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, and open-wire and fiber-optic cable; a cellular
telephone system operates throughout Kuwait, and the country is well
supplied with pay telephones
international: country code - 965; linked to international submarine
cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); linked to Bahrain,
Qatar, UAE via the Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG) cable; coaxial cable and
microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 6
(3 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, 1 Inmarsat -
Atlantic Ocean, and 2 Arabsat)
Kyrgyzstan
general assessment: telecommunications infrastructure is
being upgraded; loans from the European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (EBRD) are being used to install a digital network,
digital radio-relay stations, and fiber-optic links
domestic: fixed line penetration remains low and concentrated in
urban areas; multiple mobile cellular service providers with growing
coverage; mobile cellular subscribership exceeded 60 per 100 persons
in 2008
international: country code - 996; 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 - 2 (1
Intersputnik, 1 Intelsat); connected internationally by the
Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line (2008)
Laos
general assessment: service to general public is poor but
improving; the government relies on a radiotelephone network to
communicate with remote areas
domestic: multiple service providers; mobile cellular usage growing
rapidly; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership
approaching 30 per 100 persons
international: country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1
Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) (2008)
Latvia
general assessment: recent efforts focused on bringing
competition to the telecommunications sector; the number of fixed
lines is decreasing as wireless telephone service expands
domestic: number of telecommunications operators has grown rapidly
since the fixed-line market opened to competition in 2003; combined
fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership exceeds 125 per 100
persons
international: country code - 371; the Latvian network is now
connected via fiber optic cable to Estonia, Finland, and Sweden
(2008)
Lebanon
general assessment: repair of the telecommunications system,
severely damaged during the civil war, now complete
domestic: two wireless networks provide good service; combined
fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership exceeds 50 per 100
persons
international: country code - 961; submarine cable links to Cyprus,
Egypt, and Syria; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian
Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean); coaxial cable to Syria (2008)
Lesotho
general assessment: rudimentary system consisting of a
modest but growing number of landlines, a small microwave radio
relay system, and a small radiotelephone communication system;
mobile-cellular telephone system is expanding
domestic: privatized in 2001, Telecom Lesotho tasked with providing
an additional 50,000 fixed-line connections within five years, a
target not met; mobile-cellular service is expanding with a
subscribership exceeding 25 per 100 persons; rural services are scant
international: country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2008)
Liberia
general assessment: the limited services available are found
almost exclusively in the capital Monrovia; coverage extended to a
number of other towns and rural areas by four mobile-cellular
network operators
domestic: fixed line service stagnant and extremely limited;
mobile-cellular subscription base growing and teledensity exceeding
20 per 100 persons
international: country code - 231; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2008)
Libya
general assessment: telecommunications system is state-owned
and service is poor, but investment is being made to upgrade; state
retains monopoly in fixed-line services; mobile cellular telephone
system became operational in 1996; multiple providers for a mobile
telephone system that is growing rapidly; combined fixed line and
mobile telephone density is approaching 100 telephones per 100
persons
domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, cellular,
tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth
stations
international: country code - 218; 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 (2008)
Liechtenstein
general assessment: automatic telephone system
domestic: fixed line and mobile-cellular services widely available;
combined telephone service subscribership exceeds 150 per 100 persons
international: country code - 423; linked to Swiss networks by cable
and microwave radio relay (2008)
Lithuania
general assessment: adequate; being modernized to provide
improved international capability and better residential access
domestic: rapid expansion of mobile-cellular services has resulted
in a steady decline in the number of main line subscriptions;
mobile-cellular teledensity has increased to about 140 per 100
persons while fixed-line teledensity has dropped to 22 per 100
persons
international: country code - 370; major international connections
to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway by submarine cable for further
transmission by satellite; landline connections to Latvia and Poland
(2008)
Luxembourg
general assessment: highly developed, completely
automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables
domestic: fixed line teledensity over 50 per 100 persons; nationwide
cellular telephone system with market for mobile-cellular phones
