made)

domestic: mostly cable and open-wire lines; a recently completed
domestic satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with
regional capitals

international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean) and 2 Arabsat

Mauritius:
general assessment: small system with good service

domestic: primarily microwave radio relay

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean);
new microwave link to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several
countries

Mayotte:
general assessment: small system administered by French
Department of Posts and Telecommunications

domestic: NA

international: microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone
communications to Comoros and other international connections

Mexico:
general assessment: low telephone density with about 11
main lines per 100 persons; privatized in December 1990; the opening
to competition in January 1997 has brightened prospects for
development

domestic: adequate telephone service for business and government,
but the population is poorly served; domestic satellite system with
120 earth stations; extensive microwave radio relay network;
considerable use of fiber-optic cable, coaxial cable, and mobile
cellular service

international: satellite earth stations - 32 Intelsat, 2
Solidaridad (giving Mexico improved access to South America, Central
America, and much of the US as well as enhancing domestic
communications), numerous Inmarsat mobile earth stations; linked to
Central American Microwave System of trunk connections; high
capacity Columbus-2 fiber-optic submarine cable with access to the
US, Virgin Islands, Canary Islands, Morocco, Spain, and Italy (1997)

Micronesia, Federated States of:
general assessment: adequate system

domestic: islands interconnected by shortwave radiotelephone (used
mostly for government purposes)

international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Moldova:
general assessment: inadequate, outmoded, poor service
outside Chisinau, some effort to modernize is under way

domestic: new subscribers face long wait for service; mobile
cellular telephone service being introduced

international: service through Romania and Russia via landline;
satellite earth stations - Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik

Monaco:
general assessment: modern automatic telephone system