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The 2001 CIA World Factbook
by United States. Central Intelligence Agency.
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Greece: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Greenland: 18 years of age; universal

Grenada: 18 years of age; universal

Guadeloupe: 18 years of age; universal

Guam: 18 years of age; universal; US citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections

Guatemala: 18 years of age; universal (active duty members of the armed forces may not vote)

Guernsey: 18 years of age; universal

Guinea: 18 years of age; universal

Guinea-Bissau: 18 years of age; universal

Guyana: 18 years of age; universal

Haiti: 18 years of age; universal

Holy See (Vatican City): limited to cardinals less than 80 years old

Honduras: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Hong Kong: direct election 18 years of age; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years; indirect election limited to about 100,000 members of functional constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government bodies

Hungary: 18 years of age; universal

Iceland: 18 years of age; universal

India: 18 years of age; universal

Indonesia: 17 years of age; universal and married persons regardless of age

Iran: 15 years of age; universal

Iraq: 18 years of age; universal

Ireland: 18 years of age; universal

Israel: 18 years of age; universal

Italy: 18 years of age; universal (except in senatorial elections, where minimum age is 25)

Jamaica: 18 years of age; universal

Japan: 20 years of age; universal

Jersey: NA years of age; universal adult

Jordan: 20 years of age; universal

Kazakhstan: 18 years of age; universal

Kenya: 18 years of age; universal

Kiribati: 18 years of age; universal

Korea, North: 17 years of age; universal

Korea, South: 20 years of age; universal

Kuwait: adult males who have been naturalized for 30 years or more or have resided in Kuwait since before 1920 and their male descendants at age 21

note: only 10% of all citizens are eligible to vote; in 1996, naturalized citizens who do not meet the pre-1920 qualification but have been naturalized for 30 years were eligible to vote for the first time

Kyrgyzstan: 18 years of age; universal

Laos: 18 years of age; universal

Latvia: 18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens

Lebanon: 21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education

Lesotho: 18 years of age; universal

Liberia: 18 years of age; universal

Libya: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Liechtenstein: 20 years of age; universal

Lithuania: 18 years of age; universal

Luxembourg: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Macau: direct election 18 years of age, universal for permanent residents living in Macau for the past seven years; indirect election limited to organizations registered as "corporate voters" (257 are currently registered) and a 300-member Election Committee drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government bodies

Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of: 18 years of age; universal

Madagascar: 18 years of age; universal

Malawi: 18 years of age; universal

Malaysia: 21 years of age; universal

Maldives: 21 years of age; universal

Mali: 21 years of age; universal

Malta: 18 years of age; universal

Man, Isle of: 18 years of age; universal

Marshall Islands: 18 years of age; universal

Martinique: 18 years of age; universal

Mauritania: 18 years of age; universal

Mauritius: 18 years of age; universal

Mayotte: 18 years of age; universal

Mexico: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory (but not enforced)

Micronesia, Federated States of: 18 years of age; universal

Moldova: 18 years of age; universal

Monaco: 21 years of age; universal

Mongolia: 18 years of age; universal

Montserrat: 18 years of age; universal

Morocco: 21 years of age; universal

Mozambique: 18 years of age; universal

Namibia: 18 years of age; universal

Nauru: 20 years of age; universal and compulsory

Nepal: 18 years of age; universal

Netherlands: 18 years of age; universal

Netherlands Antilles: 18 years of age; universal

New Caledonia: 18 years of age; universal

New Zealand: 18 years of age; universal

Nicaragua: 16 years of age; universal

Niger: 18 years of age; universal

Nigeria: 18 years of age; universal

Niue: 18 years of age; universal

Norfolk Island: 18 years of age; universal

Northern Mariana Islands: 18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections

Norway: 18 years of age; universal

Oman: in Oman's most recent elections in 2000, limited to approximately 175,000 Omanis chosen by the government to vote in elections for the Majlis ash-Shura

Pakistan: 21 years of age; universal; separate electorates and reserved parliamentary seats for non-Muslims

Palau: 18 years of age; universal

Panama: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Papua New Guinea: 18 years of age; universal

Paraguay: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory up to age 75

Peru: 18 years of age; universal

Philippines: 18 years of age; universal

Pitcairn Islands: 18 years of age; universal with three years residency

Poland: 18 years of age; universal

Portugal: 18 years of age; universal

Puerto Rico: 18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections

Qatar: suffrage is limited to municipal elections

Reunion: 18 years of age; universal

Romania: 18 years of age; universal

Russia: 18 years of age; universal

Rwanda: 18 years of age; universal adult

Saint Helena: NA years of age

Saint Kitts and Nevis: 18 years of age; universal

Saint Lucia: 18 years of age; universal

Saint Pierre and Miquelon: 18 years of age; universal

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: 18 years of age; universal

Samoa: 21 years of age; universal

San Marino: 18 years of age; universal

Sao Tome and Principe: 18 years of age; universal

Saudi Arabia: none

Senegal: 18 years of age; universal

Seychelles: 17 years of age; universal

Sierra Leone: 18 years of age; universal

Singapore: 21 years of age; universal and compulsory

Slovakia: 18 years of age; universal

Slovenia: 18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)

