Jamaicageneral assessment: fully automatic domestic telephonenetworkdomestic: the 1999 agreement to open the market fortelecommunications services resulted in rapid growth inmobile-cellular telephone usage while the number of fixed-lines inuse has declined; combined mobile-cellular teledensity now exceeds100 per 100 personsinternational: country code - 1-876; the Fibralink submarine cablenetwork provides enhanced delivery of business and broadband trafficand is linked to the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1)submarine cable in the Dominican Republic; the link to ARCOS-1provides seamless connectivity to US, parts of the Caribbean,Central America, and South America; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2006)
Japangeneral assessment: excellent domestic and internationalservicedomestic: high level of modern technology and excellent service ofevery kindinternational: country code - 81; numerous submarine cables providelinks throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US;satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 IndianOcean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region), and 1 Inmarsat(Pacific and Indian Ocean regions
Jerseygeneral assessment: NAdomestic: NAinternational: submarine cable connectivity to Guernsey and UK
Jordangeneral assessment: service has improved recently withincreased use of digital switching equipment; microwave radio relaytransmission and coaxial and fiber-optic cable are employed on trunklines; growing mobile-cellular usage in both urban and rural areasis reducing use of fixed-line services; Internet penetration remainsmodest and slow-growingdomestic: 1995 telecommunications law opened all non-fixed-lineservices to private competition; in 2005, monopoly over fixed-lineservices terminated and the entire telecommunications sector wasopened to competition; mobile-cellular usage is increasing rapidlyand teledensity reached 80 per 100 persons in 2007international: country code - 962; landing point for the Fiber-OpticLink Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provideslinks to Asia, Middle East, Europe; satellite earth stations - 33 (3Intelsat, 1 Arabsat, and 29 land and maritime Inmarsat terminals);fiber-optic cable to Saudi Arabia and microwave radio relay linkwith Egypt and Syria; participant in Medarabtel (2007)
Kazakhstangeneral assessment: inherited an outdatedtelecommunications network from the Soviet era requiringmodernizationdomestic: intercity by landline and microwave radio relay; number offixed-line connections is gradually increasing and fixed-lineteledensity is about 20 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage isincreasing rapidly and subscriptions now exceed 80 per 100 personsinternational: country code - 7; international traffic with otherformer Soviet republics and China carried by landline and microwaveradio relay and with other countries by satellite and by theTrans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable; satellite earth stations- 2 Intelsat (2007)
Kenyageneral assessment: inadequate; fixed-line telephone system issmall and inefficient; trunks are primarily microwave radio relay;business data commonly transferred by a very small aperture terminal(VSAT) systemdomestic: no recent growth in fixed-line infrastructure and the soleprovider, Telkom Kenya, is slated for privatization; multipleproviders in the mobile-cellular segment of the market fostering aboom in mobile-cellular telephone usageinternational: country code - 254; satellite earth stations - 4Intelsat
Kiribatigeneral assessment: generally good quality national andinternational servicedomestic: wire line service available on Tarawa and Kiritimati(Christmas Island); connections to outer islands by HF/VHFradiotelephone; wireless service available in Tarawa since 1999international: country code - 686; Kiribati is being linked to thePacific Ocean Cooperative Telecommunications Network, which shouldimprove telephone service; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat(Pacific Ocean)
Korea, Northgeneral assessment: inadequate system; currently nomobile cellular telephone servicesdomestic: fiber-optic links installed between cities; telephonedirectories unavailable; mobile cellular service, initiated in 2002,terminated in 2004; in January 2008 Orascom Telecom, an Egyptiancompany, announced that it had been granted a commercial license toprovide mobile telephone services in North Koreainternational: country code - 850; satellite earth stations - 2 (1Intelsat - Indian Ocean, 1 Russian - Indian Ocean region); otherinternational connections through Moscow and Beijing (2008)
Korea, Southgeneral assessment: excellent domestic andinternational services featuring rapid incorporation of newtechnologiesdomestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephonesubscribership exceeds 140 per 100 persons; rapid assimilation of afull range of telecommunications technologies leading to a boom ine-commerceinternational: country code - 82; numerous submarine cables providelinks throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US;satellite earth stations - 6 (3 Intelsat - 1 Pacific Ocean and 2Indian Ocean; 3 Inmarsat - 1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean)
Kuwaitgeneral assessment: the quality of service is excellentdomestic: new telephone exchanges provide a large capacity for newsubscribers; trunk traffic is carried by microwave radio relay,coaxial cable, and open-wire and fiber-optic cable; a cellulartelephone system operates throughout Kuwait, and the country is wellsupplied with pay telephonesinternational: country code - 965; linked to international submarinecable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); linked to Bahrain,Qatar, UAE via the Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG) cable; coaxial cable andmicrowave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 6(3 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, 1 Inmarsat -Atlantic Ocean, and 2 Arabsat)
Kyrgyzstangeneral assessment: telecommunications infrastructure isgrowing; fixed line penetration remains low and concentrated inurban areasdomestic: multiple mobile cellular service providers with growingcoverage; mobile cellular subscribership reached 40 per 100 personsin 2007international: country code - 996; connections with other CIScountries by landline or microwave radio relay and with othercountries by leased connections with Moscow international gatewayswitch and by satellite; satellite earth stations - 2 (1Intersputnik, 1 Intelsat); connected internationally by theTrans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line (2007)
Laosgeneral assessment: service to general public is poor butimproving; the government relies on a radiotelephone network tocommunicate with remote areasdomestic: multiple service providers; mobile cellular usage growingrapidly; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribershipabout 25 per 100 personsinternational: country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) (2007)
Latviageneral assessment: recent efforts focused on bringingcompetition to the telecommunications sector; the number of fixedlines is decreasing as wireless telephone service expandsdomestic: number of telecommunications operators has grown rapidlysince the fixed-line market opened to competition in 2003; combinedfixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership is roughly 125 per 100personsinternational: country code - 371; the Latvian network is nowconnected via fiber optic cable to Estonia, Finland, and Sweden(2007)
Lebanongeneral assessment: repair of the telecommunications system,severely damaged during the civil war, now completedomestic: two wireless networks provide good service; politicalinstability hampers privatization and deployment of newtechnologies; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership50 per 100 personsinternational: country code - 961; submarine cable link to Cyprus;satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 AtlanticOcean); coaxial cable to Syria (2007)
