Chapter M: Major infectious diseases (142)

Canada
general assessment: excellent service provided by modern
technology
domestic: domestic satellite system with about 300 earth stations
international: country code - 1; submarine cables provide links to
the US and Europe; satellite earth stations - 7 (5 Intelsat - 4
Atlantic Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean, and 2 Intersputnik - Atlantic
Ocean region) (2007)

Cape Verde
general assessment: effective system, extensive
modernization from 1996-2000 following partial privatization in 1995
domestic: major service provider is Cabo Verde Telecom (CVT);
fiber-optic ring, completed in 2001, links all islands providing
Internet access and ISDN services; cellular service introduced in
1998; broadband services launched in 2004
international: country code - 238; landing point for the Atlantis-2
fiber-optic transatlantic telephone cable that provides links to
South America, Senegal, and Europe; HF radiotelephone to Senegal and
Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
(2007)

Cayman Islands
general assessment: reasonably good system
domestic: liberalization of telecom market in 2003; introduction of
competition in the mobile-cellular market in 2004
international: country code - 1-345; landing points for the MAYA-1,
Eastern Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS), and the Cayman-Jamaica Fiber
System submarine cables that provide links to the US and parts of
Central and South America; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Central African Republic
general assessment: network consists
principally of microwave radio relay and low-capacity, low-powered
radiotelephone communication
domestic: limited telephone service with less than 1 fixed-line
connection per 100 persons; spurred by the presence of multiple
mobile-cellular service providers, cellular usage is increasing from
a low base; most fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone services
are concentrated in Bangui
international: country code - 236; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2008)

Chad
general assessment: inadequate system of radiotelephone
communication stations with high costs and low telephone density
domestic: fixed-line connections for only about 1 per 1000 persons
coupled with mobile-cellular subscribership base of only about 25
per 100 persons
international: country code - 235; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)

Chile
general assessment: privatization begun in 1988; most advanced
telecommunications infrastructure in South America; modern system
based on extensive microwave radio relay facilities; domestic
satellite system with 3 earth stations
domestic: number of fixed-line connections have stagnated in recent
years as mobile-cellular usage continues to increase, reaching a
level of 100 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 56; landing points for the Pan
American, South America-1, and South American Crossing/Latin America
Nautilius submarine cables providing links to the US and to Central
and South America; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean) (2009)

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; China continues to develop its telecommunications
infrastructure, and is partnering with foreign providers to expand
its global reach; China in the summer of 2008 began a major
restructuring of its telecommunications industry, resulting in the
consolidation of its six telecom service operators to three, China
Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom, each providing both
fixed-line and mobile services
domestic: interprovincial fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular
telephone systems have been installed; mobile-cellular
subscribership is increasing rapidly; the number of Internet users
exceeded 250 million by summer 2008; a domestic satellite system
with 55 earth stations is in place
international: country code - 86; a number of submarine cables
provide connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the US;
satellite earth stations - 7 (5 Intelsat - 4 Pacific Ocean and 1
Indian Ocean; 1 Intersputnik - Indian Ocean region; and 1 Inmarsat -
Pacific and Indian Ocean regions) (2008)

Christmas Island
general assessment: service provided by the
Australian network
domestic: GSM mobile-cellular telephone service replaced older
analog system in February 2005
international: country code - 61-8; satellite earth station - 1
(Intelsat provides telephone and telex service) (2005)

Cocos (Keeling) Islands
general assessment: connected within
Australia's telecommunication system; a local mobile-cellular
network is in operation
domestic: NA
international: country code - 61; telephone, telex, and facsimile
communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; satellite
earth station - 1 (Intelsat) (2001)

Colombia
general assessment: modern system in many respects with a
nationwide microwave radio relay system, a domestic satellite system
with 41 earth stations, and a fiber-optic network linking 50 cities;
telecommunications sector liberalized during the 1990s; multiple
providers of both fixed-line and mobile-cellular services
domestic: fixed-line connections stand at about 15 per 100 persons;
mobile cellular telephone subscribership is about 90 per 100
persons; competition among cellular service providers is resulting
in falling local and international calling rates and contributing to
the steep decline in the market share of fixed line services
international: country code - 57; landing points for the ARCOS,
Colombia-Florida Subsea Fiber (CFX-1), Maya-1, Pan American, and the
South America-1 submarine cables providing links to the US, parts of
the Caribbean, and Central and South America; satellite earth
stations - 10 (6 Intelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 3 fully digitalized
international switching centers) (2009)

Comoros
general assessment: sparse system of microwave radio relay
and HF radiotelephone communication stations
domestic: fixed-line connections only about 3 per 100 persons;
mobile cellular usage about 15 per 100 persons
international: country code - 269; HF radiotelephone communications
to Madagascar and Reunion

Congo, Democratic Republic of the
general assessment: barely
adequate wire and microwave radio relay service in and between urban
areas; domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations; inadequate
fixed line infrastructure
domestic: state-owned operator providing less than 1 fixed-line
connection per 1000 persons; given the backdrop of a wholly
inadequate fixed-line infrastructure, the use of mobile-cellular
services has surged and subscribership in 2009 exceeded 10 million -
roughly 15 per 100 persons
international: country code - 243; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)

Congo, Republic of the
general assessment: primary network consists
of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable with services barely
adequate for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville,
Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo; intercity lines frequently out of order
domestic: fixed-line infrastructure inadequate providing less than 1
connection per 100 persons; in the absence of an adequate fixed line
infrastructure, mobile-cellular subscribership has surged and now
exceeds 50 per 100 persons
international: country code - 242; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)

