general assessment: good domestic telephone service in
terms of breadth of coverage; restricted cellular telephone service;
state-run monopoly provider is struggling with the demand for new
lines, resulting in long waiting times
domestic: point-to-point and point-to-multi-point microwave,
fiber-optic, and coaxial cable link rural areas; Internet service is
available
international: country code - 506; landing point for the Americas
Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic
telecommunications submarine cable and the MAYA-1 submarine cable
that provide links to South and Central America, parts of the
Caribbean, and the US; connected to Central American Microwave
System; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Cote d'Ivoire
general assessment: well developed by African
standards; telecommunications sector privatized in late 1990s and
operational fixed-lines have more than quadrupled since that time;
with multiple cellular service providers competing in the market,
cellular usage has increased sharply to roughly 40 per 100 persons
domestic: open-wire lines and microwave radio relay; 90% digitalized
international: country code - 225; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC
fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and
Asia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1
Indian Ocean) (2007)
Croatia
general assessment: the telecommunications network has
improved steadily since the mid-1990s; the number of fixed telephone
lines holding steady at about 40 per 100 persons; the number of
cellular telephone subscriptions exceeds the population
domestic: more than 90 percent of local lines are digital
international: country code - 385; digital international service is
provided through the main switch in Zagreb; Croatia participates in
the Trans-Asia-Europe (TEL) fiber-optic project, which consists of 2
fiber-optic trunk connections with Slovenia and a fiber-optic trunk
line from Rijeka to Split and Dubrovnik; the ADRIA-1 submarine cable
provides connectivity to Albania and Greece (2007)
Cuba
general assessment: greater investment beginning in 1994 and
the establishment of a new Ministry of Information Technology and
Communications in 2000 has resulted in improvements in the system;
wireless service is expensive and must be paid in convertible pesos
which effectively limits mobile cellular subscribership
domestic: national fiber-optic system under development; 95% of
switches digitized by end of 2006; fixed telephone line density
remains low, at less than 10 per 100 inhabitants; domestic cellular
service expanding but remains at only about 2 per 100 persons
international: country code - 53; fiber-optic cable laid to but not
linked to US network; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik
(Atlantic Ocean region) (2007)
Cyprus
general assessment: excellent in both area under government
control and area administered by Turkish Cypriots
domestic: open-wire, fiber-optic cable, and microwave radio relay
international: country code - 357 (area administered by Turkish
Cypriots uses the country code of Turkey - 90); a number of
submarine cables, including the SEA-ME-WE-3, combine to provide
connectivity to Western Europe, the Middle East, and Asia;
tropospheric scatter; satellite earth stations - 8 (3 Intelsat - 1
Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, 2 Eutelsat, 2 Intersputnik, and 1
Arabsat)
Czech Republic
general assessment: privatization and modernization
of the Czech telecommunication system got a late start but is
advancing steadily; access to the fixed-line telephone network
expanded throughout the 1990s but the number of fixed line
connections has been dropping since then; mobile telephone usage
increased sharply beginning in the mid-1990s and the number of
cellular telephone subscriptions now greatly exceeds the population
domestic: virtually all exchanges now digital; existing copper
subscriber systems enhanced with Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
(ADSL) equipment to accommodate Internet and other digital signals;
trunk systems include fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay
international: country code - 420; satellite earth stations - 6 (2
Intersputnik - Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions, 1 Intelsat, 1
Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 1 Globalstar) (2007)
Denmark
general assessment: excellent telephone and telegraph
services
domestic: buried and submarine cables and microwave radio relay form
trunk network, 4 cellular mobile communications systems
international: country code - 45; a series of fiber-optic submarine
cables link Denmark with Canada, Faroe Islands, Germany, Iceland,
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and UK; satellite earth
stations - 18 (6 Intelsat, 10 Eutelsat, 1 Orion, 1 Inmarsat
(Blaavand-Atlantic-East)); note - the Nordic countries (Denmark,
Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) share the Danish earth station
and the Eik, Norway, station for worldwide Inmarsat access
Djibouti
general assessment: telephone facilities in the city of
Djibouti are adequate, as are the microwave radio relay connections
to outlying areas of the country
domestic: microwave radio relay network; mobile cellular coverage is
primarily limited to the area in and around Djibouti city
international: country code - 253; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3
optical telecommunications submarine cable with links to Asia, the
Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat -
Indian Ocean and 1 Arabsat); Medarabtel regional microwave radio
relay telephone network (2007)
Dominica
general assessment: NA
domestic: fully automatic network
international: country code - 1-767; landing point for the East
Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13
other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British
Virgin Islands to Trinidad; microwave radio relay and SHF
radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF
radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia
Dominican Republic
general assessment: relatively efficient system
based on island-wide microwave radio relay network
domestic: fixed telephone line density is about 10 per 100 persons;
multiple providers of mobile cellular service with a subscribership
of roughly 60 per 100 persons
international: country code - 1-809; 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 US; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Ecuador
general assessment: generally elementary but being expanded
domestic: fixed-line services provided by three state-owned
enterprises; plans to transfer the state-owned operators to private
ownership have repeatedly failed; fixed-line density stands at about
13 per 100 persons; mobile cellular use has surged and has a
subscribership of nearly 75 per 100 persons
international: country code - 593; landing point for the PAN-AM
submarine telecommunications cable that provides links to the west
coast of South America, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, and extending
onward to Aruba and the US Virgin Islands in the Caribbean;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Egypt
general assessment: large system; underwent extensive
upgrading during 1990s and is reasonably modern; Telecom Egypt, the
landline monopoly, has been increasing service availability and in
2007 fixed-line density stood at 14 per 100 persons; as of 2007
there were three mobile-cellular networks and service is expanding
rapidly
domestic: principal centers at Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah,
Ismailia, Suez, and Tanta are connected by coaxial cable and
microwave radio relay
international: country code - 20; landing point for both the
SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable networks; linked to the
international submarine cable FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link Around the
Globe); satellite earth stations - 4 (2 Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean
and Indian Ocean, 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat); tropospheric scatter
to Sudan; microwave radio relay to Israel; a participant in
Medarabtel (2007)
El Salvador
general assessment: multiple mobile-cellular service
providers are expanding services rapidly and in 2007 mobile-cellular
density stood at nearly 90 per 100 persons; growth in fixed-line
services has slowed in the face of mobile-cellular competition
domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system
international: country code - 503; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave
System (2007)
Equatorial Guinea
general assessment: digital fixed-line network in
most major urban areas and good mobile coverage
domestic: fixed-line density is about 2 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular subscribership has been increasing and in 2007 stood
at about 40 percent of the population
international: country code - 240; international communications from
Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2007)
Eritrea
general assessment: inadequate; combined fixed-line and
mobile cellular subscribership is only about 2 per 100 persons
domestic: inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government is
seeking international tenders to improve the system (2002)
international: country code - 291; note - international connections
exist
Estonia
general assessment: foreign investment in the form of joint
business ventures greatly improved telephone service; substantial
fiber-optic cable systems carry telephone, TV, and radio traffic in
the digital mode; Internet services are widely available; schools
and libraries are connected to the Internet, a large percentage of
the population files income-tax returns online, and online voting
was used for the first time in the 2005 local elections
domestic: a wide range of high quality voice, data, and Internet
services is available throughout the country
international: country code - 372; fiber-optic cables to Finland,
Sweden, Latvia, and Russia provide worldwide packet-switched
service; 2 international switches are located in Tallinn (2001)
Ethiopia
general assessment: inadequate telephone system; the number
of fixed lines and mobile telephones is increasing from a very small
base; combined fixed and mobile-cellular teledensity is only about 2
per 100 persons
domestic: open-wire; microwave radio relay; radio communication in
the HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies; 2 domestic satellites provide the
national trunk service
international: country code - 251; open-wire to Sudan and Djibouti;
microwave radio relay to Kenya and Djibouti; satellite earth
stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Pacific Ocean)
European Union
note - see individual country entries of member states
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
general assessment: NA
domestic: government-operated radiotelephone and private VHF/CB
radiotelephone networks provide effective service to almost all
points on both islands
international: country code - 500; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) with links through London to other
countries
Faroe Islands
general assessment: good international communications;
good domestic facilities
domestic: digitalization was completed in 1998; both NMT (analog)
and GSM (digital) mobile telephone systems are installed
international: country code - 298; satellite earth stations - 1
Orion; 1 fiber-optic submarine cable to the Shetland Islands,