Solomon Islands: 21 years of age; universal

Somalia: 18 years of age; universal

South Africa: 18 years of age; universal

Spain: 18 years of age; universal

Sri Lanka: 18 years of age; universal

Sudan: 17 years of age; universal, but noncompulsory

Suriname: 18 years of age; universal

Swaziland: 18 years of age

Sweden: 18 years of age; universal

Switzerland: 18 years of age; universal

Syria: 18 years of age; universal

Tajikistan: 18 years of age; universal

Tanzania: 18 years of age; universal

Thailand: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Togo: NA years of age; universal adult

Tokelau: 21 years of age; universal

Tonga: 21 years of age; universal

Trinidad and Tobago: 18 years of age; universal

Tunisia: 20 years of age; universal

Turkey: 18 years of age; universal

Turkmenistan: 18 years of age; universal

Turks and Caicos Islands: 18 years of age; universal

Tuvalu: 18 years of age; universal

Uganda: 18 years of age; universal

Ukraine: 18 years of age; universal

United Arab Emirates: none

United Kingdom: 18 years of age; universal

United States: 18 years of age; universal

Uruguay: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Uzbekistan: 18 years of age; universal

Vanuatu: 18 years of age; universal

Venezuela: 18 years of age; universal

Vietnam: 18 years of age; universal

Virgin Islands: 18 years of age; universal; note - indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections

Wallis and Futuna: 18 years of age; universal

Western Sahara: none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign has yet to be completed

Yemen: 18 years of age; universal

Yugoslavia: 16 years of age, if employed; 18 years of age, universal

Zambia: 18 years of age; universal

Zimbabwe: 18 years of age; universal

Taiwan: 20 years of age; universal

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

@Telephone system



Afghanistan: general assessment: very limited telephone and telegraph service

domestic: in 1997, telecommunications links were established between Mazar-e Sharif, Herat, Kandahar, Jalalabad, and Kabul through satellite and microwave systems

international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) linked only to Iran and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); commercial satellite telephone center in Ghazni

Albania: general assessment: Albania has the poorest telephone service in Europe with fewer than two telephones per 100 inhabitants; it is doubtful that every village has telephone service

domestic: obsolete wire system; no longer provides a telephone for every village; in 1992, following the fall of the communist government, peasants cut the wire to about 1,000 villages and used it to build fences

international: inadequate; international traffic carried by microwave radio relay from the Tirana exchange to Italy and Greece

Algeria: general assessment: telephone density in Algeria is very low, not exceeding five telephones per 100 persons; the number of fixed main lines has been increased in the last few years to a little more than 2,000,000, but only about two-thirds of these have subscribers; much of the infrastructure is outdated and inefficient

domestic: good service in north but sparse in south; domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations (20 additional domestic earth stations are planned)

international: 5 submarine cables; microwave radio relay to Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; coaxial cable to Morocco and Tunisia; participant in Medarabtel; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik, and 1 Arabsat (1998)

American Samoa: general assessment: NA

domestic: good telex, telegraph, facsimile and cellular telephone services; domestic satellite system with 1 Comsat earth station

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

Andorra: general assessment: NA

domestic: modern system with microwave radio relay connections between exchanges

international: landline circuits to France and Spain

Angola: general assessment: telephone service limited mostly to government and business use; HF radiotelephone used extensively for military links

domestic: limited system of wire, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter

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

Anguilla: general assessment: NA

domestic: modern internal telephone system

international: microwave radio relay to island of Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles)

Antarctica: general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: NA

Antigua and Barbuda: general assessment: NA

domestic: good automatic telephone system

international: 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Saba (Netherlands Antilles) and Guadeloupe

Argentina: general assessment: by opening the telecommunications market to competition and foreign investment with the "Telecommunications Liberalization Plan of 1998", Argentina encouraged the growth of modern telecommunication technology; fiber-optic cable trunk lines are being installed between all major cities; the major networks are entirely digital and the availability of telephone service is being improved; however, telephone density is presently minimal, and making telephone service universally available will take some time

domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber-optic cable, and a domestic satellite system with 40 earth stations serve the trunk network; more than 110,000 pay telephones are installed and mobile telephone use is rapidly expanding

international: satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); Atlantis II and Unisur submarine cables; two international gateways near Buenos Aires (1999)

Armenia: general assessment: system inadequate; now 90% privately owned and undergoing modernization and expansion

domestic: the majority of subscribers and the most modern equipment are in Yerevan (this includes paging and mobile cellular service)

international: Yerevan is connected to the Trans-Asia-Europe fiber-optic cable through Iran; additional international service is available by microwave radio relay and landline connections to the other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and through the Moscow international switch and by satellite to the rest of the world; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat

Aruba: general assessment: NA

domestic: more than adequate

international: 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio relay links