Cook Islands
general assessment: Telecom Cook Islands offers
international direct dialing, Internet, email, fax, and Telex
domestic: 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: country code - 682; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Costa Rica
general assessment: good domestic telephone service in
terms of breadth of coverage; under the terms of CAFTA-DR, the
state-run telecommunications monopoly scheduled to be opened to
competition from domestic and international firms, has been delayed
by the nation's telecommunications regulator.
domestic: point-to-point and point-to-multi-point microwave,
fiber-optic, and coaxial cable link rural areas; Internet service is
available
international: country code - 506; landing points for the Americas
Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1), MAYA-1, and the Pan American
Crossing submarine cables that provide links to South and Central
America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; connected to Central
American Microwave System; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean) (2009)

Cote d'Ivoire
general assessment: well developed by African
standards; telecommunications sector privatized in late 1990s and
operational fixed-lines have increased since that time with two
fixed-line providers operating over open-wire lines, microwave radio
relay, and fiber-optics; 90% digitalized
domestic: with multiple mobile-cellular service providers competing
in the market, usage has increased sharply to roughly 65 per 100
persons
international: country code - 225; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC
fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and
Asia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1
Indian Ocean) (2009)

Croatia
general assessment: the telecommunications network has
improved steadily since the mid-1990s; local lines are digital
domestic: fixed-line teledensity holding steady at about 40 per 100
persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscriptions exceed the
population
international: country code - 385; digital international service is
provided through the main switch in Zagreb; Croatia participates in
the Trans-Asia-Europe (TEL) fiber-optic project, which consists of 2
fiber-optic trunk connections with Slovenia and a fiber-optic trunk
line from Rijeka to Split and Dubrovnik; the ADRIA-1 submarine cable
provides connectivity to Albania and Greece (2009)

Cuba
general assessment: greater investment beginning in 1994 and
the establishment of a new Ministry of Information Technology and
Communications in 2000 has resulted in improvements in the system;
national fiber-optic system under development; 95% of switches
digitized by end of 2006; mobile-cellular telephone service is
expensive and must be paid in convertible pesos, which effectively
limits subscribership
domestic: fixed-line density remains low at less than 10 per 100
inhabitants; mobile-cellular service expanding but remains less than
5 per 100 persons
international: country code - 53; fiber-optic cable laid to but not
linked to US network; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik
(Atlantic Ocean region) (2009)

Cyprus
general assessment: excellent in both area under government
control and area administered by Turkish Cypriots
domestic: open-wire, fiber-optic cable, and microwave radio relay
international: country code - 357 (area administered by Turkish
Cypriots uses the country code of Turkey - 90); a number of
submarine cables, including the SEA-ME-WE-3, combine to provide
connectivity to Western Europe, the Middle East, and Asia;
tropospheric scatter; satellite earth stations - 8 (3 Intelsat - 1
Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, 2 Eutelsat, 2 Intersputnik, and 1
Arabsat)

Czech Republic
general assessment: privatization and modernization
of the Czech telecommunication system got a late start but is
advancing steadily; virtually all exchanges now digital; existing
copper subscriber systems enhanced with Asymmetric Digital
Subscriber Line (ADSL) equipment to accommodate Internet and other
digital signals; trunk systems include fiber-optic cable and
microwave radio relay
domestic: access to the fixed-line telephone network expanded
throughout the 1990s but the number of fixed line connections has
been dropping since then; mobile telephone usage increased sharply
beginning in the mid-1990s and the number of cellular telephone
subscriptions now greatly exceeds the population
international: country code - 420; satellite earth stations - 6 (2
Intersputnik - Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions, 1 Intelsat, 1
Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat, 1 Globalstar) (2009)

Denmark
general assessment: excellent telephone and telegraph
services
domestic: buried and submarine cables and microwave radio relay form
trunk network, multiple cellular mobile communications systems
international: country code - 45; a series of fiber-optic submarine
cables link Denmark with Canada, Faroe Islands, Germany, Iceland,
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and UK; satellite earth
stations - 18 (6 Intelsat, 10 Eutelsat, 1 Orion, 1 Inmarsat
(Blaavand-Atlantic-East)); note - the Nordic countries (Denmark,
Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) share the Danish earth station
and the Eik, Norway, station for worldwide Inmarsat access (2008)

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: Djibouti Telecom is the sole provider of
telecommunications services and utilizes mostly a microwave radio
relay network; fiber-optic cable is installed in the capital; rural
areas connected via wireless local loop radio systems; mobile
cellular coverage is primarily limited to the area in and around
Djibouti city
international: country code - 253; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3
optical telecommunications submarine cable with links to Asia, the
Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat -
Indian Ocean and 1 Arabsat); Medarabtel regional microwave radio
relay telephone network (2009)

Dominica
general assessment: fully automatic network
domestic: Fixed-line teledensity is roughly 25 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular teledensity approached 150 per 100 persons in 2009
international: country code - 1-767; landing points for the East
Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) and the Global Caribbean Network
(GCN) submarine cables providing connectivity to other islands in
the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to
Trinidad; microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to
Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint
Lucia

Dominican Republic
general assessment: relatively efficient system
based on island-wide microwave radio relay network
domestic: fixed-line teledensity is about 10 per 100 persons;
multiple providers of mobile-cellular service with a subscribership
of roughly 75 per 100 persons
international: country code - 1-809; landing point for the Americas
Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1), Antillas 1, and the
Fibralink submarine cables that provide links to South and Central
America, parts of the Caribbean, and US; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)

Ecuador
general assessment: generally elementary but being expanded
domestic: fixed-line services provided by multiple
telecommunications operators; fixed-line teledensity stands at about
14 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular use has surged and
subscribership reached about 95 per 100 persons in 2009
international: country code - 593; landing points for the PAN-AM and
South America-1 submarine cables that provide links to the west
coast of South America, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, and extending
onward to Aruba and the US Virgin Islands in the Caribbean;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)