linking the Faroe Islands with Denmark and Iceland; fiber-optic
submarine cable connection to Canada-Europe cable
Fiji
general assessment: modern local, interisland, and
international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose
telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio
communications center
domestic: telephone or radio telephone links to almost all inhabited
islands; most towns and large villages have automatic telephone
exchanges and direct dialing; combined fixed and mobile-cellular
density is about 60 per 100 persons
international: country code - 679; access to important cable links
between US and Canada as well as between NZ and Australia; satellite
earth stations - 2 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean) (2007)
Finland
general assessment: modern system with excellent service
domestic: digital fiber-optic fixed-line network and an extensive
cellular network provide domestic needs
international: country code - 358; submarine cables provide links to
Estonia and Sweden; satellite earth stations - access to Intelsat
transmission service via a Swedish satellite earth station, 1
Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Finland shares
the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark,
Iceland, Norway, and Sweden)
France
general assessment: highly developed
domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay; extensive
introduction of fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system
international: country code - 33; numerous submarine cables provide
links throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and US;
satellite earth stations - more than 3 (2 Intelsat (with total of 5
antennas - 2 for Indian Ocean and 3 for Atlantic Ocean), NA
Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat - Atlantic Ocean region); HF radiotelephone
communications with more than 20 countries
overseas departments: country codes: French Guiana - 594; Guadeloupe
- 590; Martinique - 596; Reunion - 262
French Polynesia
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 689; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Gabon
general assessment: adequate service by African standards and
improving with the help of a growing mobile cell network system with
multiple providers; mobile-cellular subscribership reached 80 per
100 persons in 2007
domestic: adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay,
tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a
domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations
international: country code - 241; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC
fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and
Asia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Gambia, The
general assessment: adequate; a packet switched data
network is available; two mobile-cellular service providers
domestic: adequate network of microwave radio relay and open-wire;
combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity reached 50
telephones per 100 persons in 2007
international: country code - 220; microwave radio relay links to
Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Gaza Strip
general assessment: NA
domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL
are responsible for fixed line services; the Palestinian JAWAL
company provides cellular services
international: country code - 970 (2004)
Georgia
general assessment: fixed-line telecommunications network
has only limited coverage outside Tbilisi; multiple mobile-cellular
providers provide services to an increasing subscribership
throughout the country
domestic: cellular telephone networks now cover the entire country;
urban telephone density is about 20 per 100 people; rural telephone
density is about 4 per 100 people; intercity facilities include a
fiber-optic line between T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi; nationwide pager
service is available
international: country code - 995; the Georgia-Russia fiber optic
submarine cable provides connectivity to Russia; international
service is available by microwave, landline, and satellite through
the Moscow switch; international electronic mail and telex service
are available
Germany
general assessment: Germany has one of the world's most
technologically advanced telecommunications systems; as a result of
intensive capital expenditures since reunification, the formerly
backward system of the eastern part of the country, dating back to
World War II, has been modernized and integrated with that of the
western part
domestic: Germany is served by an extensive system of automatic
telephone exchanges connected by modern networks of fiber-optic
cable, coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, and a domestic
satellite system; cellular telephone service is widely available,
expanding rapidly, and includes roaming service to many foreign
countries
international: country code - 49; Germany's international service is
excellent worldwide, consisting of extensive land and undersea cable
facilities as well as earth stations in the Inmarsat, Intelsat,
Eutelsat, and Intersputnik satellite systems (2001)
Ghana
general assessment: outdated and unreliable fixed-line
infrastructure heavily concentrated in Accra; competition among
multiple mobile-cellular providers has spurred growth with
subscribership about 35 per 100 persons and rising
domestic: primarily microwave radio relay; wireless local loop has
been installed
international: country code - 233; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC
fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and
Asia; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean);
microwave radio relay link to Panaftel system connects Ghana to its
neighbors (2007)
Gibraltar
general assessment: adequate, automatic domestic system
