Telecommunications in Cyprus includes radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet, in the Republic of Cyprus.
CYTA, the state-owned telecommunications company, manages most telecommunications and internet connections on the island. However, following the recent liberalization of the telecommunications sector, a few private telecommunications companies, have emerged.
See also: List of radio stations in Cyprus and Television in Cyprus.
The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC, Greek, Modern (1453-);: ΡΙΚ, Turkish: KRYK) is the main broadcaster in Cyprus, although there are also privately owned 4 radio and 3 TV stations. A television channel from the Greek state broadcaster ERT (ERT World) is available. The British Forces Broadcasting Service also operates radio and TV stations, although the TV signal is now confined to the Sovereign Base Areas or encrypted for copyright reasons.
A mixture of state and privately run radio services; the public broadcaster operates 4 radio stations; in addition a number of private radio stations are available; in Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus, there are 4 public radio stations as well as privately owned radio broadcast stations (2007).[1]
See also: Telephone numbers in Cyprus and Telephone numbers in Northern Cyprus.
+357 for the Republic of Cyprus and +90 for Northern Cyprus, which uses the Turkish numbering plan.[1]
00[2]
a number of submarine cables, including the SEA-ME-WE 3, combine to provide connectivity to Western Europe, the Middle East and Asia;[1]
8 as follows: 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 2 Eutelsat, 2 Intersputnik and 1 ArabSat.[1]
Asymmetric digital subscriber line, the most widespread broadband technology in Cyprus, is available in most urban and sub-urban areas, with multiple providers offering packages that range from 512 kbit/s to 32 Mbit/s. Cable broadband is also available in some urban locations (Nicosia, Larnaca and Limassol) with speeds up to 150 Mbit/s. An internet service provider comparison website exists at the Cyprus Broadband portal.[3] Many wireless networks are appearing in Cyprus, some with no minimum contract/pay as you go[4] and others with a fixed contract. Quantum Cable is planned 7,700 km ultra high speed optical fiber submarine communications cable system connecting Cyprus with Greece, Israel, Italy, France and Spain.[5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]
It is expected to have 160 terabits per second, capacity equivalent to streaming 80 million HD video conference calls at the same time. The Quantum Cable will be laid at same time with the 2,000 MW EuroAsia Interconnector. Quantum Cable will upgrade Cyprus to telecom hub and will support data centers on Cyprus.[9] [10]
694,223 users, 126th in the world; 61.0% of the population, 63rd in the world (2012).[11] [12]
218,783 subscriptions, 82nd in the world; 19.2% of population, 51st in the world (2012).[11] [13]
384,270 subscriptions, 98th in the world; 33.8% of the population, 47th in the world (2012).[13]
252,013 hosts, 67th in the world (2012).[1]
1.1 million addresses allocated, less than 0.05% of the world total, 999 addresses per 1000 people (2012).[14] [15]
There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet, with the exception that gambling sites not licensed by the Republic of Cyprus are blocked,[16] or reports that the government monitored email or Internet chat rooms without appropriate legal authority. Individuals and groups engage in the peaceful expression of views via the Internet, including e‑mail.[17] The law provides for freedom of speech and press and the government generally respects these rights in practice. An independent press, an effective judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system combine to ensure freedom of speech and press. The law prohibits arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, or correspondence, and the government generally respects these prohibitions in practice.[17]
See main article: Northern Cyprus.
The northern part of the island is controlled by the de facto Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The status of Northern Cyprus as a separate entity is recognised only by Turkey, which keeps around 30,000 troops in the north of the island.[18]
International telephone calls to northern Cyprus are routed via a Turkish dialing code (+90 392) as northern Cyprus has neither its own country code nor official ITU prefix. Similarly, there is no Internet top-level domain for northern Cyprus, which is instead under the Turkish second-level domain .ct.tr and .nc.tr. Amateur radio operators sometimes use call signs beginning with "1B", but these have no standing for awards or other operating credit.