virtually saturated
international: country code - 352 (2008)
Macau
general assessment: fairly modern communication facilities
maintained for domestic and international services
domestic: termination of monopoly over mobile-cellular telephone
services in 2001 spurred sharp increase in subscriptions with
mobile-cellular teledensity approaching 180 per 100 persons in 2008;
fixed-line subscribership appears to have peaked and is now in
decline
international: country code - 853; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3
submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, the Middle
East, and Europe; HF radiotelephone communication facility;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2009)
Macedonia
general assessment: competition from the mobile-cellular
segment of the telecommunications market has led to a drop in
fixed-line telephone subscriptions
domestic: combined fixed line and mobile telephone subscribership
approaching 150 per 100 persons
international: country code - 389 (2008)
Madagascar
general assessment: system is above average for the
region; Antananarivo's main telephone exchange modernized in the
late 1990s, but the rest of the analogue-based telephone system is
poorly developed; have added new fixed lines since 2005
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile telephone density about 25
per 100 persons
international: country code - 261; submarine cable to Bahrain;
satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat - Indian Ocean, 1
Intersputnik - Atlantic Ocean region) (2008)
Malawi
general assessment: rudimentary
domestic: fixed-line subscribership about 2 per 100 persons;
privatization of Malawi Telecommunications (MTL), a necessary step
in bringing improvement to telecommunications services, completed in
2006; mobile-cellular services are expanding but cellular network
coverage is limited and is based around the main urban areas; mobile
cellular subscribership approaching 15 per 100 persons
international: country code - 265; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Atlantic Ocean) (2008)
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; combined fixed-line and
mobile cellular teledensity 125 per 100 persons
international: country code - 60; landing point for several major
international submarine cable networks that provide connectivity to
Asia, Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat
(1 Indian Ocean, 1 Pacific Ocean) (2008)
Maldives
general assessment: telephone services have improved; each
island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobile
cellular networks with a rapidly expanding subscribership that
exceeds 100 per 100 persons
domestic: interatoll communication through microwave links; all
inhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax
service
international: country code - 960; linked to international submarine
cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth
station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2009)
Mali
general assessment: domestic system unreliable but improving;
provides only minimal service
domestic: fixed-line subscribership remains less than 1 per 100
persons; increasing use of local radio loops to extend network
coverage to remote areas; mobile-cellular subscribership has
increased sharply to about 25 per 100 persons
international: country code - 223; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Indian Ocean) (2008)
Malta
general assessment: automatic system is adequate; combined
fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership exceeds 150 per 100
persons
domestic: submarine cable and microwave radio relay between islands
international: country code - 356; submarine cable connects to
Italy; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2008)
Marshall Islands
general assessment: digital switching equipment;
modern services include telex, cellular, Internet, international
calling, caller ID, and leased data circuits
domestic: Majuro Atoll and Ebeye and Kwajalein islands have regular,
seven-digit, direct-dial telephones; other islands interconnected by
high frequency radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes)
and mini-satellite telephones
international: country code - 692; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); US Government satellite communications
system on Kwajalein (2005)
Mauritania
general assessment: limited system of cable and open-wire
lines, minor microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone
communications stations; mobile-cellular services expanding rapidly
domestic: Mauritel, the national telecommunications company, was
privatized in 2001 but remains the monopoly provider of fixed-line
services; fixed-line teledensity 2 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular
network coverage extends mainly to urban areas with a teledensity of
60 per 100 persons; mostly cable and open-wire lines; a domestic
satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with regional
capitals
international: country code - 222; satellite earth stations - 3 (1
Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean, 2 Arabsat) (2008)
Mauritius
general assessment: small system with good service
domestic: monopoly over fixed-line services terminated in 2005;
fixed-line teledensity roughly 30 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular
services launched in 1989 with teledensity in 2008 reaching 80 per
100 persons
international: country code - 230; landing point for the SAFE
submarine cable that provides links to Asia and South Africa where
