone communication with most countries in
the world; 1 earth station in French domestic satellite system

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:
general assessment: adequate
system

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

Samoa:
general assessment: adequate

domestic: NA

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

San Marino:
general assessment: adequate connections

domestic: automatic telephone system completely integrated into
Italian system

international: connected to Italian international network

Sao Tome and Principe:
general assessment: adequate facilities

domestic: minimal system

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Saudi Arabia:
general assessment: modern system

domestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and
fiber-optic cable systems

international: microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait,
Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan;
submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain; satellite earth
stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1
Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)

Senegal:
general assessment: good system

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)

Seychelles:
general assessment: effective system

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)

Sierra Leone:
general assessment: marginal telephone and telegraph
service

domestic: national microwave radio relay trunk system, made
unserviceable by military activities, is now operating from Freetown
to Bo and Kenema (April 2001)

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Singapore:
general assessment: major consideration given to serving
business interests; excellent international service

domestic: excellent domestic facilities

international: submarine cables to Malaysia (Sabah and Peninsular
Malaysia), Indonesia, and the Philippines; satellite earth stations
- 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean), and 1 Inmarsat
(Pacific Ocean region)

Slovakia:
general assessment: a modernization and privatization
program is increasing accessibility to telephone service, reducing
the waiting time for new subscribers, and generally improving
service quality

domestic: predominantly an analog system that is now receiving
digital equipment and is being enlarged with fiber-optic cable,
especially in the larger cities; mobile cellular capability has been
added

international: three international exchanges (one in Bratislava and
two in Banska Bystrica) are available; Slovakia is participating in
several international telecommunications projects that will increase
the availability of external services

Slovenia:
general assessment: NA

domestic: 100% digital (2000)

international: NA

Solomon Islands:
general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Somalia:
general assessment: 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

South Africa:
general assessment: 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)

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands:
general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken

Spain:
general assessment: generally adequate, modern facilities;
teledensity is 44 main lines for each 100 persons

domestic: NA

international: 22 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA
Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries

Sri Lanka:
general assessment: 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)

Sudan:
general assessment: large, well-equipped system by regional
standards and being upgraded; cellular communications started in
1996 and have expanded substantially

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 (2000)

Suriname:
general assessment: international facilities are good

domestic: microwave radio relay network

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean)

Svalbard:
general assessment: probably adequate

domestic: local telephone service

international: satellite earth station - 1 of unknown type (for
communication with Norwegian mainland only)

Swaziland:
general assessment: not a modern system

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

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Sweden:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international
facilities; automatic system

domestic: coaxial and multiconductor cables carry most of the voice
traffic; parallel microwave radio relay systems carry some
additional telephone channels

international: 5 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations
- 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic
and Indian Ocean regions); note - Sweden shares the Inmarsat earth
station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland,
and Norway)

Switzerland:
general assessment: excellent domestic and
international services

domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks

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

Syria:
general assessment: fair system currently undergoing
significant improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber-optic
technology

domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay network

international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 1 submarine cable;
coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon,
and Turkey; participant in Medarabtel

Tajikistan:
general assessment: 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

Tanzania:
general assessment: fair system operating below capacity
and being modernized for better service; VSAT (very small aperture
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)

Thailand:
general assessment: service to general public adequate,
but investment in technological upgrades reduced by recession; bulk
of service to government activities provided by multichannel cable
and microwave radio relay network

domestic: microwave radio relay and multichannel cable; domestic
satellite system being developed

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian
Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)

Togo:
general assessment: fair system based on a network of
microwave radio relay routes supplemented by open-wire lines and a
mobile 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

Tokelau:
general assessment: adequate

domestic: radiotelephone service between islands

international: radiotelephone service to Samoa;
government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok), with 3 satellite
earth stations, established in 1997

Tonga:
general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Trinidad and Tobago:
general assessment: excellent international
service; good local service

domestic: NA

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

Tunisia:
general assessment: 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

Turkey:
general assessment: undergoing rapid modernization and
expansion, especially cellular telephones

domestic: additional digital exchanges are permitting a rapid
increase in subscribers; the construction of a network of
technologically advanced intercity trunk lines, using both
fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay is facilitating
communication between urban centers; remote areas are reached by a
domestic satellite system; the number of subscribers to mobile
cellular telephone service is growing rapidly

international: international service is provided by three submarine
fiber-optic cables in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, linking
Turkey with Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania, and Russia, by
12 Intelsat earth stations, and by 328 mobile satellite terminals in
the Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems

Turkmenistan:
general assessment: 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

Turks and Caicos Islands:
general assessment: fair cable and
radiotelephone services

domestic: NA

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

Tuvalu:
general assessment: serves particular needs for internal
communications

domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands

international: NA

Uganda:
general assessment: 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

Ukraine:
general assessment: Ukraine's telecommunication
development plan, running through 2005, emphasizes improving
domestic trunk lines, international connections, and the mobile
cellular system

domestic: at independence in December 1991, Ukraine inherited a
telephone system that was antiquated, inefficient, and in disrepair;
more than 3.5 million applications for telephones could not be
satisfied; telephone density is now rising slowly and the domestic
trunk system is being improved; the mobile cellular telephone system
is expanding at a high rate

international: two new domestic trunk lines are a part of the
fiber-optic Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) system and three Ukrainian links
have been installed in the fiber-optic Trans-European Lines (TEL)
project which connects 18 countries; additional international
service is provided by the Italy-Turkey-Ukraine-Russia (ITUR)
fiber-optic submarine cable and by earth stations in the Intelsat,
Inmarsat, and Intersputnik satellite systems

United Arab Emirates:
general assessment: modern system consisting
of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable; key centers are Abu
Dhabi and Dubai

domestic: microwave radio relay and coaxial cable

international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic
Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; submarine cables to Qatar,
Bahrain, India, and Pakistan; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain;
microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia

United Kingdom:
general assessment: technologically advanced
domestic and international system

domestic: equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, and
fiber-optic systems

international: 40 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth
stations - 10 Intelsat (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean), 1
Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Eutelsat; at least 8 large
international switching centers

United States:
general assessment: a very large, technologically
advanced, multipurpose communications system

domestic: a large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio
relay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites carries every form of
telephone traffic; a rapidly growing cellular system carries mobile
telephone traffic throughout the country

international: 24 ocean cable systems in use; satellite earth
stations - 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16 Pacific Ocean), 5
Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4 Inmarsat (Pacific and
Atlantic Ocean regions) (2000)

Uruguay:
general assessment: some modern facilities

domestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new
nationwide microwave radio relay network

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean)

Uzbekistan:
general assessment: 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)

Vanuatu:
general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Venezuela:
general assessment: modern and expanding

domestic: domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations; recent
substantial improvement in telephone service in rural areas;
substantial increase in digitalization of exchanges and trunk lines;
installation of a national interurban fiber-optic network capable of
digital multimedia services

international: 3 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations
- 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 PanAmSat; participating with
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia in the construction of an
international fiber-optic network

Vietnam:
general assessment: Vietnam is putting considerable effort
into modernization and expansion of its telecommunication system,
but its performance continues to lag behind that of its more modern
neighbors

domestic: all provincial exchanges are digitalized and connected to
Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City by fiber-optic cable or
microwave radio relay networks; since 1991, main lines in use have
been substantially increased and the use of mobile telephones is
growing rapidly

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Indian
Ocean region)

Virgin Islands:
general assessment: NA

domestic: modern, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay

international: submarine cable and satellite communications;
satellite earth stations - NA

Wake Island:
general assessment: satellite communications; 1 DSN
circuit off the Overseas Telephone System (OTS)

domestic: NA

international: NA

Wallis and Futuna:
general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: NA

West Bank:
general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: NA

note: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are
responsible for communication services in the West Bank

Western Sahara:
general assessment: 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

World:
general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: NA

Yemen:
general assessment: since unification in 1990, efforts have
been made to create a national telecommunications network

domestic: the national network consists of microwave radio relay,
cable, tropospheric scatter, and GSM cellular mobile telephone
systems

international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Indian
Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region),
and 2 Arabsat; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and Djibouti

Yugoslavia:
general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Zambia:
general assessment: 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 aperture terminal
(VSAT) networks are operated by private firms

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

Zimbabwe:
general assessment: 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)

Taiwan:
general assessment: provides telecommunications service for
every business and private need

domestic: thoroughly modern; completely digitalized

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Pacific
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); submarine cables to Japan (Okinawa),
Philippines, Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia,
Middle East, and Western Europe (1999)

======================================================================

@Telephones - main lines in use

Afghanistan:
29,000 (1996)

note: there were 21,000 main lines in service in Kabul in 1998

Albania:
87,000 (1997)