Australia: general assessment: excellent domestic and international service

domestic: domestic satellite system; much use of radiotelephone in areas of low population density; rapid growth of mobile cellular telephones

international: submarine cables to New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia; satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean), 2 Inmarsat (Indian and Pacific Ocean regions) (1998)

Austria: general assessment: highly developed and efficient

domestic: there are 48 main lines for every 100 persons and the system is nearly 100% digital; the fiber optic net is very extensive; all telephone applications and Internet services are available

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 2 Eutelsat (1999)

Azerbaijan: general assessment: inadequate; requires considerable expansion and modernization; teledensity of 8.6 main lines per 100 persons is very low

domestic: the majority of telephones are in Baku and other industrial centers - about 700 villages still do not have public telephone service; satellite service connects Baku to a modern switch in its exclave of Naxcivan

international: the old Soviet system of cable and microwave is still serviceable; a satellite connection to Turkey enables Baku to reach about 200 additional countries, some of which are directly connected to Baku by satellite providers other than Turkey (1997)

Bahamas, The: general assessment: modern facilities

domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed

international: tropospheric scatter and submarine cable to Florida; 3 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (1997)

Bahrain: general assessment: modern system

domestic: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of mobile cellular telephones

international: tropospheric scatter to Qatar and UAE; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (1997)

Bangladesh: general assessment: totally inadequate for a modern country

domestic: modernizing; introducing digital systems; trunk systems include VHF and UHF microwave radio relay links, and some fiber-optic cable in cities

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); international radiotelephone communications and landline service to neighboring countries (2000)

Barbados: general assessment: NA

domestic: island-wide automatic telephone system

international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia

Belarus: general assessment: the Ministry of Telecommunications controls all telecommunications through its carrier (a joint stock company) Beltelcom which is a monopoly

domestic: local - Minsk has a digital metropolitan network and a cellular NMT-450 network; waiting lists for telephones are long; local service outside Minsk is neglected and poor; intercity - Belarus has a partly developed fiber-optic backbone system presently serving at least 13 major cities (1998); Belarus's fiber optics form synchronous digital hierarchy rings through other countries' systems; an inadequate analog system remains operational

international: 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); three 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

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: 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Eutelsat

Belize: general assessment: above-average system

domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay

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

Benin: general assessment: NA

domestic: fair system of open wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections

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

Bermuda: general assessment: NA

domestic: modern, fully automatic telephone system

international: 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Bhutan: general assessment: NA

domestic: domestic telephone service is very poor with few telephones in use

international: international telephone and telegraph service is by landline through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990)

Bolivia: general assessment: new subscribers face bureaucratic difficulties; most telephones are concentrated in La Paz and other cities; mobile cellular telephone use expanding rapidly

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: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Bosnia and Herzegovina: general assessment: telephone and telegraph network is in need of modernization and expansion; many urban areas are below average when compared with services in other former Yugoslav republics

domestic: NA

international: no satellite earth stations

Botswana: general assessment: sparse system

domestic: small system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and a few radiotelephone communication stations

international: two international exchanges; digital microwave radio relay links to Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Brazil: general assessment: good working system

domestic: extensive microwave radio relay system and a domestic satellite system with 64 earth stations

international: 3 coaxial submarine cables; 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

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: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)

British Virgin Islands: general assessment: worldwide telephone service

domestic: NA

international: submarine cable to Bermuda

Brunei: general assessment: service throughout country is excellent; international service good to Europe, US, and East Asia

domestic: every service available

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean); digital submarine cable links to Malaysia, Singapore, and Philippines (2001)

Bulgaria: general assessment: extensive but antiquated

domestic: more than two-thirds of the lines are residential; telephone service is available in most villages; 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: direct dialing to 58 countries; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 2 Intelsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions)

Burkina Faso: general assessment: all services only fair

domestic: microwave radio relay, open wire, and radiotelephone communication stations

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

Burma: general assessment: meets minimum requirements for local and intercity service for business and government; international service is good

domestic: NA

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

Burundi: general assessment: primitive system

domestic: sparse system of open wire, radiotelephone communications, and low-capacity microwave radio relay

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

Cambodia: general assessment: adequate landline and/or cellular service in Phnom Penh and other provincial cities; rural areas have little telephone service

domestic: NA

international: 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)

Cameroon: general assessment: available only to business and government

domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter

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

Canada: general assessment: excellent service provided by modern technology

domestic: domestic satellite system with about 300 earth stations

international: 5 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) and 2 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)

Cape Verde: general assessment: effective system, being improved

domestic: interisland microwave radio relay system with both analog and digital exchanges; work is in progress on a submarine fiber-optic cable system which was scheduled for completion in 1998

international: 2 coaxial submarine cables; HF radiotelephone to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Cayman Islands: general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: 1 submarine coaxial cable; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Central African Republic: general assessment: fair system

domestic: network consists principally of microwave radio relay and low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication

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

Chad: general assessment: primitive system

domestic: fair system of radiotelephone communication stations

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

Chile: general assessment: modern system based on extensive microwave radio relay facilities

domestic: extensive microwave radio relay links; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations

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

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

domestic: interprovincial fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular telephone systems have been installed; a domestic satellite system with 55 earth stations is in place

international: satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions); several international fiber-optic links to Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Russia, and Germany (2000)

Christmas Island: general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service

Cocos (Keeling) Islands: general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 satellite earth station of NA type

Colombia: general assessment: modern system in many respects

domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system; domestic satellite system with 41 earth stations; fiber-optic network linking 50 cities

international: satellite earth stations - 6 Intelsat, 1 Inmarsat; 3 fully digitalized international switching centers; 8 submarine cables

Comoros: general assessment: sparse system of microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communication stations

domestic: HF radiotelephone communications and microwave radio relay

international: HF radiotelephone communications to Madagascar and Reunion

Congo, Democratic Republic of the: general assessment: NA

domestic: barely adequate wire and microwave radio relay service in and between urban areas; domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations

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

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

domestic: primary network consists of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable

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

Cook Islands: general assessment: NA

domestic: the 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: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Costa Rica: general assessment: very good domestic telephone service

domestic: point-to-point and point-to-multi-point microwave, fiber-optic, and coaxial cable link rural areas; Internet service is available

international: connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); two submarine cables (1999)

Cote d'Ivoire: general assessment: well developed by African standards but operating well below capacity

domestic: open-wire lines and microwave radio relay; 90% digitalized

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); 2 coaxial submarine cables (June 1999)

Croatia: general assessment: NA

domestic: reconstruction plan calls for replacement of all analog circuits with digital and enlarging the network; a backup will be included in the plan for the main trunk

international: 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 two fiber-optic trunk connections with Slovenia and a fiber-optic trunk line from Rijeka to Split and Dubrovnik; Croatia is also investing in ADRIA 1, a joint fiber-optic project with Germany, Albania, and Greece (2000)

Cuba: general assessment: NA

domestic: principal trunk system, end to end of country, is coaxial cable; fiber-optic distribution in Havana and on Isla de la Juventud; 2 microwave radio relay installations (one is old, US-built; the other newer, Soviet-built); both analog and digital mobile cellular service established

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

Cyprus: general assessment: excellent in both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot areas

domestic: open wire, fiber-optic cable, and microwave radio relay

international: tropospheric scatter; 3 coaxial and 5 fiber-optic submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 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; growth in the use of mobile cellular telephones is particularly vigorous

domestic: 86% of exchanges now digital; existing copper subscriber systems now being 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: satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 1 Globalstar

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: 18 submarine fiber-optic cables linking Denmark with Norway, Sweden, Russia, Poland, Germany, Netherlands, UK, Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Canada; satellite earth stations - 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 (1997)

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

international: submarine cable to Jiddah, Suez, Sicily, Marseilles, Colombo, and Singapore; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; Medarabtel regional microwave radio relay telephone network

Dominica: general assessment: NA

domestic: fully automatic network

international: microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia

Dominican Republic: general assessment: NA

domestic: relatively efficient system based on islandwide microwave radio relay network

international: 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Ecuador: general assessment: NA

domestic: facilities generally inadequate and unreliable

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

Egypt: general assessment: large system; underwent extensive upgrading during 1990s and is reasonably modern; Internet access and cellular service are available

domestic: principal centers at Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah, Ismailia, Suez, and Tanta are connected by coaxial cable and microwave radio relay

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat; 5 coaxial submarine cables; tropospheric scatter to Sudan; microwave radio relay to Israel; a participant in Medarabtel and a signatory to Project Oxygen (a global submarine fiber-optic cable system)

El Salvador: general assessment: NA

domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave System

Equatorial Guinea: general assessment: poor system with adequate government services

domestic: NA

international: international communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Eritrea: general assessment: NA

domestic: very inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to improve the system

international: NA

Estonia: general assessment: foreign investment in the form of joint business ventures greatly improved telephone service; Internet services available throughout most of the country; about 150,000 unfilled subscriber requests

domestic: local - the Ministry of Transport and Communications is expanding cellular telephone services to form rural networks; intercity - highly developed fiber-optic backbone (double loop) system presently serving at least 16 major cities (1998)

international: fiber-optic cables to Finland, Sweden, Latvia, and Russia provide worldwide packet-switched service; two international switches are located in Tallinn

Ethiopia: general assessment: open wire and microwave radio relay system adequate for government use

domestic: open wire; microwave radio relay; radio communication in the HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies; two domestic satellites provide the national trunk service

international: 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)

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: 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: 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: NA

international: access to important cable links between US and Canada as well as between NZ and Australia; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Finland: general assessment: modern system with excellent service

domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and an extensive cellular net provide domestic needs

international: 1 submarine cable; 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: satellite earth stations - 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

