January 1999), 9.7051
(1998), 5,785 (1997), 5,121 (1996), 4,559 (1995), 2,191 (1994)
note: the post-1 January 1998 ruble is equal to 1,000 of the pre-1
January 1998 rubles

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones: 23.8 million (1997 est.)

Telephone system: the telephone system has undergone significant
changes in the 1990's; there are more than 1,000 companies licensed
to offer communication services; access to digital lines has
improved, particularly in urban centers; Internet and e-mail
services are improving; Russia has made progress toward building the
telecommunications infrastructure necessary for a market economy
domestic: cross country digital trunk lines run from St. Petersburg
to Khabarovsk, and from Moscow to Novorossiysk; the telephone
systems in 60 regional capitals have modern digital infrastructures;
cellular services, both analog and digital, are available in many
areas; in rural areas, the telephone services are still outdated,
inadequate, and low density
international: Russia is connected internationally by three undersea
fiber-optic cables; digital switches in several cities provide more
than 50,000 lines for international calls; satellite earth stations
provide access to Intelsat, Intersputnik, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and
Orbita

Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA; note--there
are about 1,050 (including AM, FM, and shortwave) radio broadcast
stations throughout the country

Radios: 50 million (1993 est.) (74.3 million radio receivers with
multiple speaker systems for program diffusion)

Television broadcast stations: 11,000 (1996 est.)

Televisions: 54.85 million (1992 est.)

Transportation

Railways:
total: 150,000 km; note--87,000 km in common carrier service; 63,000
km serve specific industries and are not available for common
carrier use
broad gauge: 150,000 km 1.520-m gauge (January 1997 est.)

Highways:
total: 948,000 km (including 416,000 km which serve specific
industries or farms and are not maintained by governmental highway
maintenance departments)
paved: 336,000 km
unpaved: 612,000 km (including 411,000 km of graveled or some other
form of surfacing and 201,000 km of unstabilized earth) (1995 est.)

Waterways: total navigable routes in general use 101,000 km;
routes with navigation guides serving the Russian River Fleet 95,900
km; routes with night navigat