Algeria:
2.3 million (1998)

American Samoa:
13,000 (1997)

Andorra:
32,946 (December 1998)

Angola:
62,000 (1997)

Anguilla:
5,000 (1997)

Antarctica:
0

note: information for US bases only (2001)

Antigua and Barbuda:
28,000 (1996)

Argentina:
7.5 million (1998)

Armenia:
568,000 (1997)

Aruba:
33,000 (1997)

Australia:
9.58 million (1998)

Austria:
4 million (3,600,000 analog main lines plus 400,000 ISDN or
Integrated Services Digital Network connections) (1999)

Azerbaijan:
663,000 (1997)

Bahamas, The:
96,000 (1997)

Bahrain:
152,000 (1997)

Bangladesh:
500,000 (2000)

Barbados:
108,000 (1997)

Belarus:
2.313 million (1997)

Belgium:
4.769 million (1997)

Belize:
31,000 (1997)

Benin:
36,000 (1997)

Bermuda:
52,000 (1997)

Bhutan:
6,000 (1997)

Bolivia:
327,600 (1996)

Bosnia and Herzegovina:
303,000 (1997)

Botswana:
86,000 (1997)

Brazil:
17.039 million (1997)

British Indian Ocean Territory:
NA

British Virgin Islands:
10,000 (1996)

Brunei:
79,000 (1996)

Bulgaria:
3.255 million (2000)

Burkina Faso:
36,000 (1997)

Burma:
250,000 (2000)

Burundi:
16,000 (1997)

Cambodia:
21,800 (mid-1998)

Cameroon:
75,000 (1997)

Canada:
18.5 million (1999)

Cape Verde:
45,644 (2000)

Cayman Islands:
19,000 (1995)

Central African Republic:
10,000 (1997)

Chad:
7,000 (1997)

Chile:
2.603 million (1998)

China:
135 million (2000)

Christmas Island:
NA

Cocos (Keeling) Islands:
NA (1999)

Colombia:
5,433,565 (December 1997)

Comoros:
6,000 (1997)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the:
21,000 (1997)

Congo, Republic of the:
22,000 (1997)

Cook Islands:
5,000 (1997)

Costa Rica:
450,000 (1998)

note: 584,000 installed in 1997, but only about 450,000 were in use
1998

Cote d'Ivoire:
219,283 (31 December 1999)

Croatia:
1.488 million (1997)

Cuba:
473,031 (2000)

Cyprus:
Greek Cypriot area: 405,000 (1998); Turkish Cypriot area:
83,162 (1998)

Czech Republic:
3.869 million (2000)

Denmark:
4.785 million (1997)

Djibouti:
8,000 (1997)

Dominica:
19,000 (1996)

Dominican Republic:
709,000 (1997)

Ecuador:
899,000 (1997)

Egypt:
3,971,500 (December 1998)

El Salvador:
380,000 (1998)

Equatorial Guinea:
4,000 (1996)

Eritrea:
23,578 (2000)

Estonia:
476,078 (yearend 1998)

Ethiopia:
157,000 (1997)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas):
NA

Faroe Islands:
24,851 (1999)

Fiji:
72,000 (1997)

Finland:
2.861 million (1997)

France:
34.86 million (yearend 1998)

French Guiana:
47,000 (1997)

French Polynesia:
52,000 (1997)

Gabon:
37,000 (1997)

Gambia, The:
31,900 (2000)

Gaza Strip:
95,729 (total for Gaza Strip and West Bank) (1997)

Georgia:
620,000 (1997)

Germany:
45.2 million (1997)

note: 46.5 million main lines were installed by yearend 1998

Ghana:
200,000 (1998)

Gibraltar:
19,000 (1997)

Greece:
5.431 million (1997)

Greenland:
25,617 (end 1999)

Grenada:
27,000 (1997)

Guadeloupe:
171,000 (1996)

Guam:
84,134 (1998)

Guatemala:
665,061 (June 2000)

Guernsey:
44,000 (1996)

Guinea:
20,000 (1997)

Guinea-Bissau:
8,000 (1997)

Guyana:
70,000 (2000)

Haiti:
60,000 (1997)

Holy See (Vatican City):
NA

Honduras:
234,000 (1997)

Hong Kong:
3.839 million (1999)

Hungary:
3.095 million (1997)

Iceland:
168,000 (1997)

India:
27.7 million (October 2000)

Indonesia:
5,588,310 (1998)