French Guiana: general assessment: NA

domestic: fair open wire and microwave radio relay system

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

French Polynesia: general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

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

Gabon: general assessment: NA

domestic: adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations

international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Gambia, The: general assessment: adequate; a packet switched data network is available

domestic: adequate network of microwave radio relay and open wire

international: microwave radio relay links to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Gaza Strip: general assessment: NA

domestic: rudimentary telephone services provided by an open wire system

international: NA

Georgia: general assessment: NA

domestic: local - T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi have cellular telephone networks; 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: Georgia and Russia are working on a fiber-optic line between P'ot'i and Sochi (Russia); present 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 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 and includes roaming service to many foreign countries

international: satellite earth stations - 14 Intelsat (12 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), 2 Intersputnik (1 Atlantic Ocean region and 1 Indian Ocean region); 7 submarine cable connections; 2 HF radiotelephone communication centers; tropospheric scatter links

Ghana: general assessment: poor to fair system; Internet accessible; many rural communities not yet connected; expansion of services is underway

domestic: primarily microwave radio relay; wireless local loop has been installed

international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay link to Panaftel system connects Ghana to its neighbors

Gibraltar: general assessment: adequate, automatic domestic system and adequate international facilities

domestic: automatic exchange facilities

international: 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: tropospheric scatter; 8 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 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: satellite earth stations - 12 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 2 Americom GE-2 (all Atlantic Ocean)

Grenada: general assessment: automatic, islandwide telephone system

domestic: interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links

international: new SHF radiotelephone links to Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to Trinidad

Guadeloupe: general assessment: domestic facilities inadequate

domestic: NA

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Martinique

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: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); submarine cables to US and Japan (Guam is a trans-Pacific communications hub for MCI, Sprint, AT&T, IT&E, and GTE, linking the US and Asia)

Guatemala: general assessment: fairly modern network centered in the city of Guatemala

domestic: NA

international: 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: poor to fair system of open-wire lines, small radiotelephone communication stations, and new microwave radio relay system

domestic: microwave radio relay and radiotelephone communication

international: 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

international: NA

Guyana: general assessment: fair system for long-distance calling

domestic: microwave radio relay network for trunk lines

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

Haiti: general assessment: domestic facilities barely adequate; international facilities slightly better

domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay trunk service

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

Holy See (Vatican City): general assessment: automatic exchange

domestic: tied into Italian system

international: uses Italian system

Honduras: general assessment: inadequate system

domestic: NA

international: 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: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China; access to 5 international submarine cables providing connections to ASEAN member nations, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe

Hungary: general assessment: the telephone system has been modernized and is capable of satisfying all requests for telecommunication service

domestic: the system is digitalized and highly automated; trunk services are carried by fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay; a program for fiber-optic subscriber connections was initiated in 1996; heavy use is made of mobile cellular telephones

international: Hungary has fiber-optic cable connections with all neighboring countries; the international switch is in Budapest; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Inmarsat, 1 very small aperture terminal (VSAT) system of ground terminals

Iceland: general assessment: adequate domestic service

domestic: the trunk network consists of coaxial and fiber-optic cables and microwave radio relay links

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Iceland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden)

India: general assessment: mediocre service; local and long distance service provided throughout all regions of the country, with services primarily concentrated in the urban areas; major objective is to continue to expand and modernize long-distance network in order to keep pace with rapidly growing number of local subscriber lines; steady improvement is taking place with the recent admission of private and private-public investors, but, with telephone density at about two for each 100 persons and a waiting list of over 2 million, demand for main line telephone service will not be satisfied for a very long time

domestic: local service is provided by microwave radio relay and coaxial cable, with open wire and obsolete electromechanical and manual switchboard systems still in use in rural areas; starting in the 1980s, a substantial amount of digital switch gear has been introduced for local and long-distance service; long-distance traffic is carried mostly by coaxial cable and low-capacity microwave radio relay; since 1985 significant trunk capacity has been added in the form of fiber-optic cable and a domestic satellite system with 254 earth stations; mobile cellular service is provided in four metropolitan cities

international: satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region); nine gateway exchanges operating from Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta), Chennai (Madras), Jalandhar, Kanpur, Gaidhinagar, Hyderabad, and Ernakulam; 4 submarine cables - LOCOM linking Chennai (Madras) to Penang; Indo-UAE-Gulf cable linking Mumbai (Bombay) to Al Fujayrah, UAE; India-SEA-ME-WE-3, SEA-ME-WE-2 with landing sites at Cochin and Mumbai (Bombay); Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) with landing site at Mumbai (Bombay) (2000)

Indonesia: general assessment: domestic service fair, international service good

domestic: interisland microwave system and HF radio police net; domestic satellite communications system

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

Iran: general assessment: inadequate but currently being modernized and expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing telephone service to several thousand villages, not presently connected

domestic: as a result of heavy investing in the telephone system since 1994, the number of long-distance channels in the microwave radio relay trunk has grown substantially; many villages have been brought into the net; the number of main lines in the urban systems has approximately doubled; and thousands of mobile cellular subscribers are being served; moreover, the technical level of the system has been raised by the installation of thousands of digital switches

international: HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; satellite earth stations - 9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat; Internet service available but limited to electronic mail to promote Iranian culture