Lesothogeneral assessment: rudimentary system consisting of amodest but growing number of landlines, a small microwave radiorelay system, and a small radiotelephone communication system;mobile-cellular telephone system is expandingdomestic: privatized in 2001, Telecom Lesotho tasked with providingan additional 50,000 fixed-line connections within five years, atarget not met; mobile-cellular service is expanding with asubscribership approaching 25 per 100 persons; rural services arescantinternational: country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Liberiageneral assessment: the limited services available are foundalmost exclusively in the capital Monrovia; coverage extended to anumber of other towns and rural areas by four mobile-cellularnetwork operatorsdomestic: fixed line service stagnant and extremely limited;mobile-cellular subscription base growing and teledensityapproaching 20 per 100 personsinternational: country code - 231; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Libyageneral assessment: telecommunications system is beingmodernized; mobile cellular telephone system became operational in1996; combined fixed line and mobile telephone density approached 90telephones per 100 persons in 2007domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, cellular,tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earthstationsinternational: country code - 218; satellite earth stations - 4Intelsat, NA Arabsat, and NA Intersputnik; submarine cables toFrance and Italy; microwave radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt;tropospheric scatter to Greece; participant in Medarabtel (2007)
Liechtensteingeneral assessment: automatic telephone systemdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 423; linked to Swiss networks by cableand microwave radio relay
Lithuaniageneral assessment: adequate; being modernized to provideimproved international capability and better residential accessdomestic: rapid expansion of mobile-cellular services has resultedin a steady decline in the number of main line subscriptions;mobile-cellular teledensity has increased to about 135 per 100persons while fixed-line teledensity has dropped to 22 per 100personsinternational: country code - 370; major international connectionsto Denmark, Sweden, and Norway by submarine cable for furthertransmission by satellite; landline connections to Latvia and Poland(2007)
Luxembourggeneral assessment: highly developed, completelyautomated and efficient system, mainly buried cablesdomestic: fixed line teledensity over 50 per 100 persons; nationwidecellular telephone system with market for mobile-cellular phonesvirtually saturatedinternational: country code - 352 (2007)
Macaugeneral assessment: fairly modern communication facilitiesmaintained for domestic and international servicesdomestic: termination of monopoly over mobile-cellular telephoneservices in 2001 spurred sharp increase in subscriptions withmobile-cellular teledensity approaching 190 per 100 persons in 2008;fixed-line subscribership appears to have peaked and is now indeclineinternational: country code - 853; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, the MiddleEast, and Europe; HF radiotelephone communication facility;satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2008)
Macedoniageneral assessment: competition from the mobile-cellularsegment of the telecommunications market has led to a drop infixed-line telephone subscriptionsdomestic: combined fixed line and mobile telephone densityapproaching 100 per 100 personsinternational: country code - 389 (2007)
Madagascargeneral assessment: system is above average for theregion; Antananarivo's main telephone exchange modernized in thelate 1990s, but the rest of the analogue-based telephone system ispoorly developed; have added more than 50,000 new fixed lines since2005domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile telephone density onlyabout 12 per 100 personsinternational: country code - 261; submarine cable to Bahrain;satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat - Indian Ocean, 1Intersputnik - Atlantic Ocean region) (2007)
Malawigeneral assessment: rudimentarydomestic: fixed-line subscribership about 1 per 100 persons;privatization of Malawi Telecommunications (MTL), a necessary stepin bringing improvement to telecommunications services, completed in2006; mobile-cellular services are expanding but cellular networkcoverage is limited and is based around the main urban areas; mobilecellular subscribership roughly 8 per 100 personsinternational: country code - 265; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Atlantic Ocean)
Malaysiageneral assessment: modern system; international serviceexcellentdomestic: good intercity service provided on Peninsular Malaysiamainly by microwave radio relay; adequate intercity microwave radiorelay network between Sabah and Sarawak via Brunei; domesticsatellite system with 2 earth stations; combined fixed-line andmobile cellular teledensity exceeds 110 per 100 personsinternational: country code - 60; landing point for several majorinternational submarine cable networks that provide connectivity toAsia, Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat(1 Indian Ocean, 1 Pacific Ocean) (2007)
Maldivesgeneral assessment: telephone services have improved; eachisland now has at least 1 public telephone, and there are mobilecellular networks with a rapidly expanding subscribershipapproaching 90 per 100 personsdomestic: interatoll communication through microwave links; allinhabited islands and resorts are connected with telephone and faxserviceinternational: country code - 960; linked to international submarinecable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earthstation - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2007)
Maligeneral assessment: domestic system unreliable but improving;provides only minimal servicedomestic: fixed-line availability is gradually increasing, butsubscribership remains less than 1 per 100 persons; increasing useof local radio loops to extend network coverage to remote areas;mobile-cellular subscribership has increased sharply to 20 per 100personsinternational: country code - 223; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Indian Ocean) (2007)
Maltageneral assessment: automatic system satisfies normalrequirements; fixed-line teledensity 50 per 100 persons;mobile-cellular teledensity about 90 per 100 personsdomestic: submarine cable and microwave radio relay between islandsinternational: country code - 356; submarine cable connects toItaly; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Marshall Islandsgeneral assessment: digital switching equipment;modern services include telex, cellular, Internet, internationalcalling, caller ID, and leased data circuitsdomestic: Majuro Atoll and Ebeye and Kwajalein islands have regular,seven-digit, direct-dial telephones; other islands interconnected byhigh frequency radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes)and mini-satellite telephonesinternational: country code - 692; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); US Government satellite communicationssystem on Kwajalein (2005)
Mauritaniageneral assessment: limited system of cable and open-wirelines, minor microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephonecommunications stations; mobile-cellular services expanding rapidlydomestic: Mauritel, the national telecommunications company, wasprivatized in 2001 but remains the monopoly provider of fixed-lineservices; fixed-line teledensity 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellularnetwork coverage extends mainly to urban areas with a teledensityapproaching 40 per 100 persons; mostly cable and open-wire lines; adomestic satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott withregional capitalsinternational: country code - 222; satellite earth stations - 3 (1Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean, 2 Arabsat)
