Editing Telecommunications in El Salvador

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'''Telecommunications in [[El Salvador]]''' include radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet,  centered primarily around the capital, [[San Salvador]].

== Radio and television ==
{{See also |List of television stations in Latin America#El Salvador |l1=List of television stations in El Salvador}}

* [[Radio broadcasting|Radio stations]]: Hundreds of commercial radio broadcast stations and 1 government-owned radio broadcast station (2007).<ref name=CIAWFB-ElSalvaror-2014>[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/el-salvador/ "Communications: El Salvador"], ''World Factbook'', U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, 7 January 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2014.</ref>
* [[Receiver (radio)|Radios]]: 5.75 million (1997).{{update after|2014|1|13}}
* [[Television broadcasting|Televisions stations]]: Multiple privately owned national terrestrial TV networks, supplemented by cable TV networks that carry international channels (2007).<ref name=CIAWFB-ElSalvaror-2014/>
* [[Television set]]s: 5,900,881 (2005).{{update after|2014|1|13}}

The most powerful group in the media sector is [[Telecorporación Salvadoreña|Tele-Corporación Salvadoreña]] (TCS), which controls four television channels with nation-wide coverage (Channels 2, 4, 6 and VTV) as well as two radio stations (Vox FM and Qué Buena). Together with TCS, Canal 12 (whose majority shareholder is TV Azteca), Canal 21 (of the Megavisión group) and Canal 33 (of the Tecnovisión group, owned by the Technological University of El Salvador) complete the national television spectrum.<ref>European Union Election Observation Mission, El Salvador 2009, Final Report on the General Elections https://www.eods.eu/library/EUEOM%20FR%20EL%20SALVADOR%202009_en%20.pdf</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=High Performance Low Cost Virtual Studios for Creative Industries SMEs|date=5 January 2017|publisher=European Commission of Research & Innovation|location=Europe}}</ref>

The law permits the executive branch to use the emergency broadcasting service to take over all broadcast and cable networks temporarily to televise political programming. The president occasionally uses this law to highlight his accomplishments.<ref name=USDOS-ElSalvador-2012/>

== Telephones ==
{{See also |Telephone numbers in El Salvador}}

* [[Calling code]]: +503<ref name=CIAWFB-ElSalvaror-2014/>
* [[List of international call prefixes|International call prefix]]: 00<ref>[http://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-t/opb/sp/T-SP-E.164C-2011-PDF-E.pdf ''Dialing Procedures (International Prefix, National (Trunk) Prefix and National (Significant) Number) (in Accordance with ITY-T Recommendation E.164 (11/2010))''], Annex to ITU Operational Bulletin No. 994-15.XII.2011, International Telecommunication Union (ITU, Geneva), 15 December 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2014.</ref>
* Fixed lines: 1.1 million lines in use, 74th in the world (2012).<ref name=CIAWFB-ElSalvaror-2014/>
* Mobile cellular: 8.7 million lines, 88th in the world (2012);<ref name=CIAWFB-ElSalvaror-2014/> in 2007 the number of mobile phones exceeded the country's population giving the country a 1.06 per capita cellphone penetration rate.<ref>[https://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/DPA8.pdf ''El Salvador: A Central American Tiger?''], ''Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity'', Juan Carlos Hidalgo, 9 March 2009.</ref>
* Teledensity: Mobile cellular exceeds 135 per 100 persons (2011).<ref name=CIAWFB-ElSalvaror-2014/> 
* Telephone system: multiple mobile-cellular providers are expanding services rapidly; growth in fixed-line services has slowed in the face of mobile-cellular competition (2011).<ref name=CIAWFB-ElSalvaror-2014/>
* [[Communications satellite|Satellite earth stations]]: 1 [[Intelsat]] ([[Atlantic Ocean]]) (2011).<ref name=CIAWFB-ElSalvaror-2014/> 
* Connected to the Central American Microwave System (2011),<ref name=CIAWFB-ElSalvaror-2014/> a trunk [[microwave radio relay]] system that links the countries of [[Central America]] and [[Mexico]] with each other.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070613003757/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2124.html "Telephone System terms and abbreviations"], ''World Factbook'', U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, 7 January 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2014.</ref>