Egypt
general assessment: underwent extensive upgrading during
1990s; principal centers at Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah,
Ismailia, Suez, and Tanta are connected by coaxial cable and
microwave radio relay
domestic: largest fixed-line system in the region; as of 2010 there
were three mobile-cellular networks with a total of more than 55
million subscribers
international: country code - 20; landing point for Aletar, the
SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable networks, Link Around
the Globe (FLAG) Falcon and FLAG FEA; satellite earth stations - 4
(2 Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean, 1 Arabsat, and 1
Inmarsat); tropospheric scatter to Sudan; microwave radio relay to
Israel; a participant in Medarabtel (2009)

El Salvador
general assessment: multiple mobile-cellular providers
are expanding services rapidly and in 2009 teledensity exceeded 100
per 100 persons; growth in fixed-line services has slowed in the
face of mobile-cellular competition
domestic: nationwide microwave radio relay system
international: country code - 503; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave
System (2009)

Equatorial Guinea
general assessment: digital fixed-line network in
most major urban areas and good mobile coverage
domestic: fixed-line density is about 2 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular subscribership has been increasing and in 2009 stood
at about 70 percent of the population
international: country code - 240; international communications from
Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2009)

Eritrea
general assessment: inadequate; most telephones are in
Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to improve the
system (2002)
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership is
only about 3 per 100 persons (2009)
international: country code - 291; note - international connections
exist

Estonia
general assessment: foreign investment in the form of joint
business ventures greatly improved telephone service with a wide
range of high quality voice, data, and Internet services available
domestic: substantial fiber-optic cable systems carry telephone, TV,
and radio traffic in the digital mode; Internet services are widely
available; schools and libraries are connected to the Internet, a
large percentage of the population files income-tax returns online,
and online voting was used for the first time in the 2005 local
elections
international: country code - 372; fiber-optic cables to Finland,
Sweden, Latvia, and Russia provide worldwide packet-switched
service; 2 international switches are located in Tallinn (2008)

Ethiopia
general assessment: inadequate telephone system with the
Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC) maintaining a
monopoly over telecommunication services; open-wire, microwave radio
relay; radio communication in the HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies; 2
domestic satellites provide the national trunk service
domestic: the number of fixed lines and mobile telephones is
increasing from a small base; combined fixed and mobile-cellular
teledensity is only about 5 per 100 persons
international: country code - 251; open-wire to Sudan and Djibouti;
microwave radio relay to Kenya and Djibouti; satellite earth
stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Pacific Ocean) (2009)

European Union
note - see individual country entries of member states

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
general assessment: NA
domestic: government-operated radiotelephone and private VHF/CB
radiotelephone networks provide effective service to almost all
points on both islands
international: country code - 500; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) with links through London to other
countries

Faroe Islands
general assessment: good international communications;
good domestic facilities
domestic: conversion to digital system completed in 1998; both NMT
(analog) and GSM (digital) mobile telephone systems are installed
international: country code - 298; satellite earth stations - 1
Orion; 1 fiber-optic submarine cable to the Shetland Islands,
linking the Faroe Islands with Denmark and Iceland; fiber-optic
submarine cable connection to Canada-Europe cable

Fiji
general assessment: modern local, interisland, and
international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose
telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio
communications center
domestic: telephone or radio telephone links to almost all inhabited
islands; most towns and large villages have automatic telephone
exchanges and direct dialing; combined fixed and mobile-cellular
teledensity is about 80 per 100 persons
international: country code - 679; access to important cable links
between US and Canada as well as between NZ and Australia; satellite
earth stations - 2 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean) (2009)

Finland
general assessment: modern system with excellent service
domestic: digital fiber-optic fixed-line network and an extensive
mobile-cellular network provide domestic needs
international: country code - 358; submarine cables provide links to
Estonia and Sweden; satellite earth stations - access to Intelsat
transmission service via a Swedish satellite earth station, 1
Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Finland shares
the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark,
Iceland, Norway, and Sweden)

France
general assessment: highly developed
domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay; extensive use
of fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system
international: country code - 33; numerous submarine cables provide
links throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and US;
satellite earth stations - more than 3 (2 Intelsat (with total of 5
antennas - 2 for Indian Ocean and 3 for Atlantic Ocean), NA
Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat - Atlantic Ocean region); HF radiotelephone
communications with more than 20 countries
overseas departments: country codes: French Guiana - 594; Guadeloupe
- 590; Martinique - 596; Reunion - 262

French Polynesia
general assessment: NA
domestic: combined fixed and mobile-cellular density is roughly 90
per 100 persons
international: country code - 689; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2009)

Gabon
general assessment: adequate system of cable, microwave radio
relay, tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations,
and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations
domestic: a growing mobile-cellular network with multiple providers
is making telephone service more widely available; subscribership
reached 90 per 100 persons in 2009
international: country code - 241; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC
fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and
Asia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)

Gambia, The
general assessment: adequate microwave radio relay and
open-wire network; state-owned Gambia Telecommunications partially
privatized in 2007
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity, aided
by multiple mobile-cellular providers, approached 85 per 100 persons
in 2009
international: country code - 220; microwave radio relay links to
Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; a landing station for the Africa Coast to
Europe (ACE) undersea fiber-optic cable is scheduled for completion
in 2011; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)

Gaza Strip
general assessment: Gaza continues to repair the damage
to its telecommunications infrastructure caused by fighting in 2009
domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL
are responsible for fixed line services; the Palestinian JAWWAL
company provides cellular services
international: country code - 970 (2009)

Georgia
general assessment: fixed-line telecommunications network
has only limited coverage outside Tbilisi; long list of people
waiting for fixed line connections; multiple mobile-cellular
providers provide services to an increasing subscribership
throughout the country
domestic: cellular telephone networks cover the entire country;
mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 60 per 100 people; urban
fixed-line telephone density is about 20 per 100 people; rural
telephone density is about 4 per 100 people; intercity facilities
include a fiber-optic line between T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi;
nationwide pager service is available
international: country code - 995; the Georgia-Russia fiber optic
submarine cable provides connectivity to Russia; international
service is available by microwave, landline, and satellite through
the Moscow switch; international electronic mail and telex service
are available