Mauritiusgeneral assessment: small system with good servicedomestic: monopoly over fixed-line services terminated in 2005;fixed-line teledensity roughly 30 per 100 persons; mobile-cellularservices launched in 1989 with teledensity in 2007 reaching 75 per100 personsinternational: country code - 230; landing point for the SAFEsubmarine cable that provides links to Asia and South Africa whereit connects to the SAT-3/WASC submarine cable that provides furtherlinks to parts of East Africa, and Europe; satellite earth station -1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HFradiotelephone links to several countries
Mayottegeneral assessment: small system administered by FrenchDepartment of Posts and Telecommunicationsdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 262; microwave radio relay and HFradiotelephone communications to Comoros
Mexicogeneral assessment: adequate telephone service for businessand government, but the population is poorly served; mobilesubscribers far outnumber fixed-line subscribers; domestic satellitesystem with 120 earth stations; extensive microwave radio relaynetwork; considerable use of fiber-optic cable and coaxial cabledomestic: low telephone density with about 18 fixed lines per 100persons; privatized in December 1990; despite the opening tocompetition in January 1997, Telmex remains dominant; legalchallenges to Telmex's alleged anti-competitive behavior in themobile and fixed-line markets culminated in a World TradeOrganization ruling in 2004 against Mexico prompting somestrengthening of the powers granted Mexico's telecom regulator;mobile cellular teledensity approaching 65 per 100 personsinternational: country code - 52; Columbus-2 fiber-optic submarinecable with access to the US, Virgin Islands, Canary Islands, Spain,and Italy; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) andthe MAYA-1 submarine cable system together provide access to CentralAmerica, parts of South America and the Caribbean, and the US;satellite earth stations - 120 (32 Intelsat, 2 Solidaridad (givingMexico improved access to South America, Central America, and muchof the US as well as enhancing domestic communications), 1 Panamsat,numerous Inmarsat mobile earth stations); linked to Central AmericanMicrowave System of trunk connections (2007)
Micronesia, Federated States of general assessment: adequate system domestic: islands interconnected by shortwave radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes), satellite (Intelsat) ground stations, and some coaxial and fiber-optic cable; cellular service available on Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap international: country code - 691; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2002)
Moldovageneral assessment: inadequate, outmoded, poor serviceoutside Chisinau; some modernization is under waydomestic: depending on location, new subscribers may face long waitfor service; multiple private operators of GSM mobile-cellulartelephone service are operating; GPRS system is being introduced; aCDMA mobile telephone network began operations in 2007; combinedfixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity approaching 70 per 100personsinternational: country code - 373; service through Romania andRussia via landline; satellite earth stations - at least 3(Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik) (2007)
Monacogeneral assessment: modern automatic telephone systemdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 377; no satellite earth stations;connected by cable into the French communications system
Mongoliageneral assessment: network is improving with internationaldirect dialing available in many areasdomestic: very low fixed-line density; there are multiple mobilecellular service providers and subscribership is increasing rapidly;a fiber-optic network is also being installed that will improvebroadband and communication services between major urban centersinternational: country code - 976; satellite earth stations - 7
Montenegrogeneral assessment: modern telecommunications system withaccess to European satellitesdomestic: GSM wireless service, available through 2 providers withnational coverage, is growing rapidlyinternational: country code - 382; 2 international switches connectthe national system
Montserratgeneral assessment: modern and fully digitalizeddomestic: NAinternational: country code - 1-664; landing point for the EastCaribbean Fiber System (ECFS) optic submarine cable with links to 13other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the BritishVirgin Islands to Trinidad
Moroccogeneral assessment: modern system with all importantcapabilities; however, density is low with only 7 fixed linesavailable for each 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership isapproaching 60 per 100 personsdomestic: good system composed of open-wire lines, cables, andmicrowave radio relay links; Internet available but expensive;principal switching centers are Casablanca and Rabat; nationalnetwork nearly 100% digital using fiber-optic links; improved ruralservice employs microwave radio relayinternational: country code - 212; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3optical telecommunications submarine cable that providesconnectivity to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earthstations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; microwaveradio relay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara; coaxial cableand microwave radio relay to Algeria; participant in Medarabtel;fiber-optic cable link from Agadir to Algeria and Tunisia (2007)
Mozambiquegeneral assessment: fair system with an extremely lowdensity of less than 1 fixed line per 100 personsdomestic: the telecommunications sector is shackled with a heavystate presence, lack of competition, and high operating costs andcharges; stagnation in the fixed-line network contrasts with rapidgrowth in the mobile-cellular network; mobile-cellular coverage nowincludes all the main cities and key roads, including those fromMaputo to the South African and Swaziland borders, the nationalhighway through Gaza and Inhambane provinces, the Beira corridor,and from Nampula to Nacalainternational: country code - 258; satellite earth stations - 5Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean)
Namibiageneral assessment: good system with a combined fixed-lineand mobile-cellular teledensity of about 45 per 100 personsdomestic: core fiber-optic network links most centers andconnections are now digital; Namibia's first mobile-cellularnetwork, launched in 1994, provides coverage to 86 percent ofNamibia by areainternational: country code - 264; fiber-optic cable to SouthAfrica, microwave radio relay link to Botswana, direct links toother neighboring countries; connected to the South African Far East(SAFE) submarine cable through South Africa; satellite earthstations - 4 Intelsat (2007)
Naurugeneral assessment: adequate local and internationalradiotelephone communication provided via Australian facilitiesdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 674; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Nepalgeneral assessment: poor telephone and telegraph service; fairradiotelephone communication service and mobile-cellular telephonenetworkdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 977; radiotelephone communications;microwave landline to India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat(Indian Ocean)