Iraq: general assessment: reconstitution of damaged telecommunication facilities began after the Gulf war; most damaged facilities have been rebuilt

domestic: the network consists of coaxial cables and microwave radio relay links

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Arabsat (inoperative); coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey; Kuwait line is probably nonoperational

Ireland: general assessment: modern digital system using cable and microwave radio relay

domestic: microwave radio relay

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

Israel: general assessment: most highly developed system in the Middle East although not the largest

domestic: good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay; all systems are digital

international: 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)

Italy: general assessment: modern, well developed, fast; fully automated telephone, telex, and data services

domestic: high-capacity cable and microwave radio relay trunks

international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (with a total of 5 antennas - 3 for Atlantic Ocean and 2 for Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and NA Eutelsat; 21 submarine cables

Jamaica: general assessment: fully automatic domestic telephone network

domestic: NA

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); 3 coaxial submarine cables

Japan: general assessment: excellent domestic and international service

domestic: high level of modern technology and excellent service of every kind

international: satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region), and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions); submarine cables to China, Philippines, Russia, and US (via Guam) (1999)

Jersey: general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: 3 submarine cables

Johnston Atoll: general assessment: 13 outgoing and 10 incoming commercial lines; adequate telecommunications

domestic: 60-channel submarine cable, 22 DSN circuits by satellite, Autodin with standard remote terminal, digital telephone switch, Military Affiliated Radio System (MARS station), UHF/VHF air-ground radio, a link to the Pacific Consolidated Telecommunications Network (PCTN) satellite

international: NA

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

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

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

Kazakhstan: general assessment: service is poor; equipment antiquated

domestic: intercity by landline and microwave radio relay; mobile cellular systems are available in most of Kazakhstan

international: international traffic with other former Soviet republics and China carried by landline and microwave radio relay; with other countries by satellite and by the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat

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

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

international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat

Kiribati: general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

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

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

Korea, North: general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

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

Korea, South: general assessment: excellent domestic and international services

domestic: NA

international: fiber-optic submarine cable to China; the Russia-Korea-Japan submarine cable; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean region)

Kuwait: general assessment: the quality of service is excellent

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

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

Kyrgyzstan: general assessment: poorly developed; about 100,000 unsatisfied applications for household telephones

domestic: principally microwave radio relay; one cellular provider, probably limited to Bishkek region

international: connections with other CIS countries by landline or microwave radio relay and with other countries by leased connections with Moscow international gateway switch and by satellite; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik and 1 Intelsat; connected internationally by the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line

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

domestic: radiotelephone communications

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

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

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

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

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

domestic: primarily microwave radio relay and cable

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

Lesotho: general assessment: rudimentary system

domestic: consists of a few landlines, a small microwave radio relay system, and a minor radiotelephone communication system

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

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

domestic: NA

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

Libya: general assessment: telecommunications system is being modernized; mobile cellular telephone system became operational in 1996

domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, cellular, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations

international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat, NA Arabsat, and NA Intersputnik; submarine cables to France and Italy; microwave radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt; tropospheric scatter to Greece; participant in Medarabtel (1999)

Liechtenstein: general assessment: automatic telephone system

domestic: NA

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

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

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

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

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

domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; buried cable

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

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

domestic: NA

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

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

domestic: NA

international: NA

Madagascar: general assessment: system is above average for the region

domestic: open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter links

international: submarine cable to Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)

Malawi: general assessment: NA

domestic: fair system of open-wire lines, microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone communications stations

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

Malaysia: general assessment: modern system; international service excellent

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

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

Maldives: general assessment: minimal domestic and international facilities

domestic: interatoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited islands are connected with telephone and fax service

international: satellite earth station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Mali: general assessment: domestic system poor but improving; provides only minimal service

domestic: network consists of microwave radio relay, open wire, and radiotelephone communications stations; expansion of microwave radio relay in progress

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

Malta: general assessment: automatic system satisfies normal requirements

domestic: submarine cable and microwave radio relay between islands

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

Man, Isle of: general assessment: NA

domestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system

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

Marshall Islands: general assessment: telex services

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

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

Martinique: general assessment: domestic facilities are adequate

domestic: NA

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

Mauritania: general assessment: limited system of cable and open-wire lines, minor microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone communications stations (improvements being made)

domestic: mostly cable and open-wire lines; a recently completed domestic satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with regional capitals

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

Mauritius: general assessment: small system with good service

domestic: primarily microwave radio relay

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several countries

Mayotte: general assessment: small system administered by French Department of Posts and Telecommunications

domestic: NA

international: microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communications to Comoros and other international connections

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

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

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

Micronesia, Federated States of: general assessment: adequate system

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

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

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

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

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

Monaco: general assessment: modern automatic telephone system

domestic: NA

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

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

domestic: NA

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

Montserrat: general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: NA

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

domestic: good system composed of open-wire lines, cables, and microwave radio relay links; Internet available but expensive; principal switching centers are Casablanca and Rabat; national network nearly 100% digital using fiber-optic links; improved rural service employs microwave radio relay

international: 7 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; microwave radio relay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria; participant in Medarabtel; fiber-optic cable link from Agadir to Algeria and Tunisia (1998)

