general assessment: excellent domestic and international
service
domestic: domestic satellite system; significant use of
radiotelephone in areas of low population density; rapid growth of
mobile cellular telephones
international: country code - 61; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3
optical telecommunications submarine cable with links to Asia, the
Middle East, and Europe; the Southern Cross fiber optic submarine
cable provides links to New Zealand and the United States; satellite
earth stations - 19 (10 Intelsat - 4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific
Ocean, 2 Inmarsat - Indian and Pacific Ocean regions, 2 Globalstar,
5 other) (2007)
Austria
general assessment: highly developed and efficient
domestic: fixed-line subscribership has been in decline since the
mid-1990s with mobile-cellular subscribership eclipsing it by the
late 1990s; the fiber-optic net is very extensive; all telephone
applications and Internet services are available
international: country code - 43; satellite earth stations - 15; in
addition, there are about 600 VSATs (very small aperture terminals)
(2007)
Azerbaijan
general assessment: inadequate; requires considerable
expansion and modernization; teledensity of 15 main lines per 100
persons is low; mobile-cellular penetration is increasing and is
currently about 50 telephones per 100 persons
domestic: fixed-line telephony and a broad range of other telecom
services are controlled by a state-owned telecommunications monopoly
and growth has been stagnant; more competition exists in the
mobile-cellular market with three providers in 2006; satellite
service connects Baku to a modern switch in its exclave of Naxcivan
international: country code - 994; the old Soviet system of cable
and microwave is still serviceable; satellite earth stations - 2
(2007)
Bahamas, The
general assessment: modern facilities
domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed; the Bahamas
Domestic Submarine Network links 14 of the islands and is designed
to satisfy increasing demand for voice and broadband internet
services
international: country code - 1-242; landing point for the Americas
Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic submarine cable
that provides links to South and Central America, parts of the
Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 (2007)
Bahrain
general assessment: modern system
domestic: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network
with rapidly growing use of mobile-cellular telephones
international: country code - 973; landing point for the Fiber-Optic
Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provides
links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and US; tropospheric scatter to
Qatar and UAE; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite
earth station - 1 (2007)
Bangladesh
general assessment: inadequate for a modern country;
fixed-line telephone density remains less than 1 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has been increasing rapidly
and is approaching 25 per 100 persons
domestic: modernizing; introducing digital systems; trunk systems
include VHF and UHF microwave radio relay links, and some
fiber-optic cable in cities
international: country code - 880; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-4
fiber-optic submarine cable system that provides links to Europe,
the Middle East, and Asia; satellite earth stations - 6;
international radiotelephone communications and landline service to
neighboring countries (2007)
Barbados
general assessment: fixed-line teledensity of roughly 50
per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density of about 85 per
100 persons
domestic: island-wide automatic telephone system
international: country code - 1-246; landing point for the East
Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 other
islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin
Islands to Trinidad; satellite earth stations - 1 (Intelsat
-Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia
(2007)
Belarus
general assessment: Belarus lags behind its neighbors in
upgrading telecommunications infrastructure; state-owned Beltelcom
is the sole provider of fixed-line local and long distance service;
fixed-line teledensity of roughly 35 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular telephone density of about 60 per 100 persons;
modernization of the network progressing with roughly two-thirds of
switching equipment now digital
domestic: fixed-line penetration is improving although rural areas
continue to be underserved; 3 GSM wireless networks are experiencing
rapid growth; strict government controls on telecommunications
technologies
international: country code - 375; Belarus is a member of the
Trans-European Line (TEL), Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line,
and has access to the Trans-Siberia Line (TSL); 3 fiber-optic
segments provide connectivity to Latvia, Poland, Russia, and
Ukraine; worldwide service is available to Belarus through this
infrastructure; additional analog lines to Russia; Intelsat,
Eutelsat, and Intersputnik earth stations (2007)
Belgium
general assessment: highly developed, technologically
advanced, and completely automated domestic and international
telephone and telegraph facilities
domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; extensive cable
network; limited microwave radio relay network
international: country code - 32; landing point for a number of
submarine cables that provide links to Europe, the Middle East, and
Asia; satellite earth stations - 7 (Intelsat - 3) (2007)
Belize
general assessment: above-average system; fixed-line
teledensity of 12 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density
of about 40 per 100 persons
domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay
international: country code - 501; landing point for the Americas
Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic
telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to South and
Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth
station - 8 (Intelsat - 2, unknown - 6) (2007)
Benin
general assessment: inadequate; fixed-line network
characterized by aging, deteriorating equipment with fixed-line
teledensity stuck at 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone
subscribership is increasing
domestic: system of open-wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular
connections; multiple mobile-cellular providers
international: country code - 229; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC
fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and
Asia; satellite earth stations - 7 (Intelsat-Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Bermuda
general assessment: good
domestic: fully automatic digital telephone system; fiber optic
trunk lines
international: country code - 1-441; landing point for the
Atlantica-1 telecommunications submarine cable that extends from the
US to Brazil; satellite earth stations - 3 (2007)
Bhutan
general assessment: urban towns and district headquarters
have telecommunications services
domestic: very low teledensity; domestic service is very poor
especially in rural areas; wireless service available since 2003
international: country code - 975; international telephone and
telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2007)
Bolivia
general assessment: privatization begun in 1995; reliability
has steadily improved; new subscribers face bureaucratic
difficulties; most telephones are concentrated in La Paz and other
cities; mobile-cellular telephone use expanding rapidly; fixed-line
teledensity of 7 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density
of 35 per 100 persons
domestic: primary trunk system, which is being expanded, employs
digital microwave radio relay; some areas are served by fiber-optic
cable; mobile cellular systems are being expanded
international: country code - 591; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
general assessment: post-war reconstruction
of the telecommunications network, aided by a internationally
sponsored program under ERBD, resulted in sharp increases in the
number of main telephone lines available; mobile cellular
subscribership has been increasing rapidly
domestic: fixed-line teledensity roughly 25 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular telephone density exceeds 50 per 100 persons
international: country code - 387; no satellite earth stations (2007)
Botswana
general assessment: the system is expanding with the growth
of mobile-cellular service and participation in regional
development; system is fully digital with fiber-optic cables linking
the major population centers in the east; fixed-line connections
declined in recent years and now stand at roughly 8 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular telephone density currently is about 80 per 100
persons
domestic: small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay
links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations;
mobile-cellular service is growing fast
international: country code - 267; international calls are made via
satellite, using international direct dialing; 2 international
exchanges; digital microwave radio relay links to Namibia, Zambia,
Zimbabwe, and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Indian Ocean) (2007)
Brazil
general assessment: good working system; fixed-line
connections have remained relatively stable in recent years and
stand at about 20 per 100 persons; less expensive mobile cellular
technology is a major driver in expanding telephone service to the
low-income segment of the population with mobile-cellular telephone
density reaching nearly 65 per 100 persons
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay system and a domestic
satellite system with 64 earth stations; mobile-cellular usage has
more than tripled in the past 5 years
international: country code - 55; landing point for a number of
submarine cables that provide direct links to South and Central
America, the Caribbean, the US, Africa, and Europe; satellite earth
stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean
region east), connected by microwave relay system to Mercosur
Brazilsat B3 satellite earth station (2007)
British Indian Ocean Territory
general assessment: separate
facilities for military and public needs are available
domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including
connection to the Internet
international: country code (Diego Garcia) - 246; international
telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
British Virgin Islands
general assessment: worldwide telephone
service
domestic: NA
international: country code - 1-284; connected via submarine cable
to Bermuda; the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) submarine cable
provides connectivity to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean
(2007)
Brunei
general assessment: service throughout the country is
excellent; international service is good to Southeast Asia, Middle
East, Western Europe, and the US
domestic: every service available
international: country code - 673; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3
optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to
Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; the Asia-America Gateway
submarine cable network, scheduled for completion by late 2008, will
provide new links to Asia and the US; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) (2007)
Bulgaria
general assessment: an extensive but antiquated
telecommunications network inherited from the Soviet era; quality
has improved; the Bulgaria Telecommunications Company's fixed-line