Netherlandsgeneral assessment: highly developed and well maintaineddomestic: extensive fixed-line fiber-optic network; large cellulartelephone system with 5 major operators utilizing the thirdgeneration of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)technologyinternational: country code - 31; submarine cables provide links tothe US and Europe; satellite earth stations - 5 (3 Intelsat - 1Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (2007)
Netherlands Antillesgeneral assessment: generally adequatefacilitiesdomestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay linksinternational: country code - 599; the Americas Region CaribbeanRing System (ARCOS-1) and the Americas-2 submarine cable systemsprovide connectivity to Central America, parts of South America andthe Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat(Atlantic Ocean)
New Caledoniageneral assessment: NAdomestic: a submarine cable network connection between New Caledoniaand Australia, completed in 2007, is expected to significantlyincrease network capacity and improve high-speed connectivity andaccess to international networksinternational: country code - 687; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2007)
New Zealandgeneral assessment: excellent domestic and internationalsystemsdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 64; the Southern Cross submarine cablesystem provides links to Australia, Fiji, and the US; satelliteearth stations - 8 (1 Inmarsat - Pacific Ocean, 7 other)
Nicaraguageneral assessment: system being upgraded by foreigninvestment; nearly all installed telecommunications capacity nowuses digital technology, owing to investments since privatization ofthe formerly state-owned telecommunications companydomestic: since privatization, access to fixed-line andmobile-cellular services has improved but teledensity still lagsbehind other Central American countries; connected to CentralAmerican Microwave Systeminternational: country code - 505; the Americas Region CaribbeanRing System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic submarine cable providesconnectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean,and the US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (AtlanticOcean region) and 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Nigergeneral assessment: inadequate; small system of wire, radiotelephone communications, and microwave radio relay linksconcentrated in the southwestern area of Nigerdomestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity onlyabout 7 per 100 persons; domestic satellite system with 3 earthstations and 1 plannedinternational: country code - 227; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
Nigeriageneral assessment: further expansion and modernization ofthe fixed-line telephone network is neededdomestic: the addition of a second fixed-line provider in 2002resulted in faster growth but subscribership remains only about 1per 100 persons; wireless telephony has grown rapidly, in partresponding to the shortcomings of the fixed-line network; multipleservice providers operate nationally; mobile-cellular teledensityreached 30 per 100 persons in 2007international: country code - 234; landing point for the SAT-3/WASCfiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe andAsia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1Indian Ocean) (2007)
Niuedomestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages onislandinternational: country code - 683 (2001)
Norfolk Islandgeneral assessment: adequatedomestic: free local callsinternational: country code - 672; undersea coaxial cable links withAustralia and New Zealand; satellite earth station - 1
Northern Mariana Islandsgeneral assessment: NAdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 1-670; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Norwaygeneral assessment: modern in all respects; one of the mostadvanced telecommunications networks in Europedomestic: Norway has a domestic satellite system; moreover, theprevalence of rural areas encourages the wide use of cellular-mobilesystems instead of fixed-wire systemsinternational: country code - 47; 2 buried coaxial cable systems;submarine cables provide links to other Nordic countries and Europe;satellite earth stations - NA Eutelsat, NA Intelsat (AtlanticOcean), and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note -Norway shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordiccountries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden) (1999)
Omangeneral assessment: modern system consisting of open-wire,microwave, and radiotelephone communication stations; limitedcoaxial cabledomestic: fixed-line phone service gradually being introduced toremote villages using wireless local loop systems; fixed-line andmobile-cellular subscribership both increasing; open-wire,microwave, radiotelephone communications, and a domestic satellitesystem with 8 earth stationsinternational: country code - 968; the Fiber-Optic Link Around theGlobe (FLAG) and the SEA-ME-WE-3 submarine cable provideconnectivity to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earthstations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat (2007)
Pakistangeneral assessment: the telecommunications infrastructureis improving dramatically with foreign and domestic investments intofixed-line and mobile networks; mobile-cellular subscribership hasskyrocketed, reaching some 88 million in 2008, up from only about300,000 in 2000; fiber systems are being constructed throughout thecountry to aid in network growth; main line availability has risenonly marginally over the same period and there are stilldifficulties getting main line service to rural areasdomestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable,cellular, and satellite networksinternational: country code - 92; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable systems that provide links to Asia,the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat(1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); 3 operational internationalgateway exchanges (1 at Karachi and 2 at Islamabad); microwave radiorelay to neighboring countries (2008)
Palaugeneral assessment: NAdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 680; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Panamageneral assessment: domestic and international facilitieswell developeddomestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity isapproaching 90 per 100 personsinternational: country code - 507; landing point for the AmericasRegion Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1), the MAYA-1, and PAN-AMsubmarine cable systems that together provide links to the US andparts of the Caribbean, Central America, and South America;satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected tothe Central American Microwave System (2007)
Papua New Guineageneral assessment: services are minimal;facilities provide radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio,aeronautical radio, and international radio communication servicesdomestic: access to telephone services is not widely available;combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is 6 per 100personsinternational: country code - 675; submarine cables to Australia andGuam; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean);international radio communication service (2007)
