Short facts about communications in Sri Lanka

Telephones - main lines in use:

494,509 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

228,604 (1999)

Telephone system:

general assessment:  very inadequate domestic service, particularly in rural areas; some hope for improvement with privatization of national telephone company and encouragement to private investment; good international service (1999) domestic:  national trunk network consists mostly of digital microwave radio relay; fiber-optic links now in use in Colombo area and two fixed wireless local loops have been installed; competition is strong in mobile cellular systems; telephone density remains low at 2.6 main lines per 100 persons (1999) international:  submarine cables to Indonesia and Djibouti; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (1999)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 26, FM 45, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:

3.85 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

21 (1997)

Televisions:

1.53 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.lk

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

5 (2000)

Internet users:

65,000 (2000)

Source: World Factbook