Germany
general assessment: Germany has one of the world's most
technologically advanced telecommunications systems; as a result of
intensive capital expenditures since reunification, the formerly
backward system of the eastern part of the country, dating back to
World War II, has been modernized and integrated with that of the
western part
domestic: Germany is served by an extensive system of automatic
telephone exchanges connected by modern networks of fiber-optic
cable, coaxial cable, microwave radio relay, and a domestic
satellite system; cellular telephone service is widely available,
expanding rapidly, and includes roaming service to many foreign
countries
international: country code - 49; Germany's international service is
excellent worldwide, consisting of extensive land and undersea cable
facilities as well as earth stations in the Inmarsat, Intelsat,
Eutelsat, and Intersputnik satellite systems (2001)

Ghana
general assessment: primarily microwave radio relay; wireless
local loop has been installed; outdated and unreliable fixed-line
infrastructure heavily concentrated in Accra
domestic: competition among multiple mobile-cellular providers has
spurred growth with a subscribership of more than 60 per 100 persons
and rising
international: country code - 233; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC,
Main One, and GLO-1 fiber-optic submarine cables that provide
connectivity to South Africa, Europe, and Asia; satellite earth
stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay link
to Panaftel system connects Ghana to its neighbors (2009)

Gibraltar
general assessment: adequate, automatic domestic system
and adequate international facilities
domestic: automatic exchange facilities
international: country code - 350; radiotelephone; microwave radio
relay; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Greece
general assessment: adequate, modern networks reach all
areas; good mobile telephone and international service
domestic: microwave radio relay trunk system; extensive open-wire
connections; submarine cable to offshore islands
international: country code - 30; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3
optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to
Europe, Middle East, and Asia; a number of smaller submarine cables
provide connectivity to various parts of Europe, the Middle East,
and Cyprus; tropospheric scatter; satellite earth stations - 4 (2
Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean, 1 Eutelsat, and 1
Inmarsat - Indian Ocean region)

Greenland
general assessment: adequate domestic and international
service provided by satellite, cables and microwave radio relay;
totally digital since 1995
domestic: microwave radio relay and satellite
international: country code - 299; satellite earth stations - 15 (12
Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 2 Americom GE-2 (all Atlantic Ocean)) (2000)

Grenada
general assessment: automatic, island-wide telephone system
domestic: interisland VHF and UHF radiotelephone links
international: country code - 1-473; landing point for the East
Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13
other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British
Virgin Islands to Trinidad; SHF radiotelephone links to Trinidad and
Tobago and Saint Vincent; VHF and UHF radio links to Trinidad

Guam
general assessment: modern system, integrated with US
facilities for direct dialing, including free use of 800 numbers
domestic: digital system, including mobile-cellular service and
local access to the Internet
international: country code - 1-671; major landing point for
submarine cables between Asia and the US (Guam is a trans-Pacific
communications hub for major carriers linking the US and Asia);
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Guatemala
general assessment: fairly modern network centered in the
city of Guatemala
domestic: state-owned telecommunications company privatized in the
late 1990s opening the way for competition; fixed-line teledensity
roughly 10 per 100 persons; fixed-line investments are being
concentrated on improving rural connectivity; mobile-cellular
teledensity exceeds 100 per 100 persons
international: country code - 502; landing point for both the
Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the SAM-1 fiber
optic submarine cable system that together provide connectivity to
South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US;
connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2008)

Guernsey
general assessment: NA
domestic: fixed-line and mobile-cellular services widely available;
combined fixed and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 100 per 100
persons
international: country code - 44; 1 submarine cable

Guinea
general assessment: inadequate system of open-wire lines,
small radiotelephone communication stations, and new microwave radio
relay system
domestic: Conakry reasonably well served; coverage elsewhere remains
inadequate and large companies tend to rely on their own systems for
nationwide links; fixed-line teledensity less than 1 per 100
persons; mobile-cellular subscribership is expanding and exceeded 50
per 100 persons in 2009
international: country code - 224; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Guinea-Bissau
general assessment: small system including a
combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines,
radiotelephone, and mobile-cellular communications
domestic: fixed-line teledensity less than 1 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular teledensity reached 35 per 100 in 2009
international: country code - 245 (2008)

Guyana
general assessment: fair system for long-distance service;
microwave radio relay network for trunk lines; many areas still lack
fixed-line telephone services
domestic: fixed-line teledensity is about 15 per 100 persons; ;
mobile-cellular teledensity about 35 per 100 persons in 2005
international: country code - 592; tropospheric scatter to Trinidad;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Haiti
general assessment: telecommunications infrastructure is among
the least developed in Latin America and the Caribbean; domestic
facilities barely adequate; international facilities slightly better
domestic: mobile-cellular telephone services are expanding rapidly
due, in part, to the introduction of low-cost GSM phones;
mobile-cellular teledensity reached 40 per 100 persons in 2009
international: country code - 509; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Holy See (Vatican City)
general assessment: automatic digital
exchange
domestic: connected via fiber optic cable to Telecom Italia network
international: country code - 39; uses Italian system

Honduras
general assessment: the number of fixed-line connections
are increasing but still limited; competition among multiple
providers of mobile-cellular services is contributing to a sharp
increase in the number of subscribers
domestic: beginning in 2003, private sub-operators allowed to
provide fixed-lines in order to expand telephone coverage
contributing to an increase in fixed-line teledensity to roughly 10
per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership reached 100 per 100
persons in 2009
international: country code - 504; landing point for both the
Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the MAYA-1 fiber
optic submarine cable system that together provide connectivity to
South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to
Central American Microwave System