Paraguaygeneral assessment: meager telephone service; principalswitching center is in Asunciondomestic: the fixed-line market is a state monopoly; deficiencies inprovision of fixed-line service have resulted in a rapid expansionof mobile-cellular services fostered by competition among multipleprovidersinternational: country code - 595; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Perugeneral assessment: adequate for most requirementsdomestic: fixed-line teledensity is only about 9 per 100 persons;mobile-cellular teledensity, spurred by competition among multipleproviders, has increased to roughly 55 telephones per 100 persons;nationwide microwave radio relay system and a domestic satellitesystem with 12 earth stationsinternational: country code - 51; the South America-1 (SAM-1) andPan American (PAN-AM) submarine cable systems provide links to partsof Central and South America, the Caribbean, and US; satellite earthstations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Philippinesgeneral assessment: good international radiotelephoneand submarine cable services; domestic and interisland serviceadequatedomestic: domestic satellite system with 11 earth stations; cellularcommunications now dominate the industry; combined fixed-line andmobile-cellular telephone density about 60 telephones per 100 personsinternational: country code - 63; a series of submarine cablestogether provide connectivity to Asia, US, the Middle East, andEurope; multiple international gateways (2007)
Pitcairn Islandsgeneral assessment: satellite phone servicesdomestic: domestic communication via radio (CB)international: country code - 872; satellite earth station - 1(Inmarsat)
Polandgeneral assessment: modernization of the telecommunicationsnetwork has accelerated with market based competition finalized in2003; fixed-line service, dominated by the former state-ownedcompany, is dwarfed by the growth in wireless telephonydomestic: mobile-cellular service available since 1993 and providedby three nation-wide networks with a fourth provider beginningoperations in late 2006; cellular coverage is generally good withsome gaps in the east; fixed-line service is growing slowly andstill lags in rural areasinternational: country code - 48; international direct dialing withautomated exchanges; satellite earth station - 1 with access toIntelsat, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik (2007)
Portugalgeneral assessment: Portugal's telephone system hasachieved a state-of-the-art network with broadband, high-speedcapabilitiesdomestic: integrated network of coaxial cables, open-wire, microwaveradio relay, and domestic satellite earth stationsinternational: country code - 351; a combination of submarine cablesprovide connectivity to Europe, North and East Africa, South Africa,the Middle East, Asia, and the US; satellite earth stations - 3Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat;tropospheric scatter to Azores (1998)
Puerto Ricogeneral assessment: modern system integrated with thatof the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat withhigh-speed data capabilitydomestic: digital telephone system; cellular telephone serviceinternational: country code - 1-787, 939; submarine cables provideconnectivity to the US, Caribbean, Central and South America;satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
Qatargeneral assessment: modern system centered in Dohadomestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone densityis roughly 165 telephones per 100 personsinternational: country code - 974; landing point for the Fiber-OpticLink Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provideslinks to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and the US; tropospheric scatterto Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and the UAE;satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 IndianOcean) and 1 Arabsat
Romaniageneral assessment: domestic and international serviceimproving rapidly, especially in wireless telephonydomestic: more than 90 percent of telephone network is automatic;liberalization in 2003 is transforming telecommunications;fixed-line teledensity is roughly 20 telephones per 100 persons;mobile-cellular teledensity now slightly exceeds 100 telephones per100 personsinternational: country code - 40; the Black Sea Fiber Optic Systemprovides connectivity to Bulgaria and Turkey; satellite earthstations - 10; digital, international, direct-dial exchanges operatein Bucharest (2007)
Russiageneral assessment: the telephone system is experiencingsignificant changes; there are more than 1,000 companies licensed tooffer communication services; access to digital lines has improved,particularly in urban centers; Internet and e-mail services areimproving; Russia has made progress toward building thetelecommunications infrastructure necessary for a market economy;the estimated number of mobile subscribers jumped from fewer than 1million in 1998 to 170 million in 2007; a large demand for main lineservice remains unsatisfied, but fixed-line operators continue togrow their servicesdomestic: cross-country digital trunk lines run from SaintPetersburg to Khabarovsk, and from Moscow to Novorossiysk; thetelephone systems in 60 regional capitals have modern digitalinfrastructures; cellular services, both analog and digital, areavailable in many areas; in rural areas, the telephone services arestill outdated, inadequate, and low densityinternational: country code - 7; Russia is connected internationallyby undersea fiber optic cables; digital switches in several citiesprovide more than 50,000 lines for international calls; satelliteearth stations provide access to Intelsat, Intersputnik, Eutelsat,Inmarsat, and Orbita systems
Rwandageneral assessment: small, inadequate telephone systemprimarily serves business and governmentdomestic: the capital, Kigali, is connected to the centers of theprovinces by microwave radio relay and, recently, by cellulartelephone service; much of the network depends on wire and HFradiotelephone; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephonedensity is only about 7 telephones per 100 personsinternational: country code - 250; international connections employmicrowave radio relay to neighboring countries and satellitecommunications to more distant countries; satellite earth stations -1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) in Kigali (includes telex and telefaxservice)
Saint Barthelemygeneral assessment: fully integrated accessdomestic: direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systemsinternational: country code - 590; undersea fiber-optic cableprovides voice and data connectivity to Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe
Saint Helenageneral assessment: can communicate worldwidedomestic: automatic digital networkinternational: country code (Saint Helena) - 290, (Ascension Island)- 247; international direct dialing; satellite voice and datacommunications; satellite earth stations - 5 (Ascension Island - 4,Saint Helena - 1)
Saint Kitts and Nevisgeneral assessment: good interisland andinternational connectionsdomestic: interisland links via Eastern Caribbean Fiber Optic cable;construction of enhanced wireless infrastructure launched inNovember 2004international: country code - 1-869; connected internationally bythe East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and Southern Caribbeanfiber optic system (SCF) submarine cables
Saint Luciageneral assessment: adequate systemdomestic: system is automatically switchedinternational: country code - 1-758; the East Caribbean Fiber OpticSystem (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean fiber optic system (SCF)submarine cables, along with Intelsat from Martinique, carry callsinternationally; direct microwave radio relay link with Martiniqueand Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; tropospheric scatter toBarbados
Saint Martingeneral assessment: fully integrated accessdomestic: direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systemsinternational: country code - 590; undersea fiber-optic cableprovides voice and data connectivity to Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe
Saint Pierre and Miquelongeneral assessment: adequatedomestic: NAinternational: country code - 508; radiotelephone communication withmost countries in the world; satellite earth station - 1 in Frenchdomestic satellite system