it connects to the SAT-3/WASC submarine cable that provides further
links to parts of East Africa, and Europe; satellite earth station -
1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF
radiotelephone links to several countries (2008)
Mayotte
general assessment: small system administered by French
Department of Posts and Telecommunications
domestic: NA
international: country code - 262; microwave radio relay and HF
radiotelephone communications to Comoros
Mexico
general assessment: adequate telephone service for business
and government, but the population is poorly served; mobile
subscribers far outnumber fixed-line subscribers; domestic satellite
system with 120 earth stations; extensive microwave radio relay
network; considerable use of fiber-optic cable and coaxial cable
domestic: low telephone density with about 19 fixed lines per 100
persons; privatized in December 1990; despite the opening to
competition in January 1997, Telmex remains dominant; legal
challenges to Telmex's alleged anti-competitive behavior in the
mobile and fixed-line markets culminated in a World Trade
Organization ruling in 2004 against Mexico prompting some
strengthening of the powers granted Mexico's telecom regulator;
mobile cellular teledensity approaching 70 per 100 persons
international: country code - 52; Columbus-2 fiber-optic submarine
cable with access to the US, Virgin Islands, Canary Islands, Spain,
and Italy; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and
the MAYA-1 submarine cable system together provide access to Central
America, parts of South America and the Caribbean, and the US;
satellite earth stations - 120 (32 Intelsat, 2 Solidaridad (giving
Mexico improved access to South America, Central America, and much
of the US as well as enhancing domestic communications), 1 Panamsat,
numerous Inmarsat mobile earth stations); linked to Central American
Microwave System of trunk connections (2008)
Micronesia, Federated States of
general assessment: adequate system
domestic: islands interconnected by shortwave radiotelephone (used
mostly for government purposes), satellite (Intelsat) ground
stations, and some coaxial and fiber-optic cable; cellular service
available on Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap
international: country code - 691; satellite earth stations - 5
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2002)
Moldova
general assessment: inadequate, outmoded, poor service
outside Chisinau; some modernization is under way
domestic: depending on location, new subscribers may face long wait
for service; multiple private operators of GSM mobile-cellular
telephone service are operating; GPRS system is being introduced; a
CDMA mobile telephone network began operations in 2007; combined
fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity 85 per 100 persons
international: country code - 373; service through Romania and
Russia via landline; satellite earth stations - at least 3
(Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik) (2008)
Monaco
general assessment: modern automatic telephone system; the
country's sole fixed line operator offers a full range of services
to residential and business customers
domestic: combined fixed line and mobile telephone density exceeds
100%
international: country code - 377; no satellite earth stations;
connected by cable into the French communications system
Mongolia
general assessment: network is improving with international
direct dialing available in many areas
domestic: very low fixed-line density; there are multiple mobile
cellular service providers and subscribership is increasing rapidly;
a fiber-optic network has been installed that is improving broadband
and communication services between major urban centers with multiple
companies providing inter-city fiber-optic cable services
international: country code - 976; satellite earth stations - 7
Montenegro
general assessment: modern telecommunications system with
access to European satellites
domestic: GSM wireless service, available through 3 providers with
national coverage, is growing
international: country code - 382; 2 international switches connect
the national system
Montserrat
general assessment: modern and fully digitalized
domestic: fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone systems available
international: country code - 1-664; landing point for the East
Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) optic submarine cable with links to 13
other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British
Virgin Islands to Trinidad
Morocco
general assessment: modern system with all important
capabilities; however, density is low with only 9 fixed lines
available for each 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership
reached 65 per 100 persons in 2008
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: country code - 212; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3
optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides
connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; 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 (2008)
Mozambique
general assessment: fair system with an extremely low
density of less than 1 fixed line per 100 persons
domestic: the telecommunications sector is shackled with a heavy
state presence, lack of competition, and high operating costs and
charges; stagnation in the fixed-line network contrasts with rapid
growth in the mobile-cellular network; mobile-cellular coverage now
includes all the main cities and key roads, including those from
Maputo to the South African and Swaziland borders, the national