Iran:
6.313 million (1997)

Iraq:
675,000 (1997)

Ireland:
1.59 million (2001)

Israel:
2.8 million (1999)

Italy:
25 million (1999)

Jamaica:
353,000 (1996)

Japan:
60.381 million (1997)

Jersey:
65,500 (1997)

Jordan:
403,000 (1997)

Kazakhstan:
1.818 million (1997)

Kenya:
290,000 (1998)

Kiribati:
2,000 (1997)

Korea, North:
1.1 million (1997)

Korea, South:
24 million (1999)

Kuwait:
412,000 (1997)

Kyrgyzstan:
351,000 (1997)

Laos:
25,000 (1997)

Latvia:
748,000 (1997)

Lebanon:
700,000 (1999)

Lesotho:
20,000 (1997)

Liberia:
6,000 (1997)

Libya:
380,000 (1996)

Liechtenstein:
20,000 (1997)

Lithuania:
1.048 million (1997)

Luxembourg:
314,700 (1999)

Macau:
176,837 (2000)

Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of:
408,000 (1997)

Madagascar:
43,000 (1997)

Malawi:
37,000 (1997)

Malaysia:
4.5 million (1999)

Maldives:
21,000 (1999)

Mali:
23,000 (1997)

Malta:
187,000 (1997)

Man, Isle of:
51,000 (1999)

Marshall Islands:
3,000 (1996)

Martinique:
170,000 (1997)

Mauritania:
26,000 (2000)

Mauritius:
223,000 (1997)

Mayotte:
9,314 (1997)

Mexico:
9.6 million (1998)

Micronesia, Federated States of:
11,000 (2001)

Moldova:
627,000 (1997)

Monaco:
31,027 (1995)

Mongolia:
104,100 (1999)

Montserrat:
4,000 (1997)

Morocco:
1.391 million (1998)

Mozambique:
65,354 (2000)

Namibia:
100,848 (1997)

Nauru:
2,000 (1996)

Nepal:
236,816 (January 2000)

Netherlands:
9,132,400 (1999)

Netherlands Antilles:
76,000 (1995)

New Caledonia:
47,000 (1997)

New Zealand:
1.84 million (1997)

Nicaragua:
140,000 (1996)

Niger:
16,000 (1997)

Nigeria:
500,000 (2000)

Niue:
376 (1991)

Norfolk Island:
1,087 (1983)

Northern Mariana Islands:
21,000 (1996)

Norway:
2.735 million (1998)

Oman:
201,000 (1997)

Pakistan:
2.861 million (March 1999)

Palau:
1,500 (1988)

Panama:
396,000 (1997)

Papua New Guinea:
47,000 (1996)

Paraguay:
290,475 (2001)

Peru:
1.509 million (1998)

Philippines:
1.9 million (1997)

Pitcairn Islands:
1 (there are 17 telephones on one party line)
(1997)

Poland:
8.07 million (1998)

Portugal:
5.3 million (end 1998)

Puerto Rico:
1.322 million (1997)

Qatar:
142,000 (1997)

Reunion:
236,500 (1997)

Romania:
3.777 million (1997)

Russia:
30 million (1998)

Rwanda:
15,000 (1995)

Saint Helena:
2,000 (1997)

Saint Kitts and Nevis:
17,000 (1997)

Saint Lucia:
37,000 (1997)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon:
4,000 (1997)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:
20,500 (1998)

Samoa:
8,000 (1997)

San Marino:
18,000 (1998)

Sao Tome and Principe:
3,000 (1997)

Saudi Arabia:
3.1 million (1998)

Senegal:
116,000 (1997)

Seychelles:
19,635 (1997)

Sierra Leone:
17,000 (1997)

Singapore:
1.928 million (November 2000)

Slovakia:
1,934,558 (1998)

Slovenia:
722,000 (1997)

Solomon Islands:
8,000 (1997)

Somalia:
NA

South Africa:
5.075 million (1999)

Spain:
17.336 million (1999)

Sri Lanka:
494,509 (1998)

Sudan:
400,000 (2000)

Suriname:
64,000 (1997)

Svalbard:
NA

Swaziland:
33,500 (2000)

Sweden:
6.017 million (December 1998)

Switzerland:
4.82 million (1998)

Syria:
1.313 million (1997)

Tajikistan:
363,000 (1997)

Tanzania:
127,000 (1998)

Thailand:
5.4 million (1998)

Togo:
25,000 (1997)

