Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 710,848 (1997)
Telephone system: Lattelekom is 51% state owned, plans to
privatize in 2000 to satisfy EU concerns; 50,000 people are on the
waiting list to receive telephone service; Internet service is
available throughout Latvia
domestic: local—two cellular service providers; NMT-450 and GSM
standards provide service nationwide; over 75% of population
covered; intercity—two synchronous digital hierarchy fiber-optic
rings form the national backbone; 11 digital switching centers, 3
service centers
international: Latvia has international fiber-optic connectivity to
Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, and an undersea fiber-optic cable to
Sweden
Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA; note—there are 25 stations of unknown type; 75% of commercial broadcasts must be in the Latvian language; remainder mostly in Russian and European languages
Radios: 1.4 million (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 30 (origin of TV broadcasts must
be 40% Latvian and 40% other European languages)
Televisions: NA; note—almost 100% of the population have TV
access, 16% have VCRs, and 20% have cable or satellite dishes (1995)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 2,412 km
broad gauge: 2,379 km 1.520-m gauge (271 km electrified) (1992)
narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (1994)