Exchange rates:
Argentine pesos per US dollar - 3.06 (2002), 1 (2001), 1 (2000), 1
(1999), 1 (1998)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Argentina
Telephones - main lines in use:
7.5 million (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
3 million (December 1999)
Telephone system:
general assessment: by opening the telecommunications market to
competition and foreign investment with the "Telecommunications
Liberalization Plan of 1998," Argentina encouraged the growth of
modern telecommunication technology; fiber-optic cable trunk lines
are being installed between all major cities; the major networks are
entirely digital and the availability of telephone service is being
improved; however, telephone density is presently minimal, and
making telephone service universally available will take time
domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber-optic cable, and a domestic
satellite system with 40 earth stations serve the trunk network;
more than 110,000 pay telephones are installed and mobile telephone
use is rapidly expanding
international: satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean); Atlantis II and Unisur submarine cables; two international
gateways near Buenos Aires (1999)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 260 (including 10 inactive stations), FM NA (probably more than
1,000, mostly unlicensed), shortwave 6 (1998)
Radios:
24.3 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
42 (plus 444 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions:
7.95 million (1997)