subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 13.75 (2019 est.)
total subscriptions: 21,581
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2.57 (2019 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 1,746,238,000
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 125.66 (2019 est.)
total subscriptions: 729,239
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 86.79 (2019 est.)
Internet country code
.cn
.bt
Internet users
total: 751,886,119
percent of population: 54.3% (July 2018 est.)
total: 368,714
percent of population: 48.11% (July 2018 est.)
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: China has the largest Internet market in the world with almost all subscribers accessing Internet through mobile devices; market is driven through government-allied investment; fast-developing data center market; government aims to provide universal and affordable broadband coverage through market competition and private investment in state-controlled enterprises; 3G and LTE subscribers will migrate to 5G aiming for 1M 5G base stations; government strengthens IoT policies to boost economic growth; China is pushing development of smart cities beyond Beijing; Beijing residents carry virtual card integrating identity, social security, health, and education documents; government controls gateways to global Internet through censorship, surveillance, and shut-downs; major exporter of broadcasting equipment world-wide (2021) (2020)
domestic: 13 per 100 fixed line and 120 per 100 mobile-cellular; a domestic satellite system with several earth stations has been in place since 2018 (2019)
international: country code - 86; landing points for the RJCN, EAC-C2C, TPE, APCN-2, APG, NCP, TEA, SeaMeWe-3, SJC2, Taiwan Strait Express-1, AAE-1, APCN-2, AAG, FEA, FLAG and TSE submarine cables providing connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the US; satellite earth stations - 7 (5 Intelsat - 4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean; 1 Intersputnik - Indian Ocean region; and 1 Inmarsat - Pacific and Indian Ocean regions) (2019)
note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments
general assessment:
Bhutan's telecom market is dominated by the mobile sector for voice and data connections due to poor fixed-line infrastructure and topographic issues; investment is focused on mobile infrastructure and an emergency telecom network for natural disasters; extended LTE to 60% of all mobile Internet users; regulator developing 5G plan; international communication through landline and microwave relay; nascent satellite service; importer of broadcast equipment from India (2021)
(2020)
domestic: 3 to 100 fixed-line, 96 to 100 mobile cellular; domestic service inadequate, notably in rural areas (2019)
international: country code - 975; international telephone and telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 449.279 million
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 32.33 (2019 est.)
total: 8,774
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1.04 (2019 est.)
Broadcast media
all broadcast media are owned by, or affiliated with, the Communist Party of China or a government agency; no privately owned TV or radio stations; state-run Chinese Central TV, provincial, and municipal stations offer more than 2,000 channels; the Central Propaganda Department sends directives to all domestic media outlets to guide its reporting with the government maintaining authority to approve all programming; foreign-made TV programs must be approved prior to broadcast; increasingly, Chinese turn to online and satellite television to access Chinese and international films and television shows (2019)
state-owned TV station established in 1999; cable TV service offers dozens of Indian and other international channels; first radio station, privately launched in 1973, is now state-owned; 5 private radio stations are currently broadcasting (2012)
