Page last updated on December 17, 2013

Telephones - main lines in use: 312,000 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 114
[see also: Telephones - main lines in use country ranks ]

Telephones - mobile cellular:
3.5 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 125
[see also: Telephones - mobile cellular country ranks ]

Telephone system:
general assessment: despite new investment in fixed lines, teledensity remains low with roughly 10 fixed lines per 100 people; mobile-cellular telephone use is widespread and generally effective
domestic: offsetting the shortage of fixed line capacity, mobile-cellular phone service has been available since 1996; by 2011 multiple companies were providing mobile services and mobile teledensity had reached 100 per 100 persons; Internet broadband services initiated in 2005 but growth has been slow; Internet cafes are popular in Tirana and have started to spread outside the capital
international: country code - 355; submarine cable provides connectivity to Italy, Croatia, and Greece; the Trans-Balkan Line, a combination submarine cable and land fiber-optic system, provides additional connectivity to Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Turkey; international traffic carried by fiber-optic cable and, when necessary, by microwave radio relay from the Tirana exchange to Italy and Greece (2011)

Broadcast media:
3 public TV networks, one of which transmits by satellite to Albanian-language communities in neighboring countries; more than 60 private TV stations; many viewers can pick up Italian and Greek TV broadcasts via terrestrial reception; cable TV service is available; 2 public radio networks and roughly 25 private radio stations; several international broadcasters are available (2010)

Internet country code:
.al

Internet hosts:
15,528 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 124
[see also: Internet hosts country ranks ]

Internet users:
1.3 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 91
[see also: Internet users country ranks ]