and adequate international facilities
domestic: automatic exchange facilities
international: country code - 350; radiotelephone; microwave radio
relay; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Greece
general assessment: adequate, modern networks reach all
areas; good mobile telephone and international service
domestic: microwave radio relay trunk system; extensive open-wire
connections; submarine cable to offshore islands
international: country code - 30; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3
optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to
Europe, Middle East, and Asia; a number of smaller submarine cables
provide connectivity to various parts of Europe, the Middle East,
and Cyprus; tropospheric scatter; satellite earth stations - 4 (2
Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean, 1 Eutelsat, and 1
Inmarsat - Indian Ocean region)
Greenland
general assessment: adequate domestic and international
service provided by satellite, cables and microwave radio relay;
totally digitalized in 1995
domestic: microwave radio relay and satellite
international: country code - 299; satellite earth stations - 15 (12
Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 2 Americom GE-2 (all Atlantic Ocean)) (2000)
Grenada
general assessment: automatic, islandwide telephone system
domestic: interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links
international: country code - 1-473; landing point for the East
Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13
other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British
Virgin Islands to Trinidad; SHF radiotelephone links to Trinidad and
Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to Trinidad
Guam
general assessment: modern system, integrated with US
facilities for direct dialing, including free use of 800 numbers
domestic: modern digital system, including cellular mobile service
and local access to the Internet
international: country code - 1-671; major landing point for
submarine cables between Asia and the US (Guam is a trans-Pacific
communications hub for major carriers linking the US and Asia);
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Guatemala
general assessment: fairly modern network centered in the
city of Guatemala
domestic: state-owned telecommunications company privatized in the
late 1990s opening the way for competition; fixed-line teledensity
11 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity 80 per 100 persons
international: country code - 502; landing point for both the
Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the SAM-1 fiber
optic submarine cable system that together provide connectivity to
South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US;
connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Guernsey
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: 1 submarine cable
Guinea
general assessment: inadequate system of open-wire lines,
small radiotelephone communication stations, and new microwave radio
relay system
domestic: Conakry reasonably well served; coverage elsewhere remains
inadequate and large companies tend to rely on their own systems for
nationwide links; combined fixed and mobile-cellular teledensity is
about 2 per 100 persons
international: country code - 224; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Guinea-Bissau
general assessment: small system
domestic: combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines,
radiotelephone, and cellular communications; fixed-line teledensity
less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity reached 20
per 100 in 2007
international: country code - 245
Guyana
general assessment: fair system for long-distance service
domestic: microwave radio relay network for trunk lines; fixed-line
teledensity is about 15 per 100 persons; many areas still lack
fixed-line telephone services; mobile-cellular teledensity reached
37 per 100 persons in 2005
international: country code - 592; tropospheric scatter to Trinidad;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Haiti
general assessment: domestic facilities barely adequate;
international facilities slightly better; telephone density in Haiti
remains the lowest in the Latin American and Caribbean region
domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay trunk service;
combined fixed and mobile-cellular teledensity is about 25 per 100
persons
international: country code - 509; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Holy See (Vatican City)
general assessment: automatic digital
exchange
domestic: connected via fiber optic cable to Telecom Italia network
international: country code - 39; uses Italian system
Honduras
general assessment: inadequate system
domestic: beginning in 2003, private sub-operators allowed to
provide fixed-lines in order to expand telephone coverage;
fixed-line teledensity has increased to about 10 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular telephone service has been increasing rapidly and
subscribership in 2006 exceeded 30 per 100 persons
international: country code - 504; landing point for both the
Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the MAYA-1 fiber
optic submarine cable system that together provide connectivity to
South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to
Central American Microwave System
Hong Kong
general assessment: modern facilities provide excellent
domestic and international services
domestic: microwave radio relay links and extensive fiber-optic
network
international: country code - 852; multiple international submarine
cables provide connections to Asia, US, Australia, the Middle East,
and Western Europe; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific
Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China