Editing Telecommunications in Latvia (section)

== Telephones ==
{{See also|Telephone numbers in Latvia}}

'''[[Calling code]]:''' +371<ref name="CIAWFB-2014" />

'''[[International call prefix]]:''' 00

'''Fixed lines:'''
* ~174,000 lines, 122nd in the world (2022);<ref name=":1">{{Citation |title=Latvia |date=2024-06-02 |work=The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/latvia/ |access-date=2024-06-13 |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |language=en}}</ref>
* ~501,000 lines, 97th in the world (2012);<ref name="CIAWFB-2014" />
* ~644,000 lines (2007).<ref name="cia">{{cite web |date=12 January 2022 |title=Communications: Latvia |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/latvia/ |work=World Factbook |publisher=U.S. Central Intelligence Agency}}</ref>

'''Mobile cellular:'''
* ~2.2 million lines, 147th in the world (2022);<ref name=":1" />
* ~2.3 million lines (2012);<ref name="CIAWFB-2014" /> 
* ~2.2 million lines (2007).<ref name="cia" />

'''Telephone system:''' Recent efforts have focused on bringing competition to the telecommunications sector; the number of fixed lines is decreasing as mobile-cellular telephone service expands; the number of telecommunications operators has grown rapidly since the fixed-line market opened to competition in 2003; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership is roughly 150 per 100 persons; the Latvian network is now connected via fiber optic cable to Estonia, Finland, and Sweden (2008).<ref name="CIAWFB-2014" />

Until 2003 [[Lattelecom]] had a monopoly in the fixed telecommunications market. This led to overwhelming use of cellular phones for private customers, fixed lines being requested mostly by companies. In Latvia, there exist more than 2 million mobile cellular phone lines but only 174,000 fixed phone connections as of 2022.<ref name=":1" />

Since the fixed-line voice communication monopoly ended on January 1, 2003, several companies entered the market for fixed voice communication services: Aeronavigācijas serviss, Baltcom TV, Beta Telecom, Latvenergo Tehniskais Centrs, OPTRON, Rigatta, Telecentrs, Telenets, Telekom Baltija, CSC Telecom and Bite Latvija. These voice telephony providers provide services for cheaper foreign calls, as well as local calls. The telecom regulator SPRK tries to provide a competitive environment so that new operators can compete with Lattelecom which owns most of the last-mile connections.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Lattelecom Annual Report 2007 |publisher=Lattelecom |year=2007 |location=Latvia |pages=28}}</ref>