Saint Vincent and the Grenadinesgeneral assessment: adequate systemdomestic: islandwide, fully automatic telephone system; VHF/UHFradiotelephone from Saint Vincent to the other islands of theGrenadines; mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 100 telephones per100 personsinternational: country code - 1-784; the East Caribbean Fiber OpticSystem (ECFS) and Southern Caribbean fiber optic system (SCF)submarine cables carry international calls; connectivity alsoprovided by VHF/UHF radiotelephone from Saint Vincent to Barbados;SHF radiotelephone to Grenada and Saint Lucia; access to Intelsatearth station in Martinique through Saint Lucia
Samoageneral assessment: adequatedomestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensityroughly 50 telephones per 100 personsinternational: country code - 685; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
San Marinogeneral assessment: adequate connectionsdomestic: automatic telephone system completely integrated intoItalian system; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensityexceeds 130 telephones per 100 personsinternational: country code - 378; connected to Italianinternational network
Sao Tome and Principegeneral assessment: local telephone network ofadequate quality with most lines connected to digital switchesdomestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensityapproaching 20 telephones per 100 personsinternational: country code - 239; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Saudi Arabiageneral assessment: modern systemdomestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, andfiber-optic cable systems; mobile-cellular subscribership has beenincreasing rapidlyinternational: country code - 966; landing point for theinternational submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe(FLAG) and for both the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cablenetworks providing connectivity to Asia, Middle East, Europe, andUS; microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE,Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; satelliteearth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region)
Senegalgeneral assessment: good systemdomestic: above-average urban system with a fiber-optic network;nearly two-thirds of all fixed-line connections are in Dakar where acall-center industry is emerging; expansion of fixed-line servicesin rural areas needed; mobile-cellular service is expanding rapidly;microwave radio relay, coaxial cable and fiber-optic cable in trunksysteminternational: country code - 221; the SAT-3/WASC fiber optic cableprovides connectivity to Europe and Asia while Atlantis-2 providesconnectivity to South America; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat(Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Serbiageneral assessment: modernization of the telecommunicationsnetwork has been slow as a result of damage stemming from the 1999war and transition to a competitive market-based system; network wasonly 65% digitalized in 2005domestic: teledensity remains below the average for neighboringstates; GSM wireless service, available through multiple providerswith national coverage, is growing very rapidly; besttelecommunications service limited to urban centersinternational: country code - 381
Seychellesgeneral assessment: effective systemdomestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity isnearly 125 telephones per 100 persons; radiotelephone communicationsbetween islands in the archipelagointernational: country code - 248; direct radiotelephonecommunications with adjacent island countries and African coastalcountries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Sierra Leonegeneral assessment: marginal telephone servicedomestic: the national microwave radio relay trunk system connectsFreetown to Bo and Kenema; mobile-cellular service is growingrapidly from a small baseinternational: country code - 232; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Singaporegeneral assessment: excellent servicedomestic: excellent domestic facilities; launched 3G wirelessservice in February 2005; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellularteledensity is about 165 telephones per 100 personsinternational: country code - 65; numerous submarine cables providelinks throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US;satellite earth stations -4; supplemented by VSAT coverage (2007)
Slovakiageneral assessment: Slovakia has a moderntelecommunications system that has expanded dramatically in recentyears with the growth in cellular servicesdomestic: analog system is now receiving digital equipment and isbeing enlarged with fiber-optic cable, especially in the largercities; 3 companies provide nationwide cellular servicesinternational: country code - 421; 3 international exchanges (1 inBratislava and 2 in Banska Bystrica) are available; Slovakia isparticipating in several international telecommunications projectsthat will increase the availability of external services
Sloveniageneral assessment: well-developed telecommunicationsinfrastructuredomestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensityroughly 140 telephones per 100 personsinternational: country code - 386
Solomon Islandsgeneral assessment: NAdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Somaliageneral assessment: the public telecommunications system wasalmost completely destroyed or dismantled during the civil war;private wireless companies offer service in most major cities andcharge the lowest international rates on the continentdomestic: local cellular telephone systems have been established inMogadishu and in several other population centersinternational: country code - 252; international connections areavailable from Mogadishu by satellite (2001)
South Africageneral assessment: the system is the best developedand most modern in Africadomestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity isnearly 110 telephones per 100 persons; consists of carrier-equippedopen-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links,fiber-optic cable, radiotelephone communication stations, andwireless local loops; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town,Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoriainternational: country code - 27; the SAT-3/WASC and SAFE fiberoptic cable systems connect South Africa to Europe and Asia;satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 AtlanticOcean)
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islandsgeneral assessment: NAdomestic: NAinternational: coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken
Spaingeneral assessment: well developed, modern facilities;fixed-line teledensity is about 45 per 100 personsdomestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity isnearly 170 telephones per 100 personsinternational: country code - 34; submarine cables provideconnectivity to Europe, Middle East, Asia, and US; satellite earthstations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NAEutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries
Sri Lankageneral assessment: telephone services have improvedsignificantly and are available in most parts of the countrydomestic: national trunk network consists mostly of digitalmicrowave radio relay; fiber-optic links now in use in Colombo areaand fixed wireless local loops have been installed; competition isstrong in mobile cellular systems and mobile cellular subscribershipis increasing; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensityis about 50 per 100 personsinternational: country code - 94; the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4submarine cables provide connectivity to Asia, Australia, MiddleEast, Europe, US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (IndianOcean)