Hong Kong
general assessment: modern facilities provide excellent
domestic and international services
domestic: microwave radio relay links and extensive fiber-optic
network
international: country code - 852; multiple international submarine
cables provide connections to Asia, US, Australia, the Middle East,
and Western Europe; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific
Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China

Hungary
general assessment: the telephone system has been
modernized; the system is digital 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
domestic: competition among mobile-cellular service providers has
led to a sharp increase in the use of mobile-cellular phones since
2000 and a decrease in the number of fixed-line connections
international: country code - 36; 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: telecommunications infrastructure is
modern and fully digitized, with satellite-earth stations,
fiber-optic cables, and an extensive broadband network
domestic: liberalization of the telecommunications sector beginning
in the late 1990s has led to increased competition especially in the
mobile services segment of the market
international: country code - 354; the CANTAT-3 and FARICE-1
submarine cable systems provide connectivity to Canada, the Faroe
Islands, UK, Denmark, and Germany; a planned new section of the
Hibernia-Atlantic submarine cable will provide additional
connectivity to Canada, US, and Ireland; 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: supported by recent deregulation and
liberalization of telecommunications laws and policies, India has
emerged as one of the fastest growing telecom markets in the world;
total telephone subscribership base reached 700 million, an overall
teledensity of 60%, and subscribership is currently growing more
than 15 million per month; urban teledensity has reached 100% and
rural teledensity is about 20% and steadily growing
domestic: mobile cellular service introduced in 1994 and organized
nationwide into four metropolitan areas and 19 telecom circles each
with multiple private service providers and one or more state-owned
service providers; in recent years significant trunk capacity added
in the form of fiber-optic cable and one of the world's largest
domestic satellite systems, the Indian National Satellite system
(INSAT), with 6 satellites supporting 33,000 very small aperture
terminals (VSAT)
international: country code - 91; a number of major international
submarine cable systems, including Sea-Me-We-3 with landing sites at
Cochin and Mumbai (Bombay), Sea-Me-We-4 with a landing site at
Chennai, Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) with a landing
site at Mumbai (Bombay), South Africa - Far East (SAFE) with a
landing site at Cochin, the i2i cable network linking to Singapore
with landing sites at Mumbai (Bombay) and Chennai (Madras), and Tata
Indicom linking Singapore and Chennai (Madras), provide a
significant increase in the bandwidth available for both voice and
data traffic; satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region); 9 gateway exchanges operating
from Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta), Chennai
(Madras), Jalandhar, Kanpur, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, and Ernakulam
(2010)

Indonesia
general assessment: domestic service includes an
interisland microwave system, an HF radio police net, and a domestic
satellite communications system; international service good
domestic: coverage provided by existing network has been expanded by
use of over 200,000 telephone kiosks many located in remote areas;
mobile-cellular subscribership growing rapidly
international: country code - 62; landing point for both the
SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable networks that provide
links throughout Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)

Iran
general assessment: 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: the addition of new fiber cables and modern switching and
exchange systems installed by Iran's state-owned telecom company
have improved and expanded the fixed-line network greatly;
fixed-line availability has more than doubled to nearly 26 million
lines since 2000; additionally, mobile-cellular service has
increased dramatically serving more than 50 million subscribers in
2009; combined fixed and mobile-cellular subscribership now exceeds
100 per 100 persons
international: country code - 98; 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; HF radio and microwave radio relay to
Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria,
Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; satellite earth stations - 13 (9
Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat) (2009)

Iraq
general assessment: the 2003 liberation of Iraq severely
disrupted telecommunications throughout Iraq including international
connections; widespread government efforts to rebuild domestic and
international communications through fiber optic links are in
progress; the mobile cellular market has expanded rapidly and its
subscribership base is expected to continue increasing rapidly
domestic: repairs to switches and lines destroyed during 2003
continue; additional switching capacity is improving access;
mobile-cellular service is available and centered on 3 GSM networks
which are being expanded beyond their regional roots, improving
country-wide connectivity; wireless local loop is available in some
metropolitan areas and additional licenses have been issued with the
hope of overcoming the lack of fixed-line infrastructure
international: country code - 964; satellite earth stations - 4 (2
Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean, 1 Intersputnik -
Atlantic Ocean region, and 1 Arabsat (inoperative)); local microwave
radio relay connects border regions to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and
Turkey; international terrestrial fiber-optic connections have been
established with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Kuwait with planned
connections to Iran and Jordan; a link to the Fiber-Optic Link
Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine fiber-optic cable is planned (2009)

Ireland
general assessment: modern digital system using cable and
microwave radio relay
domestic: system privatized but dominated by former state monopoly
operator; increasing levels of broadband access
international: country code - 353; landing point for the
Hibernia-Atlantic submarine cable with links to the US, Canada, and
UK; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Isle of Man
general assessment: NA
domestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system
international: country code - 44; fiber-optic cable, microwave radio
relay, satellite earth station, submarine cable

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; four privately-owned mobile-cellular
service providers with countrywide coverage
international: country code - 972; submarine cables provide links to
Europe, Cyprus, and parts of the Middle East; satellite earth
stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2008)

Italy
general assessment: modern, well developed, fast; fully
automated telephone, telex, and data services
domestic: high-capacity cable and microwave radio relay trunks
international: country code - 39; a series of submarine cables
provide links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, North Africa, and US;
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

Jamaica
general assessment: fully automatic domestic telephone
network
domestic: the 1999 agreement to open the market for
telecommunications services resulted in rapid growth in
mobile-cellular telephone usage while the number of fixed-lines in
use has declined; combined mobile-cellular teledensity exceeded 110
per 100 persons in 2009
international: country code - 1-876; the Fibralink submarine cable
network provides enhanced delivery of business and broadband traffic
and is linked to the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1)
submarine cable in the Dominican Republic; the link to ARCOS-1
provides seamless connectivity to US, parts of the Caribbean,
Central America, and South America; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2008)

