| Telephones - main lines in use | total subscriptions: 1,490,831 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 20.28 (2019 est.) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | total subscriptions: 4,362,183 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 59.33 (2019 est.) |
| Telecommunication systems | general assessment: reliance on radio network to communicate with remote areas; regulatory reform is below industry standards; government aims to strengthen infrastructure and attract foreign investment; low fixed-broadband penetration; dominance in mobile broadband with 4G and LTE, but low compared to other Asian markets; ASEAN Digital Hub investment provides international capacity; state owns almost all media, except for some entertainment outlets, and has suppressed some news; importer of broadcasting equipment and computers from China; providers examining m-payment platforms and 5G tests (2021) (2020)domestic: fixed-line 21 per 100 and 61 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2019) international: country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) and a second to be developed by China 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 |
| Broadcast media | 6 TV stations operating out of Vientiane - 3 government-operated and the others commercial; 17 provincial stations operating with nearly all programming relayed via satellite from the government-operated stations in Vientiane; Chinese and Vietnamese programming relayed via satellite from Lao National TV; broadcasts available from stations in Thailand and Vietnam in border areas; multi-channel satellite and cable TV systems provide access to a wide range of foreign stations; state-controlled radio with state-operated Lao National Radio (LNR) broadcasting on 5 frequencies - 1 AM, 1 SW, and 3 FM; LNR's AM and FM programs are relayed via satellite constituting a large part of the programming schedules of the provincial radio stations; Thai radio broadcasts available in border areas and transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are also accessible |
| Internet country code | .la |
| Internet users | total: 1,845,437 percent of population: 25.51% (July 2018 est.) |
| Broadband - fixed subscriptions | total: 45,379 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2018 est.) |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
