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Russia: Communications
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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30 million (1998)
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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19 million (January 2003)
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: the telephone system has undergone significant changes in the 1990s; there are more than 1,000 companies licensed to offer communication services; access to digital lines has improved, particularly in urban centers; Internet and e-mail services are improving; Russia has made progress toward building the telecommunications infrastructure necessary for a market economy; however, a large demand for main line service remains unsatisfied
domestic: cross-country digital trunk lines run from Saint Petersburg to Khabarovsk, and from Moscow to Novorossiysk; the telephone systems in 60 regional capitals have modern digital infrastructures; cellular services, both analog and digital, are available in many areas; in rural areas, the telephone services are still outdated, inadequate, and low density
international: Russia is connected internationally by three undersea fiber-optic cables; digital switches in several cities provide more than 50,000 lines for international calls; satellite earth stations provide access to Intelsat, Intersputnik, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Orbita systems
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 420, FM 447, shortwave 56 (1998)
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Radios:
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61.5 million (1997)
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Television broadcast stations:
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7,306 (1998)
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Televisions:
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60.5 million (1997)
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Internet country code:
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.ru; Russia also has responsibility for a legacy domain ".su" that was allocated to the Soviet Union, its legal status and ownership are contested by the Russian Government, ICANN, and several Russian commercial entities
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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300 (June 2000)
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Internet users:
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18 million (2002)
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