Editing Telecommunications in Georgia (country)

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'''Telecommunications in Georgia''' include radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet.

==Radio and television==
{{See also|List of radio stations in Georgia (country)|Television in Georgia (country)}}
* [[Radio]] broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 12, shortwave 4 (1998). There are 35 FM stations in the country, as of 2021.
* Radios: 3.02 million (1997).
* [[Television]] broadcast stations: 25 (plus repeaters) (2011).
* Televisions: 2.57 million (1997).

==Cellular Networks==
{{See also |Telephone numbers in Georgia (country) |l1=Telephone numbers in Georgia}}

* [[Calling code]]: +995
* Mobile Phone subscribers: 4,955,272 million lines (April 2021)<ref name="GNAC-AnnulReport-20092">{{Cite web|title=Mobile • Subscribers by companies|url=https://analytics.comcom.ge:443/en/statistics-share/?c=mobiles&total=total&sid=902873&f=subscribers&exp=companies|access-date=2021-07-01|website=analytics.comcom.ge}}</ref>

There are three cellular telephone networks: [[MagtiCom]] LTD,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.magticom.com|title=Magticom / მთავარი|last=Magticom|website=მაგთიკომი}}</ref> [[Silknet]] JSC,<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.silknet.com| title = სილქნეტი - ყველაფერი კავშირშია}}</ref> and Cellfie Mobile (Formerly known as [[Beeline (brand)|Beeline]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cellfie |url=https://cellfie.ge/en |access-date=2023-07-20 |website=cellfie.ge |language=en}}</ref> The cellular network market counts more than 4,955,272 active customers in total.

Coverage extends to over 98% of the populated territory as of 2010;<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.magticom.ge/index.php?section=19&lang=geo| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110717135958/http://www.magticom.ge/index.php?section=19&lang=geo| archive-date = 2011-07-17| title = მაგთი - კავშირი თქვენს სამყაროსთან...}}</ref> In urban areas there are 20 telephones per 100 people and in rural areas 4 telephones per 100 people.

In 2020, the [[Georgian National Communications Commission]] announced its plans to introduce [[Mobile virtual network operator]]s in 2021. The first MVNO in the country, [https://hallo.ge/ Hallo], launched in Q4 of 2022 and it is based on Silknet's infrastructure. [https://tele1.ge/ Tele 1] (also marketed as Tele One) is going to launch soon. It is not yet clear which operator's infrastructure the company will use. Tele 1 has already started operating in the country partially, but its services (video and audio calling) are available only through their apps as of now (VoIP). 

The [[Georgian National Communications Commission]] has announced an auction for the 5G spectrum. It will be held in August 2023 and most of the lots come with a requirement for [[MNO]]s to start talks with [[Mobile virtual network operator|MVNOs]], which means they will not be able to keep their infrastructure closed off if they want to buy licenses for specific 5G frequencies.

==Fixed Telephony, Internet and IP Television==

*[[Internet Service Provider]]s: at least 10 ISPs.
*Fixed Internet Subscribers: 977,6 thousand lines (April 2021)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Internet • Subscribers by companies|url=https://analytics.comcom.ge:443/en/statistics-share/?c=internet&total=total&sid=902876|access-date=2021-07-01|website=analytics.comcom.ge}}</ref>
*[[Internet Protocol television]] Subscribers: 551 thousand lines (April 2021)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Facebook|url=https://www.facebook.com/comcom.ge/photos/a.206041952793247/4225480570849345/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/162884567108986/4225480570849345 |archive-date=2022-02-25 |url-access=limited|access-date=2021-07-01|website=www.facebook.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
*Fixed Phone Subscribers: 830,222 lines in use (2009),<ref name="GNAC-AnnulReport-20092" /> 366,250 lines in use (April 2021)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fixed • Subscribers by companies|url=https://analytics.comcom.ge:443/en/statistics-share/?c=fixes&total=total&sid=902875|access-date=2021-07-01|website=analytics.comcom.ge}}</ref>
*[[Top-level domain]]: [[.ge]]

The fixed telephony, internet and IP television in Georgia is mainly operated by [[MagtiCom|MAGTICOM]], [[Silknet]] and [[New Net]], all of which controlled 90% of the market in 2018. By the end of 2008, there were 618,000 fixed telephone users in Georgia.<ref name="EJCtlc">Maia Mikashavidze, [http://ejc.net/media_landscapes/georgia#link_516 Georgia #Telecommunications], EJC Media Landscapes, circa 2010</ref> In urban areas there are 20 telephones per 100 people, and in rural areas there are four telephones per 100 people.

Additionally, [[Datahouse Global LLC]], [[Geonet LLC]], [[Inexphone LLC]], and [[Myphone LLC]] are providing VoIP-based fixed telephony services over the country.

[[Fiber-optic]] lines connect the major cities and Georgia and [[Bulgaria]] are connected with fiber-optic line between [[Poti]] and [[Varna, Bulgaria|Varna]] (Bulgaria). The home internet provider industry in Georgia is heavily monopolized by 2 major competitors: [[Silknet]] and [[MagtiCom|MAGTICOM]]. There are other smaller, more obscure providers as well, but these two are the most popular and have the biggest nationwide coverage. Both companies offer TV and mobile packages that can be combined with home internet as well.
===Internet censorship and surveillance===

Listed as engaged in selective Internet filtering in the political and conflict/security areas and as no evidence of filtering in the social and Internet tools areas by the [[OpenNet Initiative]] (ONI) in November 2010.<ref name=ONI-CountryProfile-Georgia-Nov2010>[http://opennet.net/research/profiles/georgia "ONI Country Profile: Georgia"], OpenNet Initiative, November 2010</ref>

Access to Internet content in Georgia is largely unrestricted as the legal constitutional framework, developed after the 2003 [[Rose Revolution]], established a series of provisions that should, in theory, curtail any attempts by the state to censor the Internet. At the same time, these legal instruments have not been sufficient to prevent limited filtering on corporate and educational networks. Georgia's dependence on international connectivity makes it vulnerable to upstream filtering, evident in the March 2008 blocking of [[YouTube]] by [[Türk Telekom]].<ref name=ONI-CountryProfile-Georgia-Nov2010/>

On March 14, 2016, access to YouTube was restricted nationwide. This restriction of access was to presumably prevent Georgian citizens from accessing a video which threatened a number of journalists and opposition figures with the exposure of covertly recorded video tapes of sex acts. YouTube access went down throughout Georgia until the threatening video was removed from the internet.<ref name=Civil.Ge>{{cite web|url=http://civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=29040|title=Civil.Ge - Politicians, Journalist Threatened with Sex Tape Leak|first=Civil|last=Georgia|website=civil.ge}}</ref>

==See also==

* [[Georgian National Communications Commission]]

==References==
* {{CIA World Factbook}}
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.gncc.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG&sec_id=10050 Georgian National Communications Commission], website.
* Sidorenko, Alexey, "Internet, Society and Democracy in Georgia", in ''[http://www.laender-analysen.de/cad/pdf/CaucasusAnalyticalDigest15.pdf Caucasus Analytical Digest No. 15]''.
* Robakidze, Nino, "Georgia: Immature Media", in ''[http://www.laender-analysen.de/cad/pdf/CaucasusAnalyticalDigest25.pdf Caucasus Analytical Digest No. 25]''.

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