Page last updated on January 28, 2014

Telephones - main lines in use: 112,000 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 143
[see also: Telephones - main lines in use country ranks ]

Telephones - mobile cellular:
6.492 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 99
[see also: Telephones - mobile cellular country ranks ]

Telephone system:
general assessment: service to general public is improving; the government relies on a radiotelephone network to communicate with remote areas
domestic: 4 service providers with mobile cellular usage growing very rapidly
international: country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) and a second to be developed by China (2012)

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 (2012)

Internet country code:
.la

Internet hosts:
1,532 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 166
[see also: Internet hosts country ranks ]

Internet users:
300,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 130
[see also: Internet users country ranks ]