Tokelau:
NA

Tonga:
8,000 (1996)

Trinidad and Tobago:
243,000 (1997)

Tunisia:
654,000 (1997)

Turkey:
19.5 million (1999)

Turkmenistan:
363,000 (1997)

Turks and Caicos Islands:
3,000 (1994)

Tuvalu:
1,000 (1997)

Uganda:
50,074; however, 80,868 main lines were installed (1998)

Ukraine:
9.45 million (April 1999)

United Arab Emirates:
915,223 (1998)

United Kingdom:
34.878 million (1997)

United States:
194 million (1997)

Uruguay:
850,000 (2000)

Uzbekistan:
1.98 million (1999)

Vanuatu:
4,000 (1996)

Venezuela:
2,600,000.00; however, 3,500,000 were installed (1998)

Vietnam:
2.6 million (2000)

Virgin Islands:
62,000 (1997)

Wallis and Futuna:
1,125 (1994)

West Bank:
95,729 (total for West Bank and Gaza Strip) (1997)

Western Sahara:
about 2,000 (1999 est.)

World:
NA

Yemen:
291,359 (1999)

Yugoslavia:
2.017 million (1995)

Zambia:
77,935 (in addition there are about 40,000 fixed telephones
in wireless local loop connections) (1997)

Zimbabwe:
212,000 (in addition there are about 20,000 fixed
telephones in wireless local loop connections) (1997)

Taiwan:
12.49 million (September 2000)

======================================================================

@Telephones - mobile cellular

Afghanistan:
NA

Albania:
3,100 (1999)

Algeria:
33,500 (1999)

American Samoa:
2,550 (1997)

Andorra:
14,117 (December 1998)

Angola:
7,052 (1997)

Anguilla:
NA

Antarctica:
NA

Antigua and Barbuda:
1,300 (1996)

Argentina:
3 million (December 1999)

Armenia:
6,220 (1997)

Aruba:
3,402 (1997)

Australia:
6.4 million (1998)

Austria:
4.5 million (2000)

Azerbaijan:
40,000 (1997)

Bahamas, The:
6,152 (1997)

Bahrain:
58,543 (1997)

Bangladesh:
283,000 (2000)

Barbados:
8,013 (1997)

Belarus:
8,167 (1997)

Belgium:
974,494 (1997)

Belize:
3,023 (1997)

Benin:
4,295 (1997)

Bermuda:
7,980 (1996)

Bhutan:
NA

Bolivia:
116,000 (1997)

Bosnia and Herzegovina:
9,000 (1997)

Botswana:
NA

Brazil:
4.4 million (1997)

British Virgin Islands:
NA

Brunei:
43,524 (1996)

Bulgaria:
596,000 (2000)

Burkina Faso:
1,503 (1997)

Burma:
8,492 (1997)

Burundi:
619 (1997)

Cambodia:
80,000 (2000)

Cameroon:
4,200 (1997)

Canada:
4.207 million (1997)

Cape Verde:
19,729 (1997)

Cayman Islands:
2,534 (1995)

Central African Republic:
570 (1997)

Chad:
NA

Chile:
944,225 (1998)

China:
65 million (January 2001)

Christmas Island:
0 (1999)

Cocos (Keeling) Islands:
0 (1999)

Colombia:
1,800,229 (December 1998)

Comoros:
NA

Congo, Democratic Republic of the:
8,900 (1997)

Congo, Republic of the:
1,000 (1996)

Cook Islands:
0 (1994)

Costa Rica:
143,000 (2000)

Cote d'Ivoire:
322,500 (May 2000)

Croatia:
187,000 (yearend 1998)

Cuba:
2,994 (1997)

Cyprus:
Greek Cypriot area: 68,000 (1998); Turkish Cypriot area:
70,000 (1999)

Czech Republic:
4.346 million (2000)

Denmark:
1,444,016 (1997)

Djibouti:
203 (1997)

Dominica:
461 (1996)

Dominican Republic:
130,149 (1997)

Ecuador:
160,061 (1997)

Egypt:
380,000 (1999)

El Salvador:
40,163 (1997)

Equatorial Guinea:
NA

Eritrea:
NA

Estonia:
475,000 (yearend 2000)

Ethiopia:
4,000 (1999)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas):
NA

Faroe Islands:
10,761 (1999)

Fiji:
5,200 (1997)

Finland:
2,162,574 (1997)

France:
11.078 million (yearend 1998)

