Telephones - main lines in use: 701,200 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 917,200 (2002)

Telephone system: fixed line quality and coverage inadequate outside major cities, around 96.53% of country covered by at least one mobile operator though.

domestic: expansion underway in intercity trunk line connections, rural exchanges, and mobile systems; still many unsatisfied subscriber applications
international: international connections are now available via cable and a satellite earth station at Riga, enabling direct connections for most calls (1998)

The ongoing situation in the telecommunications market (2003) - monopoly on fixed and competition in the mobile lines business,- has led to overwhelming use of cellular phones for private customers, fixed lines being requested mostly by companies.

Since the fixed-line voice communication monopoly has ended on January 1, 2003, there have been several companies to purchase a license for voice cmmunication services: Aeronavigācijas serviss, Baltkom TV, Beta Telecom, Latvenergo Tehniskais Centrs, Telecentrs, Telenets, Telekom Baltija and CSC Telecom. Those of them who do offer voice telephony though, mostly provide service for cheaper foreign calls, as all local calls would go through the infrastructure of the previous monopoly holder Lattelekom and be subject to the additional costs.

Radio broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 56, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios: 1.76 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 44 (plus 31 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions: 1.22 million (1997)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 41 (2001)

Internet users: 312,000 (2002)

Country code (Top-level domain): LV

See also : Latvia

External links

Latvian State Department of Communications (http://en.sam.gov.lv/)

Major telecommunications operators in Latvia:
Lattelekom (http://www.lattelekom.lv/)
LMT (Latvian Mobile Telephone) (http://www.lmt.lv/)
Tele2 (http://www.tele2.lv/)