Malaysia
general assessment: modern system featuring good intercity
service on Peninsular Malaysia provided mainly by microwave radio
relay and an adequate intercity microwave radio relay network
between Sabah and Sarawak via Brunei; international service excellent
domestic: domestic satellite system with 2 earth stations; combined
fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity 135 per 100 persons
international: country code - 60; landing point for several major
international submarine cable networks that provide connectivity to
Asia, Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat
(1 Indian Ocean, 1 Pacific Ocean) (2008)
Maldives
general assessment: telephone services have improved;
interatoll communication through microwave links; all inhabited
islands and resorts are connected with telephone and fax service
domestic: each island now has at least 1 public telephone, and there
are mobile-cellular networks with a rapidly expanding subscribership
that exceeds 100 per 100 persons
international: country code - 960; linked to international submarine
cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth
station - 3 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2009)
Mali
general assessment: domestic system unreliable but improving;
increasing use of local radio loops to extend network coverage to
remote areas
domestic: fixed-line subscribership remains less than 1 per 100
persons; mobile-cellular subscribership has increased sharply to
nearly 30 per 100 persons
international: country code - 223; satellite communications center
and fiber-optic links to neighboring countries; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 1 Indian Ocean) (2008)
Malta
general assessment: automatic system featuring submarine cable
and microwave radio relay between islands
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership
exceeds 165 per 100 persons
international: country code - 356; submarine cable connects to
Italy; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2008)
Marshall Islands
general assessment: digital switching equipment;
modern services include telex, cellular, Internet, international
calling, caller ID, and leased data circuits
domestic: Majuro Atoll and Ebeye and Kwajalein islands have regular,
seven-digit, direct-dial telephones; other islands interconnected by
high frequency radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes)
and mini-satellite telephones
international: country code - 692; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); US Government satellite communications
system on Kwajalein (2005)
Mauritania
general assessment: limited system of cable and open-wire
lines, minor microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone
communications stations; mobile-cellular services expanding rapidly
domestic: Mauritel, the national telecommunications company, was
privatized in 2001 but remains the monopoly provider of fixed-line
services; fixed-line teledensity 2 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular
network coverage extends mainly to urban areas with a teledensity of
70 per 100 persons; mostly cable and open-wire lines; a domestic
satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with regional
capitals
international: country code - 222; satellite earth stations - 3 (1
Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean, 2 Arabsat); optical-fiber and Asymmetric
Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) cables for internet access (2008)
Mauritius
general assessment: small system with good service
domestic: monopoly over fixed-line services terminated in 2005;
fixed-line teledensity roughly 30 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular
services launched in 1989 with teledensity in 2009 reaching 85 per
100 persons
international: country code - 230; landing point for the SAFE
submarine cable that provides links to Asia and South Africa where
it connects to the SAT-3/WASC submarine cable that provides further
links to parts of East Africa, and Europe; satellite earth station -
1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF
radiotelephone links to several countries (2009)
Mayotte
general assessment: small system administered by French
Department of Posts and Telecommunications
domestic: NA
international: country code - 262; microwave radio relay and HF
radiotelephone communications to Comoros
Mexico
general assessment: adequate telephone service for business
and government; improving quality and increasing mobile cellular
availability, with mobile subscribers far outnumbering fixed-line
subscribers; domestic satellite system with 120 earth stations;
extensive microwave radio relay network; considerable use of
fiber-optic cable and coaxial cable
domestic: despite the opening to competition in January 1997, Telmex
remains dominant; Fixed-line teledensity is less than 20 per 100
persons; mobile-cellular teledensity reached 75 per 100 persons in
2009
international: country code - 52; Columbus-2 fiber-optic submarine
cable with access to the US, Virgin Islands, Canary Islands, Spain,
and Italy; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and
the MAYA-1 submarine cable system together provide access to Central
America, parts of South America and the Caribbean, and the US;
satellite earth stations - 120 (32 Intelsat, 2 Solidaridad (giving
Mexico improved access to South America, Central America, and much
of the US as well as enhancing domestic communications), 1 Panamsat,
numerous Inmarsat mobile earth stations); linked to Central American
Microwave System of trunk connections (2009)
Micronesia, Federated States of general assessment: adequate system domestic: islands interconnected by shortwave radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes), satellite (Intelsat) ground stations, and some coaxial and fiber-optic cable; mobile-cellular service available on Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap international: country code - 691; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2002)