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

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

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

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

domestic: good urban services; fair rural service; microwave radio relay links major towns; connections to other populated places are by open wire; 100% digital

international: fiber-optic cable to South Africa, microwave radio relay link to Botswana, direct links to other neighboring countries; connected to Africa ONE and South African Far East (SAFE) submarine cables through South Africa; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat

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

domestic: NA

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

Nepal: general assessment: poor telephone and telegraph service; fair radiotelephone communication service and mobile cellular telephone network

domestic: NA

international: radiotelephone communications; microwave landline to India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Netherlands: general assessment: highly developed and well maintained

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

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

Netherlands Antilles: general assessment: generally adequate facilities

domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links

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

New Caledonia: general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

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

New Zealand: general assessment: excellent domestic and international systems

domestic: NA

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

Nicaragua: general assessment: inadequate system being upgraded by foreign investment

domestic: low-capacity microwave radio relay and wire system being expanded; connected to Central American Microwave System

international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

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

domestic: wire, radiotelephone communications, and microwave radio relay; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations and 1 planned

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

Nigeria: general assessment: an inadequate system, further limited by poor maintenance; major expansion is required and a start has been made

domestic: intercity traffic is carried by coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, a domestic communications satellite system with 19 earth stations, and a coastal submarine cable; mobile cellular facilities and the Internet are available

international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); coaxial submarine cable SAFE (South African Far East)

Niue: general assessment: primitive system

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

international: NA

Norfolk Island: general assessment: adequate

domestic: NA

international: radiotelephone service with Sydney (Australia)

Northern Mariana Islands: general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pakistan: general assessment: the domestic system is mediocre, but improving; service is adequate for government and business use, in part because major businesses have established their own private systems; since 1988, the government has promoted investment in the national telecommunications system on a priority basis, significantly increasing network capacity; despite major improvements in trunk and urban systems, telecommunication services are still not readily available to the majority of the rural population

domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, cellular, and satellite networks

international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); 3 operational international gateway exchanges (1 at Karachi and 2 at Islamabad); microwave radio relay to neighboring countries (1999)

Palau: general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

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

Panama: general assessment: domestic and international facilities well developed

domestic: NA

international: 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to the Central American Microwave System

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

domestic: mostly radiotelephone

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

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

domestic: fair microwave radio relay network

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

Peru: general assessment: adequate for most requirements

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

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

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

domestic: domestic satellite system with 11 earth stations

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

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

domestic: party line service only

international: radiotelephone

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

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

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

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

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

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

Puerto Rico: general assessment: modern system, integrated with that of the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with high-speed data capability

domestic: digital telephone system; cellular telephone service

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; submarine cable to US

Qatar: general assessment: modern system centered in Doha

domestic: NA

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

Reunion: general assessment: adequate system; principal center is Saint-Denis

domestic: modern open wire and microwave radio relay network

international: radiotelephone communication to Comoros, France, Madagascar; new microwave route to Mauritius; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Romania: general assessment: poor domestic service, but improving

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

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

Russia: general assessment: the telephone system has undergone significant changes in the 1990s; there are more than 1,000 companies licensed to offer communication services; access to digital lines has improved, particularly in urban centers; Internet and e-mail services are improving; Russia has made progress toward building the telecommunications infrastructure necessary for a market economy; however, a large demand for main line service remains unsatisfied

domestic: cross-country digital trunk lines run from Saint Petersburg to Khabarovsk, and from Moscow to Novorossiysk; the telephone systems in 60 regional capitals have modern digital infrastructures; cellular services, both analog and digital, are available in many areas; in rural areas, the telephone services are still outdated, inadequate, and low density

international: Russia is connected internationally by three undersea fiber-optic cables; digital switches in several cities provide more than 50,000 lines for international calls; satellite earth stations provide access to Intelsat, Intersputnik, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Orbita systems

Rwanda: general assessment: telephone system primarily serves business and government

domestic: the capital, Kigali, is connected to the centers of the prefectures by microwave radio relay; the remainder of the network depends on wire and HF radiotelephone

international: international connections employ microwave radio relay to neighboring countries and satellite communications to more distant countries; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) in Kigali (includes telex and telefax service)

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

domestic: automatic network

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

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

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

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

Saint Lucia: general assessment: adequate system

domestic: system is automatically switched

international: direct microwave radio relay link with Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric scatter to Barbados; international calls beyond these countries are carried by Intelsat from Martinique

Saint Pierre and Miquelon: general assessment: adequate

domestic: NA

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

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: general assessment: adequate system

domestic: islandwide, fully automatic telephone system; VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to the other islands of the Grenadines

international: VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to Barbados; new SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and to Saint Lucia; access to Intelsat earth station in Martinique through Saint Lucia