== Internet ==

* [[Top-level domain]]: [[.sv]]<ref name=CIAWFB-ElSalvaror-2014/>
* [[List of countries by number of Internet users|Internet users]]: 3.8 million users, 59.4% of the population (2019).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Number of internet users in El Salvador |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/942408/number-internet-users-el-salvador/ |access-date=2022-09-06 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref>
* [[List of countries by number of broadband Internet subscriptions|Fixed broadband]]: 235,403 subscriptions, 81st in the world; 3.9% of the population, 111th in the world (2012).<ref name=NIUCalc>Calculated using penetration rate and population data from [https://www.census.gov/population/international/data/idb/rank.php "Countries and Areas Ranked by Population: 2012"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170329060848/https://www.census.gov/population/international/data/idb/rank.php |date=2017-03-29 }}, Population data, International Programs,  U.S. Census Bureau, retrieved 26 June 2013</ref><ref name=ITU-IndividualsUsingTheInternet>[http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Documents/statistics/2013/Individuals_Internet_2000-2012.xls "Percentage of Individuals using the Internet 2000-2012"], International Telecommunication Union (Geneva), June 2013, retrieved 22 June 2013</ref><ref name="FixedBroadbandITUDynamic2012">[http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ICTEYE/Reporting/DynamicReportWizard.aspx "Fixed (wired)-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 2012"], Dynamic Report, ITU ITC EYE, [[International Telecommunication Union]]. Retrieved on 29 June 2013.</ref>
* [[List of countries by number of broadband Internet subscriptions|Wireless broadband]]: 335,716, 104th in the world; 5.5% of the population, 104th in the world (2012).<ref name="MobleBroadbandITUDynamic2012">[http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ICTEYE/Reporting/DynamicReportWizard.aspx "Active mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 2012"], Dynamic Report, ITU ITC EYE, [[International Telecommunication Union]]. Retrieved on 29 June 2013.</ref>
* [[List of countries by number of Internet hosts|Internet hosts]]: 24,070 hosts (2012).<ref name=CIAWFB-ElSalvaror-2014/>
* [[IPv4]]: 575,744 addresses allocated, less than 0.05% of the world total, 94.5 addresses per 1000 people (2012).<ref>[http://www.countryipblocks.net/country-blocks/select-formats/ Select Formats] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090513033601/http://www.countryipblocks.net/country-blocks/select-formats/ |date=2009-05-13 }}, Country IP Blocks. Accessed on 2 April 2012. Note: Site is said to be updated daily.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070613003851/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2119.html Population], [[The World Factbook]], [[United States]] [[Central Intelligence Agency]]. Accessed on 2 April 2012. Note: Data are mostly for 1 July 2012.</ref>
* [[Internet Service Provider]]s: 11 ISPs (early 2005).{{citation needed |date=January 2014}}