Japan
general assessment: excellent domestic and international
service
domestic: high level of modern technology and excellent service of
every kind
international: country code - 81; numerous submarine cables provide
links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US;
satellite earth stations - 7 Intelsat (Pacific and Indian Oceans), 1
Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region), 3 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian
Ocean regions), and 8 SkyPerfect JSAT (2008)

Jersey
general assessment: state-owned, partially-competitive
market; increasingly modern, with some broadband access
domestic: digital telephone system launch announced in 2006 and
currently being implemented; fixed-line and mobile-cellular services
widely available; combined fixed and mobile-cellular density exceeds
100 per 100 persons
international: country code - 44; submarine cable connectivity to
Guernsey, the UK, and France (2008)

Jordan
general assessment: service has improved recently with
increased use of digital switching equipment; microwave radio relay
transmission and coaxial and fiber-optic cable are employed on trunk
lines; growing mobile-cellular usage in both urban and rural areas
is reducing use of fixed-line services; Internet penetration remains
modest and slow-growing
domestic: 1995 telecommunications law opened all non-fixed-line
services to private competition; in 2005, monopoly over fixed-line
services terminated and the entire telecommunications sector was
opened to competition; currently multiple mobile-cellular providers
with subscribership rapidly approaching 100 per 100 persons
international: country code - 962; landing point for the Fiber-Optic
Link Around the Globe (FLAG) FEA and FLAG Falcon submarine cable
networks; satellite earth stations - 33 (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;
participant in Medarabtel (2010)

Kazakhstan
general assessment: inherited an outdated
telecommunications network from the Soviet era requiring
modernization
domestic: intercity by landline and microwave radio relay; number of
fixed-line connections is gradually increasing and fixed-line
teledensity now roughly 25 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage is
increasing and the subscriber base now is roughly 100 per 100 persons
international: country code - 7; international traffic with other
former Soviet republics and China carried by landline and microwave
radio relay and with other countries by satellite and by the
Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable; satellite earth stations
- 2 Intelsat (2008)

Kenya
general assessment: inadequate; fixed-line telephone system is
small and inefficient; trunks are primarily microwave radio relay;
business data commonly transferred by a very small aperture terminal
(VSAT) system
domestic: sole fixed-line provider, Telkom Kenya, is slated for
privatization; multiple providers in the mobile-cellular segment of
the market fostering a boom in mobile-cellular telephone usage with
teledensity reaching 50 per 100 persons in 2009
international: country code - 254; The East Africa Marine System
(TEAMS) and the SEACOM undersea fiber-optic cable systems; satellite
earth stations - 4 Intelsat

Kiribati
general assessment: generally good quality national and
international service
domestic: wire line service available on Tarawa and Kiritimati
(Christmas Island); connections to outer islands by HF/VHF
radiotelephone; wireless service available in Tarawa since 1999
international: country code - 686; Kiribati is being linked to the
Pacific Ocean Cooperative Telecommunications Network, which should
improve telephone service; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Pacific Ocean)

Korea, North
general assessment: adequate system; nationwide
fiber-optic network; mobile-cellular service expanding beyond
Pyongyang
domestic: fiber-optic links installed down to the county level;
telephone directories unavailable; mobile-cellular service,
initiated in 2002, suspended in 2004; Orascom Telecom, an Egyptian
company, launched mobile service on December 15, 2008 for the
Pyongyang area with plans to expand nationwide
international: country code - 850; satellite earth stations - 2 (1
Intelsat - Indian Ocean, 1 Russian - Indian Ocean region); other
international connections through Moscow and Beijing (2009)

Korea, South
general assessment: excellent domestic and
international services featuring rapid incorporation of new
technologies
domestic: fixed-line and mobile-cellular services widely available
with a combined telephone subscribership of roughly 140 per 100
persons; rapid assimilation of a full range of telecommunications
technologies leading to a boom in e-commerce
international: country code - 82; numerous submarine cables provide
links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US;
satellite earth stations - 66

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, and open-wire and fiber-optic cable; a
mobile-cellular telephone system operates throughout Kuwait, and the
country is well supplied with pay telephones
international: country code - 965; linked to international submarine
cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); linked to Bahrain,
Qatar, UAE via the Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG) cable; coaxial cable and
microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 6
(3 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean, 1 Inmarsat -
Atlantic Ocean, and 2 Arabsat)

Kyrgyzstan
general assessment: telecommunications infrastructure is
being upgraded; loans from the European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (EBRD) are being used to install a digital network,
digital radio-relay stations, and fiber-optic links
domestic: fixed-line penetration remains low and concentrated in
urban areas; multiple mobile-cellular service providers with growing
coverage; mobile-cellular subscribership exceeded 80 per 100 persons
in 2009
international: country code - 996; connections with other CIS
countries by landline or microwave radio relay and with other
countries by leased connections with Moscow international gateway
switch and by satellite; satellite earth stations - 2 (1
Intersputnik, 1 Intelsat); connected internationally by the
Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line

Laos
general assessment: service to general public is poor but
improving; the government relies on a radiotelephone network to
communicate with remote areas
domestic: multiple service providers; mobile cellular usage growing
very rapidly
international: country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1
Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) and a second to be developed by
China (2008)

Latvia
general assessment: recent efforts focused on bringing
competition to the telecommunications sector; the number of fixed
lines is decreasing as mobile-cellular telephone service expands
domestic: number of telecommunications operators has grown rapidly
since the fixed-line market opened to competition in 2003; combined
fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership exceeds 125 per 100
persons
international: country code - 371; the Latvian network is now
connected via fiber optic cable to Estonia, Finland, and Sweden
(2008)

Lebanon
general assessment: repair of the telecommunications system,
severely damaged during the civil war, now complete
domestic: two mobile-cellular networks provide good service;
combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership exceeds 55
per 100 persons
international: country code - 961; submarine cable links to Cyprus,
Egypt, and Syria; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian
Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean); coaxial cable to Syria (2009)

