Telecommunications in Bhutan explained

Telecommunications in Bhutan includes telephones, radio, television, and the Internet.

Telephones

See also: Telephone numbers in Bhutan.

• Main lines: 27,900 lines in use, 179th in the world (2012).^[1]
• Mobile cellular: 560,000 lines, 165th in the world (2012).^[1]
• Telephone system:
  • general assessment: Urban towns and district headquarters have telecommunications services (2012);^[1]
  • domestic: very low tele-density, domestic service is poor especially in rural areas, mobile cellular service available since 2003 is now widely available (2012);^[1]
  • international: international telephone and telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India (2012);^[1]
  • satellite earth station: 1 Intelsat (2012).^[1]
• Country codes: Bhutan +975,^[1] Phuentsholing (0)1, Thimphu (0)2, Bumthang (0)3, Paro (0)8.

Radio and television

• First radio station, Radio NYAB, privately launched in 1973, is now state-owned (2012).^[1]
• Five private radio stations are currently broadcasting (2012).^[1]
• Radios: 37,000 (1997).
• The Bhutan Broadcasting Service first commenced television transmissions in June 1999, upon legalizing television,^[2] one of the last countries in the world to do so.^[1]
• Cable TV service offers dozens of Indian and other international channels (2012).^[1]
• Televisions: 11,000 (1999).

Internet

• Top level domain: .bt^[1]
• Internet hosts: 14,590 hosts, 126th in the world (2012).^[1]
• IPv4: 23,552 addresses allocated, 32.9 per 1000 people (2012).^{[3] [4]}
• Internet users: 182,338 users, 155th in the world; 25.4% of the population, 137th in the world (2012).^{[5] [6]}
• Fixed broadband: 16,015 subscriptions, 135th in the world; 2.2% of population, 124th in the world (2012).^{[6] [7]}
• Mobile broadband: 17,851 subscriptions, 133rd in the world; 2.5% of population, 122nd in the world (2012).^{[6] [8]}
• Internet Service Providers: Bhutan's main and only ISP is Druknet, owned by Bhutan Telecom. It provides a dial-up service, at a reasonable cost.
• Internet cafes: Located in most large towns.

See also

• Censorship on the Internet
• Radio Waves, a radio station in located in Thimphu, Bhutan. Formed in December 2010, it is currently run by Kelzang Thinley and broadcasts in Dzongkha and English.

External links

• nic.bt, Bhutan Network Information Center.
• www.bbs.bt, Bhutan Broadcasting Service.
• Wireless Voice/Data Communication in Remote Bhutan

Notes and References

1. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/bhutan/ "Communications"
2. Web site: FRONTLINE/WORLD . Bhutan - the Last Place . Index page | PBS.
3. http://www.countryipblocks.net/country-blocks/select-formats/ Select Formats
4. https://web.archive.org/web/20070613003851/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2119.html Population
5. http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Documents/statistics/2013/Individuals_Internet_2000-2012.xls "Percentage of Individuals using the Internet 2000-2012"
6. Calculated using penetration rate and population data from "Countries and Areas Ranked by Population: 2012", Population data, International Programs, U.S. Census Bureau, retrieved 26 June 2013
7. http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ICTEYE/Reporting/DynamicReportWizard.aspx "Fixed (wired)-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 2012"
8. http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ICTEYE/Reporting/DynamicReportWizard.aspx "Active mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 2012"