=== IT Industry ===

El Salvador's [[Information Technology|IT Industry]]'s history started early with several IT outsourcing companies such as Gpremper and an early [[search engine]] that predated [[Google]] in 1995 called "Buscaniguas".<ref>International Directory of Search Engines, ''El Salvador Search Engines'', "[http://www.searchenginecolossus.com/ElSalvador.html]", April 13, 2010</ref> The industry has since expanded with companies such as Creativa Consultores, Applaudo Studios, and Elaniin providing software and website design services to clients globally while employing thousands of people.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://techbehemoths.com/companies/el-salvador|title = Top 10+ IT Companies in El Salvador (2021) - TechBehemoths}}</ref> Canadian [[Telus International]], a major global IT outsourcing and software development firm, has a significant workforce in the country employing nearly 1,500 people in high tech and customer service roles.<ref>{{Cite web |title=TELUS International around the world |url=https://annualreport.telusinternational.com/2021-telus-international-annual-report/global-locations |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220906201212/https://annualreport.telusinternational.com/2021-telus-international-annual-report/global-locations |archive-date=6 September 2022 |access-date=6 September 2022 |website=TELUS International}}</ref> The startup scene has also been growing with firms such as HugoApp employing 600 locals and providing delivery and ride sharing services to nearly 1 million users in the [[Central America]]n/[[Dominican Republic–Central America Free Trade Agreement|CAFTA]] region.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Empresa |url=https://hugoapp.com/jobs/ |access-date=2022-09-06 |website=hugoapp.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name="bizlatinhub.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.bizlatinhub.com/el-salvador-tech-companies/|title=3 El Salvador Tech Companies to Watch Post-Pandemic|date=26 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=key figures on SuperApp Hugo 2022 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/1096382/hugo-app-figures/ |access-date=2022-09-06 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref> In 2020, the government announced its "Digital Agenda 2020" a plan to digitize government services, digitize identities, make it easier to start businesses, attract foreign investment and improve the education system.<ref name="bizlatinhub.com"/> Finally, the passing of the [[Bitcoin Law]] in 2021 made El Salvador the first country in the world to adopt a [[cryptocurrency]] ([[Bitcoin]]) as legal tender, this move seeks to improve access to financial services to the non-banked and under banked.

== Freedom of Speech restrictions ==
There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet or credible reports that the government monitors [[e-mail]] or Internet [[chat rooms]] without judicial oversight. Individuals and groups engage in the expression of views via the Internet, including by e-mail. Internet access is available in public places throughout the country.<ref name=USDOS-ElSalvador-2012>[https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/index.htm?year=2012&dlid=204449 "El Salvador"], ''Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012'', Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, U.S. Department of State, 20 March 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2014</ref>

The constitution provides for [[freedom of speech]] and [[Freedom of the press|press]], and the government generally respects these rights. Individuals criticize the government publicly or privately without reprisal, and in most cases the government does not interfere with such criticism. 
The constitution prohibits arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, or correspondence, and the government generally respects these prohibitions.<ref name=USDOS-ElSalvador-2012/>

===By gangs===
In March 2012, Carlos Dada, the owner of online newspaper [[El Faro (digital newspaper)|El Faro]], received death threats from gang members. The gangs were unhappy with El Faro's reporting on the [[2012–2014 Salvadoran gang truce|gang truce]]. On April 13, the [[International Press Institute]] criticized the government for not taking any actions to guarantee the safety of El Faro journalists. According to the Salvadoran Association of Journalists (APES), the media practices [[self-censorship]], especially in their reporting on gangs and narcotics trafficking. APES stated that many members of the media were afraid to report in detail on these subjects due to fear of retaliation from gangs and narcotics trafficking groups.<ref name=USDOS-ElSalvador-2012/>

== See also ==
* [[Economy of El Salvador]]
* [[Politics of El Salvador]]

== References ==
* {{CIA World Factbook |year=2014}}
* {{US DOS |year=2012}}
{{Reflist |32em}}

== External links ==

* [http://www.siget.gob.sv Superintendency of Electricity and Telecommunications] (SIGET) {{in lang|es}}.
* [http://www.svnet.org.sv/ SVNet], registrar for the .sv domain {{in lang|es}}.
* [http://www.listasal.info/celulares.htm Instructions on how to send SMS to El Salvador] {{in lang|es}}.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050419080820/http://www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/cou_sv.shtml GSM Cell Phone Networks in El Salvador]

{{El Salvador topics}}
{{Americas topic|Telecommunications in}}
{{Telecommunications}}
{{Internet censorship by country}}
{{San Salvador TV}}

[[Category:Communications in El Salvador| ]]
[[Category:Telecommunications by country|El Salvador]]
[[Category:Internet censorship by country|El Salvador]]
[[Category:Telecommunications in Central America by country|El Salvador]]