French Guiana:
NA

French Polynesia:
5,427 (1997)

Gabon:
9,500 (1997)

Gambia, The:
5,624 (2000)

Gaza Strip:
NA

Georgia:
30,000 (1997)

Germany:
15.318 million (April 1999)

Ghana:
30,000 (yearend 1998)

Gibraltar:
1,620 (1997)

Greece:
937,700 (1997)

Greenland:
12,676 (end 1999)

Grenada:
976 (1997)

Guadeloupe:
NA

Guam:
55,000 (1998)

Guatemala:
663,296 (September 2000)

Guernsey:
12,000 (1997)

Guinea:
2,868 (1997)

Guinea-Bissau:
NA

Guyana:
6,100 (2000)

Haiti:
0 (1995)

Holy See (Vatican City):
NA

Honduras:
14,427 (1997)

Hong Kong:
3.7 million (December 1999)

Hungary:
1.269 million (July 1999)

Iceland:
65,746 (1997)

India:
2.93 million (November 2000)

Indonesia:
1.07 million (1998)

Iran:
265,000 (August 1998)

Iraq:
NA; service available in northern Iraq (2001)

Ireland:
2 million (2001)

Israel:
2.5 million (1999)

Italy:
20.5 million (1999)

Jamaica:
54,640 (1996)

Japan:
63.88 million (2000)

Jersey:
4,400 (1997)

Jordan:
11,500 (1995)

Kazakhstan:
11,202 (1997)

Kenya:
5,345 (1997)

Kiribati:
NA

Korea, North:
NA

Korea, South:
27 million (June 2000)

Kuwait:
210,000 (1997)

Kyrgyzstan:
NA

Laos:
4,915 (1997)

Latvia:
77,100 (1997)

Lebanon:
580,000 (1999)

Lesotho:
1,262 (1996)

Liberia:
0 (1995)

Libya:
NA

Liechtenstein:
NA

Lithuania:
297,500 (November 1998)

Luxembourg:
215,741 (2000)

Macau:
120,957 (2000)

Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of:
12,362 (1997)

Madagascar:
4,000 (1997)

Malawi:
7,000 (1997)

Malaysia:
2.698 million (1999)

Maldives:
1,290 (1997)

Mali:
2,842 (1997)

Malta:
17,691 (1997)

Man, Isle of:
NA

Marshall Islands:
365 (1996)

Martinique:
15,000 (1997)

Mauritania:
NA

Mauritius:
37,000 (1997)

Mayotte:
0 (2000)

Mexico:
2.02 million (1998)

Micronesia, Federated States of:
NA

Moldova:
2,200 (1997)

Monaco:
NA

Mongolia:
110,000 (2001)

Montserrat:
70 (1994)

Morocco:
116,645 (1998)

Mozambique:
18,500 (2000)

Namibia:
NA

Nauru:
450 (1994)

Nepal:
NA

Netherlands:
4,081,891 (April 1999)

Netherlands Antilles:
13,977 (1996)

New Caledonia:
13,040 (1998)

New Zealand:
588,000 (1998)

Nicaragua:
7,911 (1997)

Niger:
13,000 (1995)

Nigeria:
26,700 (1997)

Niue:
0 (1991)

Norfolk Island:
0 (1983)

Northern Mariana Islands:
1,200 (1995)

Norway:
2,080,408 (1998)

Oman:
59,822 (1997)

Pakistan:
158,000 (1998)

Palau:
0 (1988)

Panama:
17,000 (1997)

Papua New Guinea:
3,053 (1996)

Paraguay:
510,000 (2001)

Peru:
504,995 (1998)

Philippines:
1.959 million (1998)

Poland:
1.78 million (1998)

Portugal:
3,074,194 (1999)

Puerto Rico:
169,265 (1996)

Qatar:
43,476 (1997)

Reunion:
85,000 (1999)

Romania:
645,500 (1999)

Russia:
2.5 million (October 2000)

Rwanda:
NA

note: however, Rwanda has mobile cellular service between Kigali
and several prefecture capitals (2000)

Saint Helena:
0 (1997)

Saint Kitts and Nevis:
205 (1997)

Saint Lucia:
1,600 (1997)

Saint Pierre and Miquelon:
0 (1994)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:
NA

Samoa:
1,545 (February 1998)

San Marino:
3,010 (1998)

Sao Tome and Principe:
6,942 (1997)

