Telecommunications in Mongolia

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Internet and Communication Technologies in Mongolia face unique challenges. As the least densely populated country in the world, with a significant portion of the population living a nomadic lifestyle, it has been difficult for many traditional ICT companies to make headway into Mongolian society. With almost half the population clustered in the capital of Ulaanbaatar, most landline technologies are deployed in Ulaanbaatar, while in rural areas, wireless technologies have had greater success.

Mobile phones are common, with provincial capitals all having 3.5G access. Wireless local loop is another technology that has helped Mongolia increase accessibility to telecommunications and bypass fixed-line infrastructure.

For Internet, Mongolia relies on fiber optic communications with its Chinese and Russian neighbors.

Contents

Telephone

As of 2004, there are 404,400 main lines in use. The International Dialling Code is +976. The Mongolia Telecom Company is the national telecommunications company.1

Telephone system:

Land lines

There are two landline telephone companies in Mongolia: Mongolia Telecom Company (MTC) and the Mongolian Railway Authority. MTC is a joint venture with Korea Telecom and partially publicly owned. MTC leases fiber-optic lines from the Mongolian Railway Authority and connects to all aimags and soums. There are over 175,000 fixed-line phones in Mongolia, though this number is slowly decreasing. The majority of MTC subscribers are in Ulaanbataar.3

Mobile phones

Mobile phones are very popular in the city as well as the countryside. Especially in the countryside, the government is preferring the installation of cell phone base stations over laying land lines, as cell phone base stations are easier to install. Mongolia's Communication Authority has announced a plan to connect all sum center and a number of other settlements to cell phone services.4

Mobile Operators:

Mobile Users: Mobicom: 1,050,000 Skytel: 255,000 Unitel: 375,000 G-Mobile: 175,000 (2009).

In end of 2009, the total number of mobile users was estimated at 1,850,000.

Wireless local loop (WLL) use in Mongolia

In order to overcome issues relating to distance and lack of traditional infrastructure in telecommunications Mongolia has utilized wireless local loop (WLL) technology. It provides phone service resembling that of landlines, but uses technology similar to mobile phones. There are currently five licensed WLL providers, though there only appear to be three companies actually offering service.

Providers include

  • Mongolia Telecom Company: WLL project a joint venture with LG Electronics Company of South Korea, 8,768 users, covers Darkhan, Erdenet, Nalaikh, Choibalsan, and Ulanbaatar. It also provides 450 MHz coverage in the following aimags: Orkhon, Darkhan Uul, Dornod, Arkhangai, Bayan-Ulgii, Bulgan, Hovd, Huvsgul, Zavkhan, and Uvs.
  • Mobicom: Covers Ulaanbaatar and areas near the city, 13,400 users.
  • Skytel: Covers Ulaanbaatar and rural Mongolia (area not specified), and has 22,000 users.7

Radio

Ulaanbaatar has 20 FM stations, including foreign radio stations BBC World Service, VOA, and Inner Mongolian Radio. In the whole country there are 5 longwave broadcasting stations, the most powerful at Ulaanbaatar with 1000 KW.

Statistics

As of 1997, there are 360,000 radios.

Television

Mongolian TV Broadcasting started on 27 September 1967 with the start of Mongolian National Television.

Television Stations

Satellite Television

DDishTV LLC

DDishTV LLC broadcasts major mongolian channels and some international channels throughout whole Mongolia and other Asian countries via Ku-Band Satellite. For that service it is necessary to have a dish and special box. They provide also VSAT Internet connections especially in rural area of Mongolia.

Cable TV operators

IPTV operators

Statistics

  • Television sets: 118,000 (1997)

Internet

Internet Usage has grown rapidly in the last few years. The 2010 census reported 709,625 Internet users, with a penetration of 30.6%. 8

The top level domain of Mongolia is .mn

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

Main providers

Sub providers

  • Boldsoft
  • Digicom (FTTH)
  • Magicnet
  • Micom
  • Bodicom
  • MCSCom
  • Sky C & C
  • Sansar Internet
  • Hans Comm
  • Yokozunanet
  • UlusNet
  • STX CitiNet

Satellite Service Providers

  • Incomnet LLC [2] Incomnet LLC has been providing service of data communications network arrangement in the vast territory of Mongolia and carrying out satellite telephone call and satellite internet services in remote areas since its establishment in 2001.

Constraints

Mongolia is the most sparsely populated independent country in the world.9

Initiatives

Citizens Information Service Centers (CISC) have been established in Ulaanbataar and six Aimags that are equipped to allow nomadic rural populations to receive internet access.10

Many libraries and schools provide internet access, including some mobile providers that travel between rural populations.

The Asian Development Bank has an initiative to develop ICT technologies to "boost access to high-quality education for disadvantaged and remote populations in Mongolia, through a grant assistance approved for US$1 million."11 The goal is to take advantage of newer technologies to improve access to information for about 10,000 students at 36 schools.

References

  1. ^ Montsame News Agency. Mongolia. 2006, ISBN 99929-0-627-8, p. 94
  2. ^ Montsame News Agency. Mongolia. 2006, ISBN 99929-0-627-8, p. 95
  3. ^ InTeC Co.Ltd; MIDAS. “Information and Communications Technology Development in Mongolia -- 2006: White Paper.” InTeC Co.Ltd and MIDAS (2006). Retrieved 20 April 2008.
  4. ^ UBPost: Phone Plan to Connect Remote Populations
  5. ^ Montsame News Agency. Mongolia. 2006, ISBN 99929-0-627-8, p. 95
  6. ^ Montsame News Agency. Mongolia. 2006, ISBN 99929-0-627-8, p. 96
  7. ^ InTeC Co.Ltd; MIDAS. “Information and Communications Technology Development in Mongolia -- 2006: White Paper.” InTeC Co.Ltd and MIDAS (2006). Retrieved 20 April 2008.
  8. ^ [1]
  9. ^ United Nations Population Division. "The World at Six Billion." Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations Secretariat. New York, 12 October 1999. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
  10. ^ Bayasgalan. "Surfing the Internet from a 'Ger'?" IT4Dev.net. No date. Accessed 19 June 2008.
  11. ^ "Using ICT to Improve Rural Education in Mongolia." Asian Development Bank. Adb.org, 2008. Accessed 6 July 2008.

Further reading

External links

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