Telephones - main lines in use 30 million (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular 2.5 million (October 2000)

Telephone system
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services, both analog and digital, are available in many areas; in rural areas, the telephone services are still outdated, inadequate, and low density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

Radio broadcast stations AM 420, FM 447, shortwave 56 (1998)

Radios 61.5 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations 7,306 (1998)

Televisions 60.5 million (1997)

Internet country code .ru

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 35 (2000)

Internet users 9.2 million (2000)

NOTE: The information regarding Russia on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Russia Communications 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Russia Communications 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.