general assessment: adequate
domestic: NA
international: country code - 508; radiotelephone communication with
most countries in the world; satellite earth station - 1 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; mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 100 telephones per
100 persons
international: country code - 1-784; the East Caribbean Fiber Optic
System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean fiber optic system (SCF)
submarine cables carry international calls; connectivity also
provided by VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to Barbados;
SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and Saint Lucia; access to Intelsat
earth station in Martinique through Saint Lucia
Samoa
general assessment: adequate
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity
roughly 50 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 685; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
San Marino
general assessment: adequate connections
domestic: automatic telephone system completely integrated into
Italian system; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity
exceeds 130 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 378; connected to Italian
international network
Sao Tome and Principe
general assessment: local telephone network of
adequate quality with most lines connected to digital switches
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity
approaching 20 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 239; 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; mobile-cellular subscribership has been
increasing rapidly
international: country code - 966; landing point for the
international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe
(FLAG) and for both the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable
networks providing connectivity to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and
US; microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE,
Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; 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 with a fiber-optic network;
nearly two-thirds of all fixed-line connections are in Dakar where a
call-center industry is emerging; expansion of fixed-line services
in rural areas needed; mobile-cellular service is expanding rapidly;
microwave radio relay, coaxial cable and fiber-optic cable in trunk
system
international: country code - 221; the SAT-3/WASC fiber optic cable
provides connectivity to Europe and Asia while Atlantis-2 provides
connectivity to South America; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Serbia
general assessment: modernization of the telecommunications
network has been slow as a result of damage stemming from the 1999
war and transition to a competitive market-based system; network was
only 65% digitalized in 2005
domestic: teledensity remains below the average for neighboring
states; GSM wireless service, available through multiple providers
with national coverage, is growing very rapidly; best
telecommunications service limited to urban centers
international: country code - 381
Seychelles
general assessment: effective system
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is
nearly 125 telephones per 100 persons; radiotelephone communications
between islands in the archipelago
international: country code - 248; direct radiotelephone
communications with adjacent island countries and African coastal
countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Sierra Leone
general assessment: marginal telephone service
domestic: the national microwave radio relay trunk system connects
Freetown to Bo and Kenema; mobile-cellular service is growing
rapidly from a small base
international: country code - 232; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Singapore
general assessment: excellent service
domestic: excellent domestic facilities; launched 3G wireless
service in February 2005; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular
teledensity is about 165 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 65; numerous submarine cables provide
links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US;
satellite earth stations -4; supplemented by VSAT coverage (2007)
Slovakia
general assessment: Slovakia has a modern
telecommunications system that has expanded dramatically in recent
years with the growth in cellular services
domestic: analog system is now receiving digital equipment and is
being enlarged with fiber-optic cable, especially in the larger
cities; 3 companies provide nationwide cellular services
international: country code - 421; 3 international exchanges (1 in
Bratislava and 2 in Banska Bystrica) are available; Slovakia is
participating in several international telecommunications projects
that will increase the availability of external services
Slovenia
general assessment: well-developed telecommunications
infrastructure
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity
roughly 140 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 386
Solomon Islands
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Somalia
general assessment: the public telecommunications system was
almost completely destroyed or dismantled during the civil war;
private wireless companies offer service in most major cities and
charge the lowest international rates on the continent
domestic: local cellular telephone systems have been established in
Mogadishu and in several other population centers
international: country code - 252; international connections are
available from Mogadishu by satellite (2001)
South Africa
general assessment: the system is the best developed
and most modern in Africa
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is
nearly 110 telephones per 100 persons; 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: country code - 27; the SAT-3/WASC and SAFE fiber
optic cable systems connect South Africa to Europe and Asia;
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: well developed, modern facilities;
fixed-line teledensity is about 45 per 100 persons
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is
nearly 170 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 34; submarine cables provide
connectivity to Europe, Middle East, Asia, and US; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA
Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries
Sri Lanka
general assessment: telephone services have improved
significantly and are available in most parts of the country
domestic: national trunk network consists mostly of digital
microwave radio relay; fiber-optic links now in use in Colombo area
and fixed wireless local loops have been installed; competition is
strong in mobile cellular systems and mobile cellular subscribership
is increasing; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity
is about 50 per 100 persons
international: country code - 94; the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4
submarine cables provide connectivity to Asia, Australia, Middle
East, Europe, US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian
Ocean)
Sudan
general assessment: 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: country code - 249; linked to international submarine
cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth
stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Arabsat (2000)
Suriname
general assessment: international facilities are good
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity about
90 telephones per 100 persons; microwave radio relay network
international: country code - 597; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Svalbard
general assessment: probably adequate
domestic: local telephone service
international: country code - 47-790; satellite earth station - 1 of
unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only)
Swaziland
general assessment: a somewhat modern but not an advanced
system
domestic: mobile-cellular subscribership is increasing; combined
fixed-line and mobile cellular teledensity approaching 40 telephones
per 100 persons; telephone system consists of carrier-equipped,
open-wire lines and low-capacity, microwave radio relay
international: country code - 268; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Sweden
general assessment: highly developed telecommunications
infrastructure; ranked among leading countries for fixed-line,
mobile-cellular, Internet and broadband penetration
domestic: coaxial and multiconductor cables carry most of the voice
traffic; parallel microwave radio relay systems carry some
additional telephone channels
international: country code - 46; submarine cables provide links to
other Nordic countries and Europe; 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: highly developed telecommunications
infrastructure with excellent domestic and international services
domestic: ranked among leading countries for fixed-line teledensity
and infrastructure; mobile-cellular subscribership roughly 100 per
100 persons; extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks
international: country code - 41; 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: the number of fixed-line connections has increased
markedly since 2000; mobile-cellular service growing rapidly and
teledensity about 35 wireless telephones per 100 persons; coaxial
cable and microwave radio relay network
international: country code - 963; submarine cable connection to
Cyprus; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1
Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); coaxial cable and microwave
radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey; participant in
Medarabtel
Taiwan
general assessment: provides telecommunications service for
every business and private need
domestic: thoroughly modern; completely digitalized
international: country code - 886; numerous submarine cables provide
links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and the
US; satellite earth stations - 2
Tajikistan
general assessment: poorly developed and not well
maintained; many towns are not linked to the national network
domestic: the domestic telecommunications network has historically
been under funded and poorly maintained; main line availability has
not changed significantly since 1998; cellular telephone use is
growing but geographic coverage remains limited
international: country code - 992; 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 - 3 (2 Intelsat and 1 Orbita) (2006)
Tanzania
general assessment: telecommunications services are
inadequate; system operating below capacity and being modernized for
better service; small aperture terminal (VSAT) system under
construction
domestic: fixed-line telephone network inadequate with less than 1
connection per 100 persons; mobile-cellular service, aided by
multiple providers, is increasing; trunk service provided by
open-wire, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and
fiber-optic cable; some links being made digital
international: country code - 255; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Atlantic Ocean)
Thailand
general assessment: high quality system, especially in
urban areas like Bangkok
domestic: fixed line system provided by both a government owned and
commercial provider; wireless service expanding rapidly and
outpacing fixed lines
international: country code - 66; connected to major submarine cable
systems providing links throughout Asia, Australia, Middle East,
Europe, and US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian
Ocean, 1 Pacific Ocean)
Timor-Leste
general assessment: rudimentary service limited to urban
areas
domestic: system suffered significant damage during the violence
associated with independence; extremely limited fixed-line services;
mobile-cellular services and coverage limited primarily to urban
areas
international: country code - 670; international service is
available in major urban centers
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; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly
15 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Symphonie
Tokelau
general assessment: modern satellite-based communications
system
domestic: radiotelephone service between islands
international: country code - 690; radiotelephone service to Samoa;
government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok); satellite earth
stations - 3
Tonga
general assessment: competition between Tonga
Telecommunications Corporation (TCC) and Shoreline Communications
Tonga (SCT) is accelerating expansion of telecommunications; SCT
recently granted authority to develop high-speed digital service for
