Telecommunications in Poland include radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet.
Radio and television
Radio stations:
state-run public radio operates 5 national networks and 17 regional radio stations; 2 privately owned national radio networks, several commercial stations broadcasting to multiple cities, and many privately owned local radio stations (2007);
14 AM, 777 FM, and 1 shortwave station (1998).
Radios: 20.2 million (1997).
Television stations:
state-run public TV operates 2 national channels supplemented by 16 regional channels and several niche channels; privately owned entities operate several national TV networks and a number of special interest channels; many privately owned channels broadcasting locally; roughly half of all households are linked to either satellite or cable TV systems providing access to foreign television networks (2007);
179 + 256 repeaters (1995).
Television sets: 13.05 million (1997).
Calling code: +48
International call prefix: 00
Main lines:
6.1 million lines in use (2012);
10.3 million lines in use (2007).
Mobile cellular:
50.8 million lines (2012);
45.0 million lines (2009).
Telephone system: modernization of the telecommunications network has accelerated with market-based competition; fixed-line service, dominated by the former state-owned company, is dwarfed by the growth in mobile-cellular services; mobile-cellular service available since 1993 and provided by three nationwide networks with a fourth provider beginning operations in late 2006; coverage is generally good with some gaps in the east; fixed-line service lags in rural areas; international direct dialing with automated exchanges (2011).
Satellite earth stations: 1 with access to Intelsat, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik (2011).
From the communist era Poland inherited an underdeveloped and outmoded system of telephones, with some areas (e.g. in the extreme South East) being served by manual exchanges. In December 2005 the last analog exchange was shut down. All telephone lines are now served by modern fully computerized exchanges (Siemens EWSD, Alcatel S12, Lucent 5ESS, Alcatel E10). The former state owned telephone monopoly (TPSA) has been mostly privatized, with France Telecom buying the largest share. Various other companies have entered the fixed phone market, but generally aiming for niches (e.g. Sferia with fixed wireless, Netia covering primarily business). Whilst prices have reduced and availability has increased considerably since the introduction of competition, there is little sign of TPSA's market share being seriously reduced.
The long waiting list for fixed line telephones helped in a boom in mobile cellular telephone use and all mobile phone operators in Poland use GSM. There are three competing networks with similar market share, T-Mobile (T-Mobile and Heyah brands), Orange Polska (Orange and POP brands) and Plus (Plus and Sami Swoi brands). The fourth network, Play, owned by Netia and Novator Telecom, started offering UMTS network services in early 2007. All mobile operators have UMTS services in the major cities, with nationwide coverage planned.
Top-level domain: .pl
Internet users:
25.0 million users, 21st in the world; 65.0% of the population, 54th in the world (2012);
22.5 million users, 19th in the world (2009);
16 million users (2007).
Fixed broadband: 6.4 million subscriptions, 17th in the world; 16.6% of the population, 54th in the world (2012).
Wireless broadband: 18.9 million subscriptions, 16th in the world; 49.3% of the population, 33rd in the world (2012).
Internet hosts: 13.3 million hosts, 12th in the world (2012).
IPv4: 19.4 million addresses allocated, 21st in the world, 0.5% of the world total, 505.9 addresses per 1000 people (2012).
Internet Service Providers: 19 ISPs (1999).
