use is rapidly expanding

international: satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean); Atlantis II and Unisur submarine cables; two international
gateways near Buenos Aires (1999)

Armenia:
general assessment: system inadequate; now 90% privately
owned and undergoing modernization and expansion

domestic: the majority of subscribers and the most modern equipment
are in Yerevan (this includes paging and mobile cellular service)

international: Yerevan is connected to the Trans-Asia-Europe
fiber-optic cable through Iran; additional international service is
available by microwave radio relay and landline connections to the
other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and
through the Moscow international switch and by satellite to the rest
of the world; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat

Aruba:
general assessment: NA

domestic: more than adequate

international: 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten (Netherlands
Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio relay links

Australia:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international
service

domestic: domestic satellite system; much use of radiotelephone in
areas of low population density; rapid growth of mobile cellular
telephones

international: submarine cables to New Zealand, Papua New Guinea,
and Indonesia; satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (4 Indian
Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean), 2 Inmarsat (Indian and Pacific Ocean
regions) (1998)

Austria:
general assessment: highly developed and efficient

domestic: there are 48 main lines for every 100 persons and the
system is nearly 100% digital; the fiber optic net is very
extensive; all telephone applications and Internet services are
available

international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 2 Eutelsat (1999)

Azerbaijan:
general assessment: inadequate; requires considerable
expansion and modernization; teledensity of 8.6 main lines per 100
persons is very low

domestic: the majority of telephones are in Baku and other
industrial centers - about 700 villages still do not have public
telephone service; satellite service connects Baku to a modern
switch in its exclave of Naxcivan

international: the old Soviet system of cable and microwave is
still serviceable; a satellite connection to Turkey enables Baku to
reach abou