Telecommunications in the Falkland Islands explained

Telecommunications in the Falkland Islands includes radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet.

Radio and television

• Radio: Radio services provided by the public broadcaster, Falkland Islands Radio Service, broadcasting on both AM and FM frequencies, and by the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) (2007).^[1]
• Radio sets: 1,000 (1997).
• Television: TV service provided by a multi-channel service provider (2007).^[1]
• Television sets: 1,008 (2001).

Six free-to-air digital channels are provided by BFBS: BBC One, BBC Two, ITV, Channel 4, Sky News and BFBS Extra for non-military audiences. Entitled personnel within British Forces South Atlantic can also receive Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports 2 and BFBS Sport.^[2]

A local subscription service, KTV carries satellite channels such as ESPN, Discovery, CNN International and Turner Classic Movies (from the United States) along with BBC World News from the United Kingdom.^[3]

Telephones

See also: Telephone numbers in the Falkland Islands.

• Calling code: +500^[1]
• International call prefix: 00^[4]
• Main lines: 1,980 lines in use (2012), 218th in the world.^[1]
• Mobile cellular: 3,450 lines, 216th in the world (2012);^[1] Cable & Wireless launched "Touch" a GSM 900 mobile service during December 2005; Roaming became partially available in April 2007 depending on providers.
• Domestic: Government-operated radiotelephone and private VHF/CB radiotelephone networks provide effective service to almost all points on both islands (2011).^[1] Services in Stanley are delivered via fibre optic and copper. Telephone penetration by household is 100%.
• Satellite earth station: 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) with links through the United Kingdom to other countries (2011).^[1]

Internet

• Top-level domain: .fk^[1]
• Internet users: 2,842 users, 208th in the world; 96.9% of the population, 1st in the world (2012).^{[5] [6]}
• Fixed broadband: 1,187 subscriptions, 179th in the world; 40.5% of the population, 5th in the world (2012).^{[5] [7]}
• Wireless broadband: unknown (2012).^[8]
• Internet hosts: 110 hosts, 207th in the world (2012).^[1]
• Internet Service Providers (ISPs): Sure South Atlantic (formerly Cable & Wireless).^[9]
• ADSL services were launched in Stanley in mid-2006.^[9]

External links

• KTV, website.
• Station History, Falkland Islands Radio Service (FIRS).
• How it all started, Saint FM (Falklands).
• Sure Falkland Islands History, Sure South Atlantic, the successor to Cable & Wireless.

Notes and References

1. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/falkland-islands-islas-malvinas/ "Communications: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)"
2. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-forces-broadcasting-contract-begins The British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) has started a new contract to deliver television and radio programmes to the UK Armed Forces
3. Web site: KTV Ltd..
4. http://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-t/opb/sp/T-SP-E.164C-2011-PDF-E.pdf Dialing Procedures (International Prefix, National (Trunk) Prefix and National (Significant) Number) (in Accordance with ITY-T Recommendation E.164 (11/2010))
5. 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
6. http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Documents/statistics/2013/Individuals_Internet_2000-2012.xls "Percentage of Individuals using the Internet 2000-2012"
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"
9. http://www.sure.co.fk/index.php/about-us Sure Falkland Islands History