Lesotho
general assessment: rudimentary system consisting of a
modest number of landlines, a small microwave radio relay system,
and a small radiotelephone communication system; mobile-cellular
telephone system is expanding
domestic: privatized in 2001, Telecom Lesotho was tasked with
providing an additional 50,000 fixed-line connections within five
years, a target not met; mobile-cellular service dominates the
market and is expanding with a subscribership exceeding 30 per 100
persons in 2009; rural services are scant
international: country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)

Liberia
general assessment: the limited services available are found
almost exclusively in the capital Monrovia; fixed-line service
stagnant and extremely limited; telephone coverage extended to a
number of other towns and rural areas by four mobile-cellular
network operators
domestic: mobile-cellular subscription base growing and teledensity
reached 25 per 100 persons in 2009
international: country code - 231; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)

Libya
general assessment: telecommunications system is state-owned
and service is poor, but investment is being made to upgrade; state
retains monopoly in fixed-line services; mobile-cellular telephone
system became operational in 1996
domestic: multiple providers for a mobile telephone system that is
growing rapidly; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity
is approaching 100 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 218; satellite earth stations - 4
Intelsat, NA Arabsat, and NA Intersputnik; submarine cable to France
and Italy; microwave radio relay to Tunisia and Egypt; tropospheric
scatter to Greece; participant in Medarabtel (2009)

Liechtenstein
general assessment: automatic telephone system
domestic: fixed-line and mobile-cellular services widely available;
combined telephone service subscribership exceeds 150 per 100 persons
international: country code - 423; linked to Swiss networks by cable
and microwave radio relay (2008)

Lithuania
general assessment: adequate; being modernized to provide
improved international capability and better residential access
domestic: rapid expansion of mobile-cellular services has resulted
in a steady decline in the number of fixed-line connections;
mobile-cellular teledensity stands at about 140 per 100 persons
international: country code - 370; major international connections
to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway by submarine cable for further
transmission by satellite; landline connections to Latvia and Poland
(2008)

Luxembourg
general assessment: highly developed, completely
automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables
domestic: fixed line teledensity over 50 per 100 persons; nationwide
mobile-cellular telephone system with market for mobile-cellular
phones virtually saturated
international: country code - 352 (2008)

Macau
general assessment: fairly modern communication facilities
maintained for domestic and international services
domestic: termination of monopoly over mobile-cellular telephone
services in 2001 spurred sharp increase in subscriptions with
mobile-cellular teledensity approaching 200 per 100 persons in 2010;
fixed-line subscribership appears to have peaked and is now in
decline
international: country code - 853; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3
submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, the Middle
East, and Europe; HF radiotelephone communication facility;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2010)

Macedonia
general assessment: competition from the mobile-cellular
segment of the telecommunications market has led to a drop in
fixed-line telephone subscriptions
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone
subscribership about 115 per 100 persons
international: country code - 389 (2009)

Madagascar
general assessment: system is above average for the
region; Antananarivo's main telephone exchange modernized in the
late 1990s, but the rest of the analogue-based telephone system is
poorly developed; have been adding fixed line connections since 2005
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity about
30 per 100 persons
international: country code - 261; SEACOM undersea fiber-optic cable
and the Lion undersea cable connecting to Reunion and Mauritius;
satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat - Indian Ocean, 1
Intersputnik - Atlantic Ocean region) (2009)

Malawi
general assessment: rudimentary; privatization of Malawi
Telecommunications (MTL), a necessary step in bringing improvement
to telecommunications services, completed in 2006
domestic: limited fixed-line subscribership of about 1 per 100
persons; mobile-cellular services are expanding but network coverage
is limited and is based around the main urban areas; mobile-cellular
subscribership about 15 per 100 persons
international: country code - 265; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Atlantic Ocean) (2009)

Malaysia
general assessment: modern system featuring good intercity
service on Peninsular Malaysia provided mainly by microwave radio
relay and an adequate intercity microwave radio relay network
between Sabah and Sarawak via Brunei; international service excellent
domestic: domestic satellite system with 2 earth stations; combined
fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity 135 per 100 persons
international: country code - 60; landing point for several major
international submarine cable networks that provide connectivity to
Asia, Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat
(1 Indian Ocean, 1 Pacific Ocean) (2008)

Maldives
general assessment: telephone services have improved;
interatoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited
islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service
domestic: each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there
are mobile-cellular networks with a rapidly expanding subscribership
that exceeds 100 per 100 persons
international: country code - 960; linked to international submarine
cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth
station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2009)

Mali
general assessment: domestic system unreliable but improving;
increasing use of local radio loops to extend network coverage to
remote areas
domestic: fixed-line subscribership remains less than 1 per 100
persons; mobile-cellular subscribership has increased sharply to
nearly 30 per 100 persons
international: country code - 223; satellite communications center
and fiber-optic links to neighboring countries; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Indian Ocean) (2008)

Malta
general assessment: automatic system featuring submarine cable
and microwave radio relay between islands
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership
exceeds 165 per 100 persons
international: country code - 356; submarine cable connects to
Italy; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2008)

Marshall Islands
general assessment: digital switching equipment;
modern services include telex, cellular, Internet, international
calling, caller ID, and leased data circuits
domestic: Majuro Atoll and Ebeye and Kwajalein islands have regular,
seven-digit, direct-dial telephones; other islands interconnected by
high frequency radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes)
and mini-satellite telephones
international: country code - 692; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); US Government satellite communications
system on Kwajalein (2005)

Mauritania
general assessment: limited system of cable and open-wire
lines, minor microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone
communications stations; mobile-cellular services expanding rapidly
domestic: Mauritel, the national telecommunications company, was
privatized in 2001 but remains the monopoly provider of fixed-line
services; fixed-line teledensity 2 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular
network coverage extends mainly to urban areas with a teledensity of
70 per 100 persons; mostly cable and open-wire lines; a domestic
satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with regional
capitals
international: country code - 222; satellite earth stations - 3 (1
Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean, 2 Arabsat); optical-fiber and Asymmetric
Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) cables for internet access (2008)

