Telephones: 531,000 (1997)

Telephone system: the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) administers Estonia's telephone system; Internet services available throughout most of the country; about 150,000 unfilled subscriber requests
domestic: local—cellular phones services are growing and expanding to develop rural networks under direction of the MOTC; intercity—Estonia has a highly developed fiber-optic backbone (double loop) system presently serving at least 16 major cities (1998)
international: foreign investment in the form of joint business ventures greatly improved Estonia's telephone service; fiber-optic cables to Finland, Sweden, Latvia, and Russia provide worldwide packet switched service

Radio broadcast stations: 27 commercial broadcast stations, 1 government broadcast station (1997); note—by law 51% of shows must be produced within the EU; equal air time must be given to all candidates during elections by public and private stations

Radios: 1.12 million (1997 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 7 (1997); note—Ministry of Culture administers television licensing; mainly Estonian, European, and Russian programming; by law 51% of shows must be produced within the EU; equal air time must be given to all candidates during elections by public and private stations

Televisions: 1.132 million (1997 est.)