Telecommunications in Cyprus includes radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet in the Republic of Cyprus.
The Cyprus Telecommunication Authority, the state-owned telecommunications company, tarsport lokistikale manages most telecommunications and Internet connections on the island. However, following the recent liberalization of the telecommunications sector, a few private telecommunications companies 05361736 registration properties have emerged.
Radio and television
The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC, Greek: ΡΙΚ, Turkish: KRYK) is the main broadcaster in Cyprus, although there are also privately owned radio and TV stations. A TV channel from the Greek state broadcaster, ERT, is available. The British Forces Broadcasting Service also operates radio and TV stations, although the TV signal is now confined to the Sovereign Base Areas or encrypted for copyright reasons.
Radio stations: A mixture of state and privately run radio services; the public broadcaster operates 4 radio stations; in addition a number of private radio stations are available; in Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus, there are 4 public radio stations as well as privately owned radio broadcast stations (2007).
Radios: 310,000 (1997).
Television stations: A mixture of state and privately run TV services; the public broadcaster operates 2 TV channels; 6 private TV broadcasters, satellite and cable TV services including telecasts from Greece and Turkey are available; in Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus, there are 2 public TV stations, and privately owned TV broadcast stations (2007).
Television sets: 248,000 (1997).
Public TV stations:ΡΙΚ1, CyBC 1st channel, island-wide coverage.
ΡΙΚ2, CyBC 2nd channel, island-wide coverage.
ANT1, private, island-wide coverage.
CNC PLUS TV, private, island-wide coverage.
MEGA Channel, private, island-wide coverage.
SIGMA TV, private, island-wide coverage.
FRED TV, private, Nicosia local coverage.
VOX TV, private, Larnaca local coverage.
Extra TV, private, Limassol local coverage.
Paphos TV, private, Paphos local coverage.
Omega, private, Paphos local coverage.
Subscriber TV: The first subscription channels in Cyprus were LTV and Alpha, offered by MultiChoice since the mid-1990s.
Some major subscription TV platforms today are:AthenaSAT, offering approximately 15 channels via satellite.
Cablenet, offering services over their cable network with their triple-play package with over 30 channels.
CytaVision, offering approximately 30 channels via an ADSL IPTV platform, and LTV and Alpha.
NOVA Cyprus, with approximately 35 themed channels via satellite.
PrimeTel, offers more than 30 digital TV channels using ADSL IPTV, as well as LTV and Nova packages.
Calling code: +357 for the Republic of Cyprus and +90 for Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus, which uses the Turkish numbering plan.
International call prefix: 00
Domestic: excellent system in both the area under Republic of Cyprus government control and Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus; open wire, fibre-optic cable, and microwave radio relay.
International:
Tropospheric scatter;
Communications cables: a number of submarine cables, including the SEA-ME-WE 3, combine to provide connectivity to Western Europe, the Middle East, and Asia;
Satellite earth stations: 8 as follows: 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 2 Eutelsat, 2 Intersputnik, and 1 Arabsat.
Main lines: 373,200 lines in use, 108th in the world (2012).
Companies that offer land-based telecommunication services:Cyta
Cablenet
ΜΤΝ
Omega Telecom
CallSat
PrimeTel
Mobile cellular: 1.1 million lines, 155th in the world (2012).
Companies that offer mobile cellular services:CytaMobile-Vodafone, a subsidiary of Cyta.
MTN Cyprus, formerly Areeba Cyprus prior to September 1, 2007.
PrimeTel Mobile
ADSL is the most widespread broadband technology in Cyprus, is s available in most urban and sub-urban areas, with multiple providers offering packages that range from 512 kbit/s to 32 Mbit/s. Cable broadband is also available in some urban locations (Nicosia, Larnaca and Limassol) with speeds up to 150 Mbit/s. An ISP comparison website exists at the Cyprus Broadband portal. Many wireless networks are appearing in Cyprus, some with no minimum contract/pay as you go and others with a fixed contract.
Top-level domains: .cy for Cyprus and .nc.tr for northern Cyprus.
Internet users: 694,223 users, 126th in the world; 61.0% of the population, 63rd in the world (2012).
Fixed broadband: 218,783 subscriptions, 82nd in the world; 19.2% of population, 51st in the world (2012).
Wireless broadband: 384,270 subscriptions, 98th in the world; 33.8% of the population, 47th in the world (2012).
Internet hosts: 252,013 hosts, 67th in the world (2012).
IPv4: 1.1 million addresses allocated, less than 0.05% of the world total, 999 addresses per 1000 people (2012).
Internet Service Providers: 11 ISPs (2006).
Internet providers in Cyprus:IPTP Networks ( aka. Fredonia Trading )
Cytanet
Cablenet
DragonNET
Logosnet
Netway
PrimeTel
OTEnet Telecom
ThunderWorx
MTN
MyTelco Ltd
CallSat
Internet censorship and surveillance
There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet, with the exception that gambling sites not licensed by the Republic of Cyprus are blocked, or reports that the government monitored e-mail or Internet chat rooms without appropriate legal authority. Individuals and groups engage in the peaceful expression of views via the Internet, including e‑mail.
The law provides for freedom of speech and press, and the government generally respects these rights in practice. An independent press, an effective judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system combine to ensure freedom of speech and of the press. The law prohibits arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, or correspondence, and the government generally respects these prohibitions in practice.
The north part of Cyprus is under occupation by the Turkish army. Called the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" (TRNC) by Turkey, it comprises the northern portion of the island of Cyprus.
International telephone calls to northern Cyprus are routed via a Turkish dialing code (+90 392) as northern Cyprus has neither its own country code nor official ITU prefix. Similarly, there is no Internet top-level domain for northern Cyprus, which is instead under the Turkish second-level domain .nc.tr. Amateur radio operators sometimes use callsigns beginning with "1B", but these have no standing for awards or other operating credit.