Mauritius
general assessment: small system with good service
domestic: monopoly over fixed-line services terminated in 2005;
fixed-line teledensity roughly 30 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular
services launched in 1989 with teledensity in 2009 reaching 85 per
100 persons
international: country code - 230; landing point for the SAFE
submarine cable that provides links to Asia and South Africa where
it connects to the SAT-3/WASC submarine cable that provides further
links to parts of East Africa, and Europe; satellite earth station -
1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF
radiotelephone links to several countries (2009)

Mayotte
general assessment: small system administered by French
Department of Posts and Telecommunications
domestic: NA
international: country code - 262; microwave radio relay and HF
radiotelephone communications to Comoros

Mexico
general assessment: adequate telephone service for business
and government; improving quality and increasing mobile cellular
availability, with mobile subscribers far outnumbering fixed-line
subscribers; domestic satellite system with 120 earth stations;
extensive microwave radio relay network; considerable use of
fiber-optic cable and coaxial cable
domestic: despite the opening to competition in January 1997, Telmex
remains dominant; Fixed-line teledensity is less than 20 per 100
persons; mobile-cellular teledensity reached 75 per 100 persons in
2009
international: country code - 52; Columbus-2 fiber-optic submarine
cable with access to the US, Virgin Islands, Canary Islands, Spain,
and Italy; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and
the MAYA-1 submarine cable system together provide access to Central
America, parts of South America and the Caribbean, and the US;
satellite earth stations - 120 (32 Intelsat, 2 Solidaridad (giving
Mexico improved access to South America, Central America, and much
of the US as well as enhancing domestic communications), 1 Panamsat,
numerous Inmarsat mobile earth stations); linked to Central American
Microwave System of trunk connections (2009)

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; mobile-cellular
service available on Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap
international: country code - 691; satellite earth stations - 5
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2002)

Moldova
general assessment: poor service outside Chisinau; some
modernization is under way
domestic: depending on location, new subscribers may face long wait
for service; multiple private operators of GSM mobile-cellular
telephone service are operating; GPRS system is being introduced; a
CDMA mobile telephone network began operations in 2007; combined
fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity 90 per 100 persons
international: country code - 373; service through Romania and
Russia via landline; satellite earth stations - at least 3
(Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik) (2009)

Monaco
general assessment: modern automatic telephone system; the
country's sole fixed line operator offers a full range of services
to residential and business customers
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity
exceeds 100%
international: country code - 377; no satellite earth stations;
connected by cable into the French communications system

Mongolia
general assessment: network is improving with international
direct dialing available in many areas; a fiber-optic network has
been installed that is improving broadband and communication
services between major urban centers with multiple companies
providing inter-city fiber-optic cable services
domestic: very low fixed-line teledensity; there are multiple
mobile- cellular providers and subscribership is increasing rapidly;
international: country code - 976; satellite earth stations - 7

Montenegro
general assessment: modern telecommunications system with
access to European satellites
domestic: GSM mobile-cellular service, available through multiple
providers with national coverage, is growing
international: country code - 382; 2 international switches connect
the national system

Montserrat
general assessment: modern and fully digitalized
domestic: fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone systems available
international: country code - 1-664; landing point for the East
Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) optic submarine cable with links to 13
other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British
Virgin Islands to Trinidad

Morocco
general assessment: good system composed of open-wire lines,
cables, and microwave radio relay links; principal switching centers
are Casablanca and Rabat; national network nearly 100% digital using
fiber-optic links; improved rural service employs microwave radio
relay; Internet available but expensive
domestic: fixed-line teledensity is roughly 10 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular subscribership approached 75 per 100 persons in 2009
international: country code - 212; landing point for the Atlas
Offshore, Estepona-Tetouan, Euroafrica, Spain-Morocco, and
SEA-ME-WE-3 fiber-optical telecommunications undersea cables that
provide connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite
earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat;
microwave radio relay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara;
coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria; participant in
Medarabtel; fiber-optic cable link from Agadir to Algeria and
Tunisia (2009)

Mozambique
general assessment: a fair telecommunications system that
is shackled with a heavy state presence, lack of competition, and
high operating costs and charges
domestic: stagnation in the fixed-line network contrasts with rapid
growth in the mobile-cellular network; mobile-cellular coverage now
includes all the main cities and key roads, including those from
Maputo to the South African and Swaziland borders, the national
highway through Gaza and Inhambane provinces, the Beira corridor,
and from Nampula to Nacala; extremely low fixed-line teledensity;
despite significant growth in mobile-cellular services, teledensity
remains low at about 25 per 100 persons
international: country code - 258; satellite earth stations - 5
Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean); landing point for
the SEACOM fiber-optic cable

Namibia
general assessment: good system; core fiber-optic network
links most centers and connections are now digital
domestic: multiple mobile-cellular providers with a combined
subscribership of nearly 60 telephones per 100 persons; combined
fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity about 65 per 100 persons
international: country code - 264; fiber-optic cable to South
Africa, microwave radio relay link to Botswana, direct links to
other neighboring countries; connected to the South African Far East
(SAFE) submarine cable through South Africa; satellite earth
stations - 4 Intelsat (2008)

Nauru
general assessment: adequate local and international
radiotelephone communication provided via Australian facilities
domestic: NA
international: country code - 674; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Nepal
general assessment: poor telephone and telegraph service; fair
radiotelephone communication service and mobile-cellular telephone
network
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone service
subscribership base only about 30 per 100 persons
international: country code - 977; radiotelephone communications;
microwave landline to India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Indian Ocean) (2008)