Sudangeneral assessment: well-equipped system by regional standardsand being upgraded; cellular communications started in 1996 and haveexpanded substantiallydomestic: consists of microwave radio relay, cable, radiotelephonecommunications, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellitesystem with 14 earth stationsinternational: country code - 249; linked to international submarinecable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earthstations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Arabsat (2000)
Surinamegeneral assessment: international facilities are gooddomestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity about90 telephones per 100 persons; microwave radio relay networkinternational: country code - 597; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Svalbardgeneral assessment: probably adequatedomestic: local telephone serviceinternational: country code - 47-790; satellite earth station - 1 ofunknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only)
Swazilandgeneral assessment: a somewhat modern but not an advancedsystemdomestic: mobile-cellular subscribership is increasing; combinedfixed-line and mobile cellular teledensity approaching 40 telephonesper 100 persons; telephone system consists of carrier-equipped,open-wire lines and low-capacity, microwave radio relayinternational: country code - 268; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Swedengeneral assessment: highly developed telecommunicationsinfrastructure; ranked among leading countries for fixed-line,mobile-cellular, Internet and broadband penetrationdomestic: coaxial and multiconductor cables carry most of the voicetraffic; parallel microwave radio relay systems carry someadditional telephone channelsinternational: country code - 46; submarine cables provide links toother Nordic countries and Europe; satellite earth stations - 1Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic andIndian Ocean regions); note - Sweden shares the Inmarsat earthstation with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland,and Norway)
Switzerlandgeneral assessment: highly developed telecommunicationsinfrastructure with excellent domestic and international servicesdomestic: ranked among leading countries for fixed-line teledensityand infrastructure; mobile-cellular subscribership roughly 100 per100 persons; extensive cable and microwave radio relay networksinternational: country code - 41; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean)
Syriageneral assessment: fair system currently undergoingsignificant improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber-optictechnologydomestic: the number of fixed-line connections has increasedmarkedly since 2000; mobile-cellular service growing rapidly andteledensity about 35 wireless telephones per 100 persons; coaxialcable and microwave radio relay networkinternational: country code - 963; submarine cable connection toCyprus; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); coaxial cable and microwaveradio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey; participant inMedarabtel
Taiwangeneral assessment: provides telecommunications service forevery business and private needdomestic: thoroughly modern; completely digitalizedinternational: country code - 886; numerous submarine cables providelinks throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and theUS; satellite earth stations - 2
Tajikistangeneral assessment: poorly developed and not wellmaintained; many towns are not linked to the national networkdomestic: the domestic telecommunications network has historicallybeen under funded and poorly maintained; main line availability hasnot changed significantly since 1998; cellular telephone use isgrowing but geographic coverage remains limitedinternational: country code - 992; linked by cable and microwaveradio relay to other CIS republics and by leased connections to theMoscow international gateway switch; Dushanbe linked by Intelsat tointernational gateway switch in Ankara (Turkey); satellite earthstations - 3 (2 Intelsat and 1 Orbita) (2006)
Tanzaniageneral assessment: telecommunications services areinadequate; system operating below capacity and being modernized forbetter service; small aperture terminal (VSAT) system underconstructiondomestic: fixed-line telephone network inadequate with less than 1connection per 100 persons; mobile-cellular service, aided bymultiple providers, is increasing; trunk service provided byopen-wire, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, andfiber-optic cable; some links being made digitalinternational: country code - 255; satellite earth stations - 2Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Atlantic Ocean)
Thailandgeneral assessment: high quality system, especially inurban areas like Bangkokdomestic: fixed line system provided by both a government owned andcommercial provider; wireless service expanding rapidly andoutpacing fixed linesinternational: country code - 66; connected to major submarine cablesystems providing links throughout Asia, Australia, Middle East,Europe, and US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 IndianOcean, 1 Pacific Ocean)
Timor-Lestegeneral assessment: rudimentary service limited to urbanareasdomestic: system suffered significant damage during the violenceassociated with independence; extremely limited fixed-line services;mobile-cellular services and coverage limited primarily to urbanareasinternational: country code - 670; international service isavailable in major urban centers
Togogeneral assessment: fair system based on a network of microwaveradio relay routes supplemented by open-wire lines and amobile-cellular systemdomestic: microwave radio relay and open-wire lines for conventionalsystem; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly15 telephones per 100 personsinternational: country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Symphonie
Tokelaugeneral assessment: modern satellite-based communicationssystemdomestic: radiotelephone service between islandsinternational: country code - 690; radiotelephone service to Samoa;government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok); satellite earthstations - 3
Tongageneral assessment: competition between TongaTelecommunications Corporation (TCC) and Shoreline CommunicationsTonga (SCT) is accelerating expansion of telecommunications; SCTrecently granted authority to develop high-speed digital service fortelephone, Internet, and televisiondomestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensityroughly 40 telephones per 100 persons; fully automatic switchednetworkinternational: country code - 676; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2004)
Trinidad and Tobagogeneral assessment: excellent internationalservice; good local servicedomestic: mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 125 telephones per 100personsinternational: country code - 1-868; submarine cable systems provideconnectivity to US and parts of the Caribbean and South America;satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); troposphericscatter to Barbados and Guyana
Tunisiageneral assessment: above the African average and continuingto be upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis;Internet access availabledomestic: in an effort jumpstart expansion of the fixed-linenetwork, the government has awarded a concession to build andoperate a VSAT network with international connectivity; competitionbetween the two mobile-cellular service providers has resulted inlower activation and usage charges and a strong surge insubscribership; expansion of mobile-cellular services to includemultimedia messaging and e-mail and Internet to mobile phoneservices also leading to a surge in subscribership; overallfixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is about 90 telephonesper 100 personsinternational: country code - 216; a landing point for theSEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable system that provides links to Europe,Middle East, and Asia; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat(Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave radiorelay to Algeria and Libya; participant in Medarabtel; 2international gateway digital switches