Saudi Arabia:
1 million

note: in 1998, the government contracted for the installation of
575,000 additional Group Speciale Mobile (GSM) cellular telephone
lines over 15 months to raise the total number of subscribers to
more than one million; Riyadh planned to further expand the GSM
system in 1999 by adding an additional one million lines (1998)

Senegal:
1,149 (1996)

Seychelles:
16,316 (1999)

Sierra Leone:
650 (1999)

Singapore:
2.333 million (November 2000)

Slovakia:
736,662 (April 1999)

Slovenia:
1 million (2000)

Solomon Islands:
658 (1997)

Somalia:
NA

South Africa:
over 2,000,000 (1999)

Spain:
8.394 million (1999)

Sri Lanka:
228,604 (1999)

Sudan:
20,000 (2000)

Suriname:
4,090 (1997)

Svalbard:
NA

Swaziland:
30,000 (2000)

Sweden:
3.835 million (October 1998)

Switzerland:
1.967 million (1999)

Syria:
NA

Tajikistan:
2,500 (1997)

Tanzania:
30,000 (1999)

Thailand:
2.3 million (1998)

Togo:
2,995 (1997)

Tokelau:
0 (2001)

Tonga:
302 (1996)

Trinidad and Tobago:
17,411 (1997)

Tunisia:
50,000 (1998)

Turkey:
12.1 million (1999)

Turkmenistan:
4,300 (1998)

Turks and Caicos Islands:
0 (1994)

Tuvalu:
0 (1994)

Uganda:
9,000 (1998)

Ukraine:
236,000 (1998)

United Arab Emirates:
1 million (1999)

United Kingdom:
13 million (yearend 1998)

United States:
69.209 million (1998)

Uruguay:
300,000 (2000)

Uzbekistan:
26,000 (1998)

Vanuatu:
154 (1996)

Venezuela:
2 million (1998)

Vietnam:
730,155 (2000)

Virgin Islands:
2,000 (1992)

Wallis and Futuna:
0 (1994)

West Bank:
NA

Western Sahara:
0 (1999)

World:
NA

Yemen:
32,042 (2000)

Yugoslavia:
87,000 (1997)

Zambia:
6,000 (1998)

Zimbabwe:
70,000 (1999)

Taiwan:
16 million (September 2000)

======================================================================

@Television broadcast stations

Afghanistan:
at least 10 (one government run central television
station in Kabul and regional stations in nine of the 30 provinces;
the regional stations operate on a reduced schedule; also, in 1997,
there was a station in Mazar-e Sharif reaching four northern
Afghanistan provinces) (1998)

Albania:
9 (plus 264 repeaters) (1995)

Algeria:
46 (plus 216 repeaters) (1995)

American Samoa:
1 (1997)

Andorra:
0 (1997)

Angola:
7 (1999)

Anguilla:
1 (1997)

Antarctica:
1 (the US Navy Antarctic Support Group operates a cable
system with six channels for the American Forces Antarctic
Network-McMurdo)

note: information for US bases only (2000)

Antigua and Barbuda:
2 (1997)

Argentina:
42 (plus 444 repeaters) (1997)

Armenia:
4 (1998)

Aruba:
1 (1997)

Australia:
104 (1997)

Austria:
45 (plus 960 repeaters) (1995)

Azerbaijan:
2 (1997)

Bahamas, The:
1 (1997)

Bahrain:
4 (1997)

Bangladesh:
15 (1999)

Barbados:
1 (plus two cable channels) (1997)

Belarus:
47 (plus 27 repeaters) (1995)

Belgium:
25 (plus 10 repeaters) (1997)

Belize:
2 (1997)

Benin:
2 (one privately-owned) (1997)

Bermuda:
3 (1997)

Bhutan:
0 (1997)

Bolivia:
48 (1997)

Bosnia and Herzegovina:
33 (plus 277 repeaters) (September 1995)

Botswana:
0 (1997)

Brazil:
138 (1997)

British Indian Ocean Territory:
1 (1997)

British Virgin Islands:
1 (plus one cable company) (1997)

Brunei:
2 (1997)

Bulgaria:
96 (plus 1,030 repeaters) (1995)

Burkina Faso:
1 (1997)

Burma:
2 (1998)

Burundi:
1 (1999)

Cambodia:
5 (1999)

Cameroon:
1 (1998)

Canada:
80 (plus many repeaters) (1997)

Cape Verde:
1 (1997)

Cayman Islands:
NA

Central African Republic:
NA

Chad:
1 (1997)