Samoa: general assessment: adequate

domestic: NA

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

San Marino: general assessment: adequate connections

domestic: automatic telephone system completely integrated into Italian system

international: connected to Italian international network

Sao Tome and Principe: general assessment: adequate facilities

domestic: minimal system

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

Saudi Arabia: general assessment: modern system

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

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

Senegal: general assessment: good system

domestic: above-average urban system; microwave radio relay, coaxial cable and fiber-optic cable in trunk system

international: 4 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Seychelles: general assessment: effective system

domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands in the archipelago

international: direct radiotelephone communications with adjacent island countries and African coastal countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Sierra Leone: general assessment: marginal telephone and telegraph service

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

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

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

domestic: excellent domestic facilities

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

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

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

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

Slovenia: general assessment: NA

domestic: 100% digital (2000)

international: NA

Solomon Islands: general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

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

Somalia: general assessment: the public telecommunications system was completely destroyed or dismantled by the civil war factions; all relief organizations depend on their own private systems

domestic: recently, local cellular telephone systems have been established in Mogadishu and in several other population centers

international: international connections are available from Mogadishu by satellite

South Africa: general assessment: the system is the best developed and most modern in Africa

domestic: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria

international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)

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

domestic: NA

international: coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken

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

domestic: NA

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

Sri Lanka: general assessment: very inadequate domestic service, particularly in rural areas; some hope for improvement with privatization of national telephone company and encouragement to private investment; good international service (1999)

domestic: national trunk network consists mostly of digital microwave radio relay; fiber-optic links now in use in Colombo area and two fixed wireless local loops have been installed; competition is strong in mobile cellular systems; telephone density remains low at 2.6 main lines per 100 persons (1999)

international: submarine cables to Indonesia and Djibouti; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (1999)

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

domestic: consists of microwave radio relay, cable, radiotelephone communications, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations

international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (2000)

Suriname: general assessment: international facilities are good

domestic: microwave radio relay network

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

Svalbard: general assessment: probably adequate

domestic: local telephone service

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

Swaziland: general assessment: not a modern system

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

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

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

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

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

Switzerland: general assessment: excellent domestic and international services

domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks

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

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

domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay network

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

Tajikistan: general assessment: poorly developed and not well maintained; many towns are not reached by the national network

domestic: cable and microwave radio relay

international: linked by cable and microwave radio relay to other CIS republics and by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; Dushanbe linked by Intelsat to international gateway switch in Ankara (Turkey); satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 2 Intelsat

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

domestic: trunk service provided by open wire, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and fiber-optic cable; some links being made digital

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

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

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

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

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

domestic: microwave radio relay and open-wire lines for conventional system; cellular system has capacity of 10,000 telephones

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

Tokelau: general assessment: adequate

domestic: radiotelephone service between islands

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

Tonga: general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

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

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

domestic: NA

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

Tunisia: general assessment: above the African average and continuing to be upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; Internet access available

domestic: trunk facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial cable, and microwave radio relay

international: 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in Medarabtel; two international gateway digital switches

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

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

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

Turkmenistan: general assessment: poorly developed

domestic: NA

international: linked by cable and microwave radio relay to other CIS republics and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; a new telephone link from Ashgabat to Iran has been established; a new exchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkey via Intelsat; satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat

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

domestic: NA

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

Tuvalu: general assessment: serves particular needs for internal communications

domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands

international: NA

Uganda: general assessment: seriously inadequate; two cellular systems have been introduced, but a sharp increase in the number of main lines is essential; e-mail and Internet services are available

domestic: intercity traffic by wire, microwave radio relay, and radiotelephone communication stations, fixed and mobile cellular systems for short range traffic

international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat; analog links to Kenya and Tanzania

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

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

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

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

domestic: microwave radio relay and coaxial cable

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Uruguay: general assessment: some modern facilities

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

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

Uzbekistan: general assessment: antiquated and inadequate; in serious need of modernization

domestic: the domestic telephone system is being expanded and technologically improved, particularly in Tashkent and Samarqand, under contracts with prominent companies in industrialized countries; moreover, by 1998, six cellular networks had been placed in operation - four of the GSM type (Global System for Mobile Communication), one D-AMPS type (Digital Advanced Mobile Phone System), and one AMPS type (Advanced Mobile Phone System)

international: linked by landline or microwave radio relay with CIS member states and to other countries by leased connection via the Moscow international gateway switch; after the completion of the Uzbek link to the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable, Uzbekistan will be independent of Russian facilities for international communications; Inmarsat also provides an international connection, albeit an expensive one; satellite earth stations - NA (1998)

Vanuatu: general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

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

Venezuela: general assessment: modern and expanding

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

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

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

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

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

Virgin Islands: general assessment: NA

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

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

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

domestic: NA

international: NA

Wallis and Futuna: general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: NA

West Bank: general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: NA

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

Western Sahara: general assessment: sparse and limited system

domestic: NA

international: tied into Morocco's system by microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to Rabat, Morocco

World: general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: NA

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

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

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

Yugoslavia: general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

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

Zambia: general assessment: facilities are among the best in Sub-Saharan Africa

domestic: high-capacity microwave radio relay connects most larger towns and cities; several cellular telephone services in operation; Internet service is widely available; very small aperture terminal (VSAT) networks are operated by private firms

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