Editing Telecommunications in Guinea-Bissau

{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
'''Telecommunications in Guinea-Bissau''' include radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet.

[[Guinea-Bissau]] is one of the poorest countries in the world.<ref name=BBCNews-CountryProfile-Guinea-Bissau-2012/> This reality is reflected in the state of the country's telecommunications development. It is estimated that in 2012 there were only 5000 fixed telephone lines serving the country's 1.6 million inhabitants and that only 2.9% of the population had access to and were regular users of the Internet.

==Radio and television==

* [[Radio broadcasting|Radio stations]]: 
** One state-owned radio station ([[Guinea-Bissau National Radio]]), several private radio stations, and some community radio stations; multiple international broadcasters are available (2007);<ref name=CIAWFB-Guinea-Bissau>[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/guinea-bissau/ "Communications: Guinea-Bissau"], ''World Factbook'', U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, 28 January 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2014.</ref>
** One [[AM radio|AM]], four [[FM broadcasting|FM]], and no [[shortwave]] (2001).
* [[Receiver (radio)|Radios]]: 49,000 (1997).{{update after|2014|2|4}}
* [[Television broadcasting|Television stations]]: One state-owned TV station ([[Guinea-Bissau Television]]) and a second station, [[RTP África|Radio e Televisao de Portugal África]] (RTP África), operated by Portuguese public broadcaster (RTP) (2007).<ref name=CIAWFB-Guinea-Bissau/>

Private radio stations operate alongside the state-run broadcaster. Broadcasters face many challenges, not least the lack of a reliable power supply. The media experience "harsh treatment" from the authorities, security forces, and individuals with connections to the military and drug traffickers. A climate of fear has led to [[self-censorship]] among the media, which particularly affects reporting on drug trafficking.<ref name=BBCNews-CountryProfile-Guinea-Bissau-2012>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13444868 "Guinea-Bissau profile: Media"], ''BBC News'', 14 March 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2014.</ref>

Following the [[2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état|12 April 2012 coup]], the junta shut down all private radio stations and the national television station. They allowed only the national broadcaster, [[Guinea-Bissau National Radio]], to broadcast intermittent military communiqués. On 15 April, the junta allowed the stations to reopen, but on 16 April warned them not to criticize the military or the coup or report on protests. These threats continued until 25 May when the civilian government was installed.<ref name=USDOS-CRHRP-Guinea-Bissau-2012/>

==Telephones==
{{See also |Telephone numbers in Guinea-Bissau}}

* [[Calling code]]: +245<ref name=CIAWFB-Guinea-Bissau/>
* [[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>
* Main lines:
** 5,000 lines in use, 210th in the world (2012);<ref name=CIAWFB-Guinea-Bissau/> 
** 4,600 lines in use, 214th in the world (2008).
* Mobile cellular:
** 1.1 million lines, 156th in the world (2012);<ref name=CIAWFB-Guinea-Bissau/> 
** 500,200 lines, 155th in the world (2008).
* Telephone system: small system including a combination of [[microwave radio relay]], open-wire lines, [[radiotelephone]], and [[Mobile phone|mobile-cellular]] communications; fixed-line teledensity is less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity approached 50 per 100 persons (2011).<ref name=CIAWFB-Guinea-Bissau/>

==Internet==

* [[Top-level domain]]: [[.gw]]<ref name=CIAWFB-Guinea-Bissau/>
* [[List of countries by number of Internet users|Internet users]]: 
** 47,132 users, 181st in the world; 2.9% of the population, 196th 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> 
** 37,100 users, 177th in the world (2009).<ref name=CIAWFB-Guinea-Bissau/>
* [[List of countries by number of broadband Internet subscriptions|Fixed broadband]]: Unknown (2012).<ref name=NIUCalc/><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]]: Unknown (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]]:
** 90 hosts, 211th in the world (2012);<ref name=CIAWFB-Guinea-Bissau/> 
** 82 hosts, 202nd in the world (2009).
* [[List of countries by IPv4 address allocation|IPv4]]: 5,120 addresses allocated, less than 0.05% of the world total, 3.1 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 censorship and surveillance===

There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet or reports that the government monitors [[e-mail]] or Internet [[chat rooms]] without judicial oversight.<ref name=USDOS-CRHRP-Guinea-Bissau-2012>[https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/index.htm?year=2012&dlid=204130 "Guinea-Bissau"], ''Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012'', Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, U.S. Department of State, 22 March 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2014.</ref>

The constitution and law provide for [[freedom of speech]] and [[freedom of the press|press]]; however, there are reports that the government does not always respect these rights. The constitution and law prohibit arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, or correspondence, but the government does not always respect these prohibitions in practice. Police routinely ignore [[privacy rights]] and protections against unreasonable search and seizure.<ref name=USDOS-CRHRP-Guinea-Bissau-2012/>

==See also==

* [[Guinea-Bissau National Radio]], national broadcaster.
* [[Guinea-Bissau Television]], national television
* [[Media of Guinea-Bissau]]

==References==

* {{CIA World Factbook}}
* {{US DOS |year=2014}}
{{reflist |30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.rtp.pt/rtpafrica/index.php RTP África] {{in lang|pt}}, web site.

{{Clear}}
{{Guinea-Bissau topics}}
{{Africa topic|Telecommunications in}}
{{Telecommunications}}
{{Internet censorship by country}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Telecommunications In Guinea-Bissau}}
[[Category:Telecommunications in Guinea-Bissau| ]]