Chile:
63 (plus 121 repeaters) (1997)

China:
3,240 (of which 209 are operated by China Central Television,
31 are provincial TV stations and nearly 3,000 are local city
stations) (1997)

Christmas Island:
NA

Cocos (Keeling) Islands:
0 (1997)

Colombia:
60 (includes seven low-power stations) (1997)

Comoros:
0 (1998)

Congo, Democratic Republic of the:
20 (1999)

Congo, Republic of the:
1 (1999)

Cook Islands:
2 (plus eight low-power repeaters) (1997)

Costa Rica:
6 (plus 11 repeaters) (1997)

Cote d'Ivoire:
14 (1999)

Croatia:
36 (plus 321 repeaters) (September 1995)

Cuba:
58 (1997)

Cyprus:
Greek Cypriot area: 4 (plus 225 low-power repeaters)
(September 1995); Turkish Cypriot area: 4 (plus 5 repeaters)
(September 1995)

Czech Republic:
150 (plus 1,434 repeaters) (2000)

Denmark:
26 (plus 51 repeaters) (1998)

Djibouti:
1 (plus 5 low-power repeaters) (1998)

Dominica:
0 (however, there is one cable television company) (1997)

Dominican Republic:
25 (1997)

Ecuador:
15 (including one station on the Galapagos Islands) (1997)

Egypt:
98 (September 1995)

El Salvador:
5 (1997)

Equatorial Guinea:
1 (1997)

Eritrea:
1 (2000)

Estonia:
31 (plus five repeaters) (September 1995)

Ethiopia:
25 (1999)

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas):
2 (operated by the British Forces
Broadcasting Service) (1997)

Faroe Islands:
3 (plus 43 low-power repeaters) (September 1995)

Fiji:
NA

Finland:
130 (plus 385 repeaters) (1995)

France:
584 (plus 9,676 repeaters) (1995)

French Guiana:
3 (plus eight low-power repeaters) (1997)

French Polynesia:
7 (plus 17 low-power repeaters) (1997)

Gabon:
4 (plus five low-power repeaters) (1997)

Gambia, The:
1 (government-owned) (1997)

Gaza Strip:
2 (operated by the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation)
(1997)

Georgia:
12 (plus repeaters) (1998)

Germany:
373 (plus 8,042 repeaters) (1995)

Ghana:
11 (1999)

Gibraltar:
1 (plus three low-power repeaters) (1997)

Greece:
36 (plus 1,341 low-power repeaters); also two stations in
the US Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (1995)

Greenland:
1 publicly-owned station, some local low-power stations,
and three AFRTS (US Air Force) stations (1997)

Grenada:
2 (1997)

Guadeloupe:
5 (plus several low-power repeaters) (1997)

Guam:
5 (1997)

Guatemala:
26 (plus 27 repeaters) (1997)

Guernsey:
1 (1997)

Guinea:
6 (1997)

Guinea-Bissau:
2 (1997)

Guyana:
3 (one public station; two private stations which relay US
satellite services) (1997)

Haiti:
2 (plus a cable TV service) (1997)

Holy See (Vatican City):
1 (1996)

Honduras:
11 (plus 17 repeaters) (1997)

Hong Kong:
4 (plus two repeaters) (1997)

Hungary:
35 (plus 161 low-power repeaters) (1995)

Iceland:
14 (plus 156 low-power repeaters) (1997)

India:
562 (of which 82 stations have 1 kW or greater power and 480
stations have less than 1 kW of power) (1997)

Indonesia:
41 (1999)

Iran:
28 (plus 450 low-power repeaters) (1997)

Iraq:
13 (1997)

Ireland:
4 (many low-power repeaters) (2001)

Israel:
17 (plus 36 low-power repeaters) (1995)

Italy:
358 (plus 4,728 repeaters) (1995)

Jamaica:
7 (1997)

Japan:
7,108 (plus 441 repeaters; note - in addition, US Forces are
served by 3 TV stations and 2 TV cable services) (1999)

Jersey:
1 (1997)

Johnston Atoll:
commercial satellite television system, with 16
channels (1997)

Jordan:
20 (plus 96 repeaters) (1995)

Kazakhstan:
12 (plus nine repeaters) (1998)

Kenya:
8 (1997)

Kiribati:
1 (1997)

Korea, North:
38 (1999)

Korea, South:
121 (plus 850 repeater stations and the eight-channel
American Forces Korea Network) (1999)