Telecommunications in Mongolia

Information communication technologies (ICT) in Mongolia face unique challenges. Because Mongolia is sparsely populated and a significant portion of the population still lives a nomadic lifestyle, it has been difficult for many traditional ICTs to make headway into Mongolian society. Wireless technologies have had greater success and mobile phones are becoming increasingly common, even in rural areas. Wireless local loop is another technology that has helped Mongolia increase accessibility to telecommunications and bypass fixed-line infrastructure. Other problems relating to the ICT infrastructure include poverty and the fact that Mongolia is a landlocked country. Mongolia relies on fiber optic communications with its Chinese and Russian neighbors and a significant portion of the population is still too poor to afford mobile phones.

Telephone

As of 2004^[update], 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:

• domestic: 6.5 Telephones per thousand persons
• international
  • Satellite earth station: Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region) Intelsat, Asiasat-1^[2]
  • Land line: ERMC (cable 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:

• Mobicom Corporation (GSM) - The first mobile operator^[5]
• Skytel (CDMA)^[6]
• Unitel (GSM)
• G-Mobile (CDMA) - Established in 2007, it is focusing on development in rural areas

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^[update], there are 360,000 radios.

Television

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

Television Stations

• National Television broadcast stations: Mongolian National Broadcaster
• Commercial Television broadcast stations:
  • UBS
  • Channel 25
  • TV5
  • TV9
  • TM
  • SBN
  • NTV
  • TV8
  • C1
  • Eagle TV
  • Edutainment TV (Боловсрол суваг)
  • Mongol TV (first HD TV, New Mongol TV)

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

• Sansar CaTV - Space
• Khiimori CaTV - Wind horse
• SuperVision CaTV
• Suljee CaTV - Network
• New Orange CaTV
• MNBC CaTV
• Talst CaTV
• DDishTV LLC

Statistics

• Television sets: 118,000 (1997)

Internet

Internet Usage has grown rapidly in the last few years. In 2000, there were 30,000 users, but as of 2007^[update] there are more than 268,300^[8] The country Top level domain of Mongolia is .mn

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

Dial-Up is still the main system, although Wireless and Broadband Internet are recently being introduced.

• Boldsoft (Broadband any technology)
• Digicom(FTTH)[1]
• RailCom
• Magicnet
• Mobinet
• Micom
• Bodicom
• MCSCom
• Sky C & C
• Sansar Internet
• Hans Comm
• AIAX Broadband
• UlusNet
• STX CitiNet

Satellite Service Providers

• Incomnet LLC http://www.incomnet.mn/en 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. Incomnet LLC the first private local company of Mongolia which has commenced to launch the above mentioned services.

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 9992906278, p. 94
2. ^ Montsame News Agency. Mongolia. 2006, ISBN 9992906278, p. 95
3. ^ InTeC Co.Ltd; MIDAS. “Information and Communications Technology Development in Mongolia -- 2006: White Paper.” InTeC Co.Ltd and MIDAS (2006). Accessed 20 April 2008.
4. ^ UBPost: Phone Plan to Connect Remote Populations
5. ^ Montsame News Agency. Mongolia. 2006, ISBN 9992906278, p. 95
6. ^ Montsame News Agency. Mongolia. 2006, ISBN 9992906278, p. 96
7. ^ InTeC Co.Ltd; MIDAS. “Information and Communications Technology Development in Mongolia -- 2006: White Paper.” InTeC Co.Ltd and MIDAS (2006). Accessed 20 April 2008.
8. ^ "Mongolia Internet Statistics". http://www.internetworldstats.com/asia/mn.htm. Retrieved 2007-10-16. 
9. ^ United Nations Population Division. "The World at Six Billion." Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations Secretariat. New York, 12 October 1999. Accessed 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

• Dorjderem, Amarbayasgalan "Public Access to Information, Mongolia's Situation Analysis" Science, Communication & Information Section Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO. No date. Accessed 20 June 2008.
• InTeC Co.Ltd; MIDAS. “Information and Communications Technology Development in Mongolia -- 2006: White Paper.” InTeC Co.Ltd and MIDAS (2006). Accessed 20 April 2008.
• Hishigsuren, Gaamaa. "Information and Communication Technology and Microfinance: Options for Mongolia." ADB Institute Discussion Paper No. 42, Feb 2006. Accessed 20 June 2008.
• Mongolia Development Gateway. "Concept of Information and Communication Technology Development of Mongolia by Year 2010." Mongolia Development Gateway. 2003. Accessed 20 June 2008.
• Park, Daniel H. “Information Technology Landscape in Mongolia.” Information Technology Landscape in Nations Around the World. American University (2003). Accessed 7 May 2008.

External links

• Official site of Telecom Mongolia, the national telecommunications company
• site of Incomnet LLC, the national satellite communications company