ple service providers; mobile cellular usage growing
rapidly; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership
about 25 per 100 persons
international: country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1
Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) (2007)

Latvia
general assessment: recent efforts focused on bringing
competition to the telecommunications sector; the number of fixed
lines is decreasing as wireless telephone service expands
domestic: number of telecommunications operators has grown rapidly
since the fixed-line market opened to competition in 2003; combined
fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership is roughly 125 per 100
persons
international: country code - 371; the Latvian network is now
connected via fiber optic cable to Estonia, Finland, and Sweden
(2007)

Lebanon
general assessment: repair of the telecommunications system,
severely damaged during the civil war, now complete
domestic: two wireless networks provide good service; political
instability hampers privatization and deployment of new
technologies; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership
50 per 100 persons
international: country code - 961; submarine cable link to Cyprus;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic
Ocean); coaxial cable to Syria (2007)

Lesotho
general assessment: rudimentary system consisting of a
modest but growing number of landlines, a small microwave radio
relay system, and a small radiotelephone communication system;
mobile-cellular telephone system is expanding
domestic: privatized in 2001, Telecom Lesotho tasked with providing
an additional 50,000 fixed-line connections within five years, a
target not met; mobile-cellular service is expanding with a
subscribership approaching 25 per 100 persons; rural services are
scant
international: country code - 266; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Liberia
general assessment: the limited services available are found
almost exclusively in the capital Monrovia; coverage extended to a
number of other towns and rural areas by four mobile-cellular
network operators
domestic: fixed line service stagnant and extremely limited;
mobile-cellular subscription base growing and teledensity
approaching 20 per 100 persons
international: country code - 231; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Libya
general