Communications in Haiti

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Telephones - main lines in use: 115,000 (2005) (citation needed)

Télécommunications d'Haiti S.A.M. (Teleco), a 98%-government owned company, has a monopoly on the provision of landline services throughout the country. Teleco has been constantly hobbled by political interference which has affected its performance. A net generator of revenues for the government in the 1970's and early 1980's, Teleco's demise started with the Prosper Avril government which spent Teleco's profits on politically-motivated campaigns and outright graft. The practice continued with the Aristide government.

Telephones - mobile cellular: 250,000 (2005)

Communications Cellulaires d'Haiti S.A. (Comcel) and Haiti Telecommunications International S.A. (Haitel) are the country's two providers of cellular phone services.

Comcel, a subsidiary of Trilogy International Partners, LLC, is a TDMA company which launched its service in September 1999. Haitel, an independent company founded by Franck Ciné, a Haitian-American and former MCI/Worldcom executive, adopted CDMA technology. Neither company offers nationwide service although they cover several major cities.

Digicel Haiti, an affiliate of the pan-Caribbean Digicel Group won Haiti's first GSM license in June 2005 and is expected to launch service in early 2006.

Voila, a new GSM service was started in early 2006, by Comcel. Local radio reports that 200,000 new GSM phones have been sold for the Voila service in the first two months of 2006.

Telephone system: Domestic facilities are barely adequate. International facilities are slightly better
domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay trunk service
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 41, FM 26, shortwave 0 (1999)

Radios: 415,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 4 in Port au Prince (plus a cable TV system) (2005)

Televisions: 38,000 (1997)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 5 (2005)

Country code (Top-level domain): HT

See also : Haiti