Turkeygeneral assessment: undergoing rapid modernization andexpansion especially with cellular telephonesdomestic: additional digital exchanges are permitting a rapidincrease in subscribers; the construction of a network oftechnologically advanced intercity trunk lines, using bothfiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay, is facilitatingcommunication between urban centers; remote areas are reached by adomestic satellite system; the number of subscribers tomobile-cellular telephone service is growing rapidlyinternational: country code - 90; international service is providedby the SEA-ME-WE-3 submarine cable and by submarine fiber-opticcables in the Mediterranean and Black Seas that link Turkey withItaly, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania, and Russia; satelliteearth stations - 12 Intelsat; mobile satellite terminals - 328 inthe Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems (2002)
Turkmenistangeneral assessment: poorly developeddomestic: Turkmentelekom, in cooperation with foreign investors, isplanning to upgrade the country's telephone exchanges and install anew digital switching system; mobile-cellular usage remains limitedinternational: country code - 993; linked by cable and microwaveradio relay to other CIS republics and to other countries by leasedconnections to the Moscow international gateway switch; a newtelephone link from Ashgabat to Iran has been established; a newexchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkeyvia Intelsat; satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat(2006)
Turks and Caicos Islandsgeneral assessment: fully digital systemwith international direct dialingdomestic: full range of services available; GSM wireless serviceavailableinternational: country code - 1-649; the Americas Region CaribbeanRing System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic telecommunications submarine cableprovides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of theCaribbean, and the US; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat(Atlantic Ocean)
Tuvalugeneral assessment: serves particular needs for internalcommunicationsdomestic: radiotelephone communications between islandsinternational: country code - 688; international calls can be madeby satellite
Ugandageneral assessment: seriously inadequate; mobile cellularservice is increasing rapidly, but the number of main lines is stilldeficient; e-mail and Internet services are availabledomestic: intercity traffic by wire, microwave radio relay, andradiotelephone communication stations, fixed and mobile-cellularsystems for short-range trafficinternational: country code - 256; satellite earth stations - 1Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat; analog links to Kenya andTanzania
Ukrainegeneral assessment: Ukraine's telecommunication developmentplan emphasizes improving domestic trunk lines, internationalconnections, and the mobile-cellular systemdomestic: at independence in December 1991, Ukraine inherited atelephone system that was antiquated, inefficient, and in disrepair;more than 3.5 million applications for telephones could not besatisfied; telephone density is rising and the domestic trunk systemis being improved; about one-third of Ukraine's networks are digitaland a majority of regional centers now have digital switchingstations; improvements in local networks and local exchangescontinue to lag; the mobile-cellular telephone system is expandingrapidlyinternational: country code - 380; 2 new domestic trunk lines are apart of the fiber-optic Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) system and 3Ukrainian links have been installed in the fiber-opticTrans-European Lines (TEL) project that connects 18 countries;additional international service is provided by theItaly-Turkey-Ukraine-Russia (ITUR) fiber-optic submarine cable andby an unknown number of earth stations in the Intelsat, Inmarsat,and Intersputnik satellite systems
United Arab Emiratesgeneral assessment: modern fiber-opticintegrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use ofmobile-cellular telephones; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubaidomestic: microwave radio relay, fiber optic and coaxial cableinternational: country code - 971; linked to the internationalsubmarine cable FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe); landingpoint for both the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cablenetworks; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Oceanand 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain;microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia
United Kingdomgeneral assessment: technologically advanced domesticand international systemdomestic: equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, andfiber-optic systemsinternational: country code - 44; numerous submarine cables providelinks throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and US;satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Eutelsat;at least 8 large international switching centers
United Statesgeneral assessment: a large, technologically advanced,multipurpose communications systemdomestic: a large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radiorelay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites carries every form oftelephone traffic; a rapidly growing cellular system carries mobiletelephone traffic throughout the countryinternational: country code - 1; multiple ocean cable systemsprovide international connectivity; satellite earth stations - 61Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16 Pacific Ocean), 5 Intersputnik(Atlantic Ocean region), and 4 Inmarsat (Pacific and Atlantic Oceanregions) (2000)
Uruguaygeneral assessment: fully digitalizeddomestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; newnationwide microwave radio relay network; overall fixed-line andmobile-cellular teledensity is 115 telephones per 100 personsinternational: country code - 598; the UNISOR submarine cable systemprovides direct connectivity to Brazil and Argentina; satelliteearth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2002)
Uzbekistangeneral assessment: antiquated and inadequate; in seriousneed of modernizationdomestic: the main line telecommunications system is dilapidated andtelephone density is low; the state-owned telecommunicationscompany, Uzbektelecom, is working on improving main line services;mobile services are growing swiftly, with the subscriber base morethan doubling in 2007 to 5.8 millioninternational: country code - 998; linked by landline or microwaveradio relay with CIS member states and to other countries by leasedconnection via the Moscow international gateway switch; after thecompletion of the Uzbek link to the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE)fiber-optic cable, Uzbekistan will be independent of Russianfacilities for international communications (2007)
Vanuatugeneral assessment: NAdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 678; satellite earth station - 1Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Venezuelageneral assessment: modern and expandingdomestic: domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations; recentsubstantial 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 ofdigital multimedia services; fixed-line teledensity 20 per 100persons; mobile-cellular teledensity more than 90 per 100 personsinternational: country code - 58; submarine cable systems provideconnectivity to the Caribbean, Central and South America, and US;satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1PanAmSat; participating with Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia inthe construction of an international fiber-optic network (2007)