telephone, Internet, and television
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity
roughly 40 telephones per 100 persons; fully automatic switched
network
international: country code - 676; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2004)
Trinidad and Tobago
general assessment: excellent international
service; good local service
domestic: mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 125 telephones per 100
persons
international: country code - 1-868; submarine cable systems provide
connectivity to US and parts of the Caribbean and South America;
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: in an effort jumpstart expansion of the fixed-line
network, the government has awarded a concession to build and
operate a VSAT network with international connectivity; competition
between the two mobile-cellular service providers has resulted in
lower activation and usage charges and a strong surge in
subscribership; expansion of mobile-cellular services to include
multimedia messaging and e-mail and Internet to mobile phone
services also leading to a surge in subscribership; overall
fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is about 90 telephones
per 100 persons
international: country code - 216; a landing point for the
SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable system that provides links to Europe,
Middle East, and Asia; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave radio
relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in Medarabtel; 2
international gateway digital switches
Turkey
general assessment: undergoing rapid modernization and
expansion especially with 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: country code - 90; international service is provided
by the SEA-ME-WE-3 submarine cable and by submarine fiber-optic
cables in the Mediterranean and Black Seas that link Turkey with
Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania, and Russia; satellite
earth stations - 12 Intelsat; mobile satellite terminals - 328 in
the Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems (2002)
Turkmenistan
general assessment: poorly developed
domestic: Turkmentelekom, in cooperation with foreign investors, is
planning to upgrade the country's telephone exchanges and install a
new digital switching system; mobile-cellular usage remains limited
international: country code - 993; 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
(2006)
Turks and Caicos Islands
general assessment: fully digital system
with international direct dialing
domestic: full range of services available; GSM wireless service
available
international: country code - 1-649; the Americas Region Caribbean
Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic telecommunications submarine cable
provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the
Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean)
Tuvalu
general assessment: serves particular needs for internal
communications
domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands
international: country code - 688; international calls can be made
by satellite
Uganda
general assessment: seriously inadequate; mobile cellular
service is increasing rapidly, but the number of main lines is still
deficient; 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: country code - 256; satellite earth stations - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat; analog links to Kenya and
Tanzania
Ukraine
general assessment: Ukraine's telecommunication development
plan 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 rising and the domestic trunk system
is being improved; about one-third of Ukraine's networks are digital
and a majority of regional centers now have digital switching
stations; improvements in local networks and local exchanges
continue to lag; the mobile-cellular telephone system is expanding
rapidly
international: country code - 380; 2 new domestic trunk lines are a
part of the fiber-optic Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) system and 3
Ukrainian links have been installed in the fiber-optic
Trans-European Lines (TEL) project that connects 18 countries;
additional international service is provided by the
Italy-Turkey-Ukraine-Russia (ITUR) fiber-optic submarine cable and
by an unknown number of earth stations in the Intelsat, Inmarsat,
and Intersputnik satellite systems
United Arab Emirates
general assessment: modern fiber-optic
integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of
mobile-cellular telephones; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai
domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber optic and coaxial cable
international: country code - 971; linked to the international
submarine cable FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe); landing
point for both the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable
networks; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean
and 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; 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: country code - 44; numerous submarine cables provide
links throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and US;
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 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: country code - 1; multiple ocean cable systems
provide international connectivity; 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: fully digitalized
domestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new
nationwide microwave radio relay network; overall fixed-line and
mobile-cellular teledensity is 115 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 598; the UNISOR submarine cable system
provides direct connectivity to Brazil and Argentina; satellite
earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2002)
Uzbekistan
general assessment: antiquated and inadequate; in serious
need of modernization
domestic: the main line telecommunications system is dilapidated and
telephone density is low; the state-owned telecommunications
company, Uzbektelecom, is working on improving main line services;
mobile services are growing swiftly, with the subscriber base more
than doubling in 2007 to 5.8 million
international: country code - 998; 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 (2007)