highway through Gaza and Inhambane provinces, the Beira corridor,
and from Nampula to Nacala
international: country code - 258; satellite earth stations - 5
Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean)
Namibia
general assessment: good system with a combined fixed-line
and mobile-cellular teledensity of about 55 per 100 persons
domestic: core fiber-optic network links most centers and
connections are now digital; Namibia's first mobile-cellular
network, launched in 1994, provides coverage to 86 percent of
Namibia by area
international: country code - 264; fiber-optic cable to South
Africa, microwave radio relay link to Botswana, direct links to
other neighboring countries; connected to the South African Far East
(SAFE) submarine cable through South Africa; satellite earth
stations - 4 Intelsat (2008)
Nauru
general assessment: adequate local and international
radiotelephone communication provided via Australian facilities
domestic: NA
international: country code - 674; 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: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone service
subscribership base only about 15 per 100 persons
international: country code - 977; radiotelephone communications;
microwave landline to India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Indian Ocean) (2008)
Netherlands
general assessment: highly developed and well maintained
domestic: extensive fixed-line fiber-optic network; large cellular
telephone system with 5 major operators utilizing the third
generation of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)
technology; one in five households now use Voice over the Internet
Protocol (VoIP) services
international: country code - 31; submarine cables provide links to
the US and Europe; satellite earth stations - 5 (3 Intelsat - 1
Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (2007)
Netherlands Antilles
general assessment: generally adequate
facilities
domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links
international: country code - 599; the Americas Region Caribbean
Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the Americas-2 submarine cable systems
provide connectivity to Central America, parts of South America and
the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean)
New Caledonia
general assessment: a submarine cable network
connection between New Caledonia and Australia, completed in 2007,
is expected to significantly increase network capacity and improve
high-speed connectivity and access to international networks
domestic: combined fixed and mobile-cellular telephone
subscribership exceeds 100 per 100 persons
international: country code - 687; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2008)
New Zealand
general assessment: excellent domestic and international
systems
domestic: combined fixed and mobile-cellular telephone
subscribership exceeds 150 per 100 persons
international: country code - 64; the Southern Cross submarine cable
system provides links to Australia, Fiji, and the US; satellite
earth stations - 8 (1 Inmarsat - Pacific Ocean, 7 other)
Nicaragua
general assessment: system being upgraded by foreign
investment; nearly all installed telecommunications capacity now
uses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization of
the formerly state-owned telecommunications company
domestic: since privatization, access to fixed-line and
mobile-cellular services has improved but teledensity still lags
behind other Central American countries; fixed-line teledensity
roughly 5 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership
increasing and now exceeds 50 per 100 persons; connected to Central
American Microwave System
international: country code - 505; the Americas Region Caribbean
Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic submarine cable provides
connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean,
and the US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic
Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2008)
Niger
general assessment: inadequate; small system of wire, radio
telephone communications, and microwave radio relay links
concentrated in the southwestern area of Niger
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity only
13 per 100 persons with cellular subscribership increasing rapidly
from a small base; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations
and 1 planned
international: country code - 227; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2008)
Nigeria
general assessment: further expansion and modernization of
the fixed-line telephone network is needed
domestic: the addition of a second fixed-line provider in 2002
resulted in faster growth but subscribership remains only about 1
per 100 persons; mobile-cellular services growing rapidly, in part
responding to the shortcomings of the fixed-line network; multiple
cellular service providers operate nationally with subscribership
reaching 45 per 100 persons in 2008
international: country code - 234; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC
fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and
Asia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1
Indian Ocean) (2008)
Niue
domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on
island
international: country code - 683 (2001)
Norfolk Island
general assessment: adequate
domestic: free local calls
international: country code - 672; undersea coaxial cable links with
Australia and New Zealand; satellite earth station - 1
Northern Mariana Islands
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 1-670; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)