monopoly terminated in 2005 when alternative fixed-line operators
were given access to its network; a drop in fixed-line connections
in recent years has been more than offset by a sharp increase in
mobile-cellular telephone use fostered by multiple service
providers; the number of cellular telephone subscriptions now
exceeds the population
domestic: a fairly modern digital cable trunk line now connects
switching centers in most of the regions; the others are connected
by digital microwave radio relay
international: country code - 359; submarine cable provides
connectivity to Ukraine and Russia; a combination submarine cable
and land fiber-optic system provides connectivity to Italy, Albania,
and Macedonia; satellite earth stations - 3 (1 Intersputnik in the
Atlantic Ocean region, 2 Intelsat in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean
regions) (2007)
Burkina Faso
general assessment: services only fair; in 2006 the
government sold a 51 percent stake in the national telephone company
and ultimately plans to retain only a 23 percent stake in the
company; fixed-line connections stand at less than 1 per 100
persons; mobile-cellular usage, fostered by multiple providers, is
increasing rapidly from a low base
domestic: microwave radio relay, open-wire, and radiotelephone
communication stations
international: country code - 226; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Burma
general assessment: meets minimum requirements for local and
intercity service for business and government
domestic: system barely capable of providing basic service; cellular
phone system is grossly underdeveloped with a subscribership base of
less than 1 per 100 persons
international: country code - 95; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3
optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to
Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2,
Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and ShinSat (2007)
Burundi
general assessment: primitive system; telephone density one
of the lowest in the world; fixed-line connections stand at well
less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage is increasing but
remains at a meager 3 per 100 persons
domestic: sparse system of open-wire, radiotelephone communications,
and low-capacity microwave radio relay
international: country code - 257; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2007)
Cambodia
general assessment: mobile-phone systems are widely used in
urban areas to bypass deficiencies in the fixed-line network;
fixed-line connections stand at well less than 1 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular usage, aided by increasing competition among service
providers, is increasing and stands at nearly 20 per 100 persons
domestic: adequate landline and/or cellular service in Phnom Penh
and other provincial cities; mobile-phone coverage is rapidly
expanding in rural areas
international: country code - 855; adequate but expensive landline
and cellular service available to all countries from Phnom Penh and
major provincial cities; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik
(Indian Ocean region) (2007)
Cameroon
general assessment: fixed-line connections stand at less
than 1 per 100 persons; equipment is old and outdated, and
connections with many parts of the country are unreliable;
mobile-cellular usage, in part a reflection of the poor condition
and general inadequacy of the fixed-line network, increased more
than 6-fold between 2002 and 2007 reaching a subscribership base of
25 per 100 persons
domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter
international: country code - 237; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC
fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and
Asia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Canada
general assessment: excellent service provided by modern
technology
domestic: domestic satellite system with about 300 earth stations
international: country code - 1; submarine cables provide links to
the US and Europe; satellite earth stations - 7 (5 Intelsat - 4
Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean, and 2 Intersputnik - Atlantic
Ocean region) (2007)
Cape Verde
general assessment: effective system, extensive
modernization from 1996-2000 following partial privatization in 1995
domestic: major service provider is Cabo Verde Telecom (CVT);
fiber-optic ring, completed in 2001, links all islands providing
Internet access and ISDN services; cellular service introduced in
1998; broadband services launched in 2004
international: country code - 238; landing point for the Atlantis-2
fiber-optic transatlantic telephone cable that provides links to
South America, Senegal, and Europe; HF radiotelephone to Senegal and
Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
(2007)
Cayman Islands
general assessment: reasonably good system
domestic: liberalization of telecom market in 2003; introduction of
competition in the mobile-cellular market in 2004
international: country code - 1-345; landing point for the MAYA-1
submarine telephone cable network that provides links to the US and
parts of Central and South America; submarine cable provides
connectivity to Jamaica; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Central African Republic
general assessment: limited telephone
service; fixed-line connections for well less than 1 per 100 persons
coupled with mobile-cellular usage of only about 3 per 100 persons;
most fixed-line and cellular telephone services are concentrated in
Bangui
domestic: network consists principally of microwave radio relay and
low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication
international: country code - 236; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Chad
general assessment: primitive system with high costs and low
