Telecommunication systems: general assessment:
a modern telecom system; one operator has near monopoly of fixed-line market; competition in mobile- and fixed-broadband market; broadband growth in recent years; competition among DSL, cable, and fiber platforms; FttP growth in cities; operator launched 1Gb/s cable broadband service in 3 cities and 200,000 premises in 2019; EU funding for development and improvement of e-government and online services; regulator prepared groundwork for 5G services in 2020 (2021)
(2020)domestic: four companies have a license to operate cellular networks and provide nationwide cellular services; a few other companies provide services but do not have their own networks; fixed-line 12 per 100 and mobile-cellular 136 per 100 teledensity (2019)
international: country code - 421; 3 international exchanges (1 in Bratislava and 2 in Banska Bystrica) are available; Slovakia is participating in several international telecommunications projects that will increase the availability of external services; connects to DREAM cable (2017)
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
Definition: This entry includes a brief general assessment of a country's telecommunications system with details on the domestic and international components. The following terms and abbreviations are used throughout the entry:
Source: CIA World Factbook - This page was last updated on Saturday, September 18, 2021
