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Historical Values
Year Value
1990 inadequate; 1,890 telephones (1985); 15,000 radio receivers (1987 est.); 85 TV sets (1985); stations--20 AM, no FM, no TV
1991 inadequate; 1,990 telephones (1988); 22,000 radios (1990 est.); 85 TVs (1985); stations--1 AM, 1 FM, no TV (1990)
1992 inadequate; 1,990 telephones (1988); 22,000 radios (1990 est.); 85 TVs (1985); broadcast stations - 1 AM, 1 FM, no TV (1990)
1993 domestic telephone service is very poor with very few telephones in use; international telephone and telegraph service is by land line through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990); broadcast stations - 1 AM, 1 FM, no TV (1990)
1994 domestic telephone service is very poor with very few telephones in use; international telephone and telegraph service is by land line through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990); broadcast stations - 1 AM, 1 FM, no TV (1990)
1995 NA telephones; domestic telephone service is very poor with very few telephones in use local: NA intercity: NA international: international telephone and telegraph service is by land line through India; an earth station was planned (1990)
1996 domestic: domestic telephone service is very poor with very few telephones in use international: international telephone and telegraph service is by landline through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990)
1997 domestic: domestic telephone service is very poor with very few telephones in use international : international telephone and telegraph service is by landline through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990)
1998 domestic: domestic telephone service is very poor with very few telephones in use international: international telephone and telegraph service is by landline through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990)
1999 domestic: domestic telephone service is very poor with very few telephones in use international: international telephone and telegraph service is by landline through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990)
2000 domestic: domestic telephone service is very poor with few telephones in use international: international telephone and telegraph service is by landline through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990)
2001 general assessment: NA domestic: domestic telephone service is very poor with few telephones in use international: international telephone and telegraph service is by landline through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990)
2002 general assessment: NA domestic: domestic telephone service is very poor with few telephones in use international: international telephone and telegraph service is by landline through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990)
2003 general assessment: NA domestic: domestic telephone service is very poor with few telephones in use international: international telephone and telegraph service is by landline through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990)
2004 general assessment: NA domestic: domestic telephone service is very poor with few telephones in use international: country code - 975; international telephone and telegraph service is by landline through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990)
2005 general assessment: telecommunications facilities are poor domestic: very low tele-density; domestic service is very poor especially in rural areas; wireless service available since 2003 international: country code - 975; international telephone and telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2005)
2006 general assessment: telecommunications facilities are poor domestic: very low teledensity; domestic service is very poor especially in rural areas; wireless service available since 2003 international: country code - 975; international telephone and telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India; satellite earth station - 1 (2005)
2007 general assessment: telecommunications facilities are poor domestic: very low teledensity; domestic service is very poor especially in rural areas; wireless service available since 2003 international: country code - 975; international telephone and telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India; satellite earth station - 1 (2005)
2008 general assessment: urban towns and district headquarters have telecommunications services domestic: very low teledensity; domestic service is very poor especially in rural areas; wireless service available since 2003 international: country code - 975; international telephone and telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2007)
2009 general assessment: urban towns and district headquarters have telecommunications services domestic: low teledensity; domestic service is very poor especially in rural areas; wireless service available since 2003 international: country code - 975; international telephone and telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2008)
2010 general assessment: urban towns and district headquarters have telecommunications services domestic: low teledensity; domestic service is poor especially in rural areas; mobile-cellular service available since 2003 international: country code - 975; international telephone and telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2009)
2011 general assessment: urban towns and district headquarters have telecommunications services domestic: low teledensity; domestic service is poor especially in rural areas; mobile-cellular service available since 2003 international: country code - 975; international telephone and telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2009)
2012 general assessment: urban towns and district headquarters have telecommunications services domestic: low teledensity; domestic service is poor especially in rural areas; mobile-cellular service available since 2003 international: country code - 975; international telephone and telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2009)
2013 general assessment: urban towns and district headquarters have telecommunications services domestic: low teledensity; domestic service is poor especially in rural areas; mobile-cellular service, started in 2003, is now widely available international: country code - 975; international telephone and telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2012)
2014 general assessment: urban towns and district headquarters have telecommunications services domestic: low teledensity; domestic service is poor especially in rural areas; mobile-cellular service, started in 2003, is now widely available international: country code - 975; international telephone and telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2012)
2015 general assessment: urban towns and district headquarters have telecommunications services | domestic: low teledensity; domestic service is poor especially in rural areas; mobile-cellular service, started in 2003, is now widely available | international: country code - 975; international telephone and telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2012)
2016 general assessment: urban towns and district headquarters have telecommunications services | domestic: domestic service inadequate, especially in rural areas; mobile-cellular service, begun in 2003, is now widely available | international: country code - 975; international telephone and telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2015)
2017 general assessment: urban towns and district headquarters have telecommunications services | domestic: domestic service inadequate, especially in rural areas; mobile-cellular service, begun in 2003, is now widely available; Internet services widely available | international: country code - 975; international telephone and telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2016)
2018 general assessment: urban towns and district headquarters have telecommunications services; telecom sector has been continuing on a steady development path; fixed broadband penetration remains very low, due to the preeminence of the mobile platform; next five years to 2023 low to moderate growth is expected from this small base (2017) | domestic: domestic service inadequate, notably in rural areas; mobile-cellular service, begun in 2003, is now widely available; 3 to 100 fixed-line, 96 to 100 mo
2019 general assessment: urban towns and district headquarters have telecommunications services; telecom sector has been continuing on a steady development path; fixed broadband penetration remains very low, due to the preeminence of the mobile platform; in the next five years to 2023 low to moderate growth is expected from this small base (2018) | domestic: domestic service inadequate, notably in rural areas; mobile-cellular service, begun in 2003, is now widely available; 3 to 100 fixed-line, 96 to
2020 general assessment: 4G platforms now gaining traction; 4G/WiMAX networks now cover well over half of the country; fixed broadband penetration remains very low, due to the preeminence of the mobile platform; low to moderate growth is expected from this small base with a maturing mobile subscriber market (2020) | domestic: 3 to 100 fixed-line, 96 to 100 mobile cellular; domestic service inadequate, notably in rural areas (2019) | international: country code - 975; international telephone and teleg
2021 general assessment: Bhutan s telecom market is dominated by the mobile sector for voice and data connections due to poor fixed-line infrastructure and topographic issues; investment is focused on mobile infrastructure and an emergency telecom network for natural disasters; extended LTE to 60% of all mobile Internet users; regulator developing 5G plan; international communication through landline and microwave relay; nascent satellite service; importer of broadcast equipment from India (2021) dom
2022 general assessment: the small land-locked Kingdom of Bhutan has only recently emerged from decades of isolation from the modern world; that, and its mountainous terrain, left the country far back in the field in terms of teledensity as well as access to the Internet; over the last decade, the country has undergone a significant transformation due to the opening of its borders, liberalization of its telecom sector, and the active support from the government towards increased competition in the mo
2023 general assessment: the small land-locked Kingdom of Bhutan has only recently emerged from decades of isolation from the modern world; that, and its mountainous terrain, left the country far back in the field in terms of teledensity as well as access to the Internet; over the last decade, the country has undergone a significant transformation due to the opening of its borders, liberalization of its telecom sector, and the active support from the government towards increased competition in the mo
2024 general assessment: the small land-locked Kingdom of Bhutan has only recently emerged from decades of isolation from the modern world; that, and its mountainous terrain, left the country far back in the field in terms of teledensity as well as access to the Internet; over the last decade, the country has undergone a significant transformation due to the opening of its borders, liberalization of its telecom sector, and the active support from the government towards increased competition in the mo