Editing Equatorial Guinea (section)

=== Media and communications ===
{{Main|Media in Equatorial Guinea|Telecommunications in Equatorial Guinea}}
[[File:UNED-GQ IMG 6269 (6510136445).jpg|thumb|right|Edition of the television magazine ''Malabeando'' at the Cultural Centre of Spain in Malabo]]

The principal means of communication within Equatorial Guinea are three state-operated [[FM radio]] stations: the [[BBC World Service]], [[Radio France Internationale]] and Gabon-based Africa No 1 broadcast on FM in Malabo. There is also an independent radio option called Radio Macuto; it is a web-based radio and news source known for publishing news that calls out Obiang's regime. There are also five [[shortwave]] radio stations. [[TVGE|Televisión de Guinea Ecuatorial]], the television network, is state-operated.<ref name=CIA /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13317174#media|title=Country Profile: Equatorial Guinea: Media|publisher=BBC News|date=11 April 2023|access-date=22 April 2025}}</ref> The international TV programme RTVGE is available via satellites in Africa, Europe, and the Americas and worldwide via the Internet.<ref name="Lyngsat_TVGE">{{cite web|url=http://www.lyngsat.com/tvchannels/gq/TVGE-Internacional.html|title=TVGE Internacional|publisher=LyngSat|access-date=28 March 2012|archive-date=30 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330114511/http://www.lyngsat.com/tvchannels/gq/TVGE-Internacional.html|url-status=live}}</ref> There are two newspapers and two magazines.

Equatorial Guinea ranked 161st out of 179 countries in the 2012 [[Reporters Without Borders]] press freedom index. The watchdog says the national broadcaster obeys the orders of the information ministry. Most of the media companies practice [[self-censorship]], and are banned by law from criticising public figures. The state-owned media and the main private radio station are under the directorship of the president's son, [[Teodor Obiang]].

Landline telephone penetration is low, with only two lines available per 100 people.<ref name=CIA /> There is one [[GSM]] mobile telephone operator, with coverage of [[Malabo]], [[Bata, Equatorial Guinea|Bata]], and several mainland cities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/cou_gq.shtml|title=GSMWorld Providers: Equatorial Guinea|publisher=GSM World|year=2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080414201455/http://www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/cou_gq.shtml|archive-date=14 April 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gsmworld.com/cgi-bin/ni_map.pl?cc=gq&net=ge |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090108045953/http://www.gsmworld.com/cgi-bin/ni_map.pl?cc=gq&net=ge |archive-date=8 January 2009|title=GSMWorld GETESA Coverage Map|publisher=GSM World|year=2008}}</ref> {{As of|2009}}, approximately 40% of the population subscribed to mobile telephone services.<ref name=CIA /> The only telephone provider in Equatorial Guinea is [[Orange S.A.|Orange]]. According to the World Bank, there were more than a million Internet users by 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Equatorial Guinea |url=https://data.worldbank.org/country/equatorial-guinea |access-date=11 October 2024 |website=World Bank Open Data}}</ref>