Telephone system: system is antiquated; improvements are being
made piecemeal, with emphasis on business needs and international
connections; there are still about 150,000 unfulfilled requests for
subscriber service
domestic: substantial investment has been made in cellular systems
which are operational throughout Estonia
international: international traffic is carried to the other former
Soviet republics by landline or microwave radio relay and to other
countries partly by leased connection to the Moscow international
gateway switch and partly by a new Tallinn-Helsinki fiber-optic,
submarine cable which gives Estonia access to international circuits
everywhere; access to the international packet-switched digital
network via Helsinki
Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave 0
Radios: 710,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 3 note: provide Estonian programs as well as Moscow Ostenkino's first and second programs
Televisions: 600,000 (1993 est.)
Defense ———-
Branches: Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Force (not
officially sanctioned), Maritime Border Guard, Volunteer Defense
League (Kaitseliit), Security Forces (internal and border troops),
Coast Guard
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 357,835
males fit for military service: 280,757
males reach military age (18) annually: 10,525 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $35 million, 1.5%
of GDP (1995)
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