telephone density; fixed-line connections for only about 1 per 1000
persons coupled with mobile-cellular usage of only about 9 per 100
persons
domestic: fair system of radiotelephone communication stations
international: country code - 235; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Chile
general assessment: privatization begun in 1988; most advanced
telecommunications infrastructure in South America; modern system
based on extensive microwave radio relay facilities; fixed-line
connections have dropped in recent years as mobile-cellular usage
continues to increase, reaching a level of 85 telephones per 100
persons
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay links; domestic satellite
system with 3 earth stations
international: country code - 56; submarine cables provide links to
the US and to Central and South America; satellite earth stations -
2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
China
general assessment: domestic and international services are
increasingly available for private use; unevenly distributed
domestic system serves principal cities, industrial centers, and
many towns; nonetheless, by the end of 2006, more than 95% of
China's villages had been connected to the telephone network; China
continues to develop its telecommunications infrastructure, and is
partnering with foreign providers to expand its global reach; 3 of
China's 6 major telecommunications operators are part of an
international consortium which, in December 2006, signed an
agreement with Verizon Business to build the first next-generation
fiber optic submarine cable system directly linking the US mainland
and China
domestic: interprovincial fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular
telephone systems have been installed; mobile-cellular
subscribership is increasing rapidly; the number of Internet users
reached 253 million in 2008; a domestic satellite system with 55
earth stations is in place
international: country code - 86; a number of submarine cables
provide connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the US;
satellite earth stations - 7 (5 Intelsat - 4 Pacific Ocean and 1
Indian Ocean; 1 Intersputnik - Indian Ocean region; and 1 Inmarsat -
Pacific and Indian Ocean regions) (2007)
Christmas Island
general assessment: service provided by the
Australian network
domestic: GSM mobile telephone service replaced older analog system
in February 2005
international: country code - 61-8; satellite earth station - 1
(Intelsat provides telephone and telex service) (2005)
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
general assessment: connected within
Australia's telecommunication system; a local mobile-cellular
network is in operation
domestic: NA
international: country code - 61; telephone, telex, and facsimile
communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; satellite
earth station - 1 (Intelsat) (2001)
Colombia
general assessment: modern system in many respects;
telecommunications sector liberalized during the 1990s; multiple
providers of both fixed-line and mobile-cellular services;
fixed-line connections stand at about 18 per 100 persons; mobile
cellular usage is about 75 per 100 persons; competition among
cellular service providers is resulting in falling local and
international calling rates and contributing to the steep decline in
the market share of fixed line services
domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system; domestic
satellite system with 41 earth stations; fiber-optic network linking
50 cities
international: country code - 57; submarine cables provide links to
the US, parts of the Caribbean, and Central and South America;
satellite earth stations - 10 (6 Intelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 3 fully
digitalized international switching centers) (2007)
Comoros
general assessment: sparse system of microwave radio relay
and HF radiotelephone communication stations; fixed-line connections
only about 3 per 100 persons; mobile cellular usage about 5 per 100
persons
domestic: HF radiotelephone communications and microwave radio relay
international: country code - 269; HF radiotelephone communications
to Madagascar and Reunion
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
general assessment: inadequate;
state-owned fixed-line operator has been unable to expand fixed-line
connections and there are now fewer than 10,000 connections - less
than 1 per 1000 persons; given the backdrop of a wholly inadequate
fixed-line infrastructure, the use of cellular services has surged
and subscribership in 2007 reached 6.6 million - 10 per 100 persons
domestic: barely adequate wire and microwave radio relay service in
and between urban areas; domestic satellite system with 14 earth
stations
international: country code - 243; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Congo, Republic of the
general assessment: services barely adequate
for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire,
and Loubomo; intercity lines frequently out of order; fixed-line
infrastructure inadequate providing less than 1 connection per 100
persons; in the absence of an adequate fixed line infrastructure,
mobile-cellular subscribership has surged reaching 35 per 100 persons
domestic: primary network consists of microwave radio relay and
coaxial cable
international: country code - 242; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Cook Islands
general assessment: Telecom Cook Islands offers
international direct dialing, Internet, email, fax, and Telex
domestic: individual islands are connected by a combination of
satellite earth stations, microwave systems, and VHF and HF
radiotelephone; within the islands, service is provided by small
exchanges connected to subscribers by open-wire, cable, and
fiber-optic cable
international: country code - 682; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)