Georgia Communications - 2021

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 518,624

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10.52 (2019 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 5,384,462

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 109.27 (2019 est.)

Telecommunication systems

general assessment:

despite economic challenges, the telecom market is one of Georgia's fastest growth sectors; LTE services cover the majority of citizens; regulators have strategy to introduce 5G; fixed-line telecommunications network has limited coverage outside Tbilisi; multiple mobile-cellular providers provide services to an increasing subscribership throughout the country; broadband subscribers steadily increasing; with investment in infrastructure, customers are moving from copper to fiber networks (2021)

(2020)

domestic: fixed-line 13 per 100, cellular telephone networks cover the entire country; mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 135 per 100 persons; intercity facilities include a fiber-optic line between T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi (2019)

international: country code - 995; landing points for the Georgia-Russia, Diamond Link Global, and Caucasus Cable System fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Russia, Romania and Bulgaria; international service is available by microwave, landline, and satellite through the Moscow switch; international electronic mail and telex service are available (2019)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Broadcast media

The Tbilisi-based Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) includes Channel 1, Channel 2 as well as the Batumi-based Adjara TV, and the State Budget funds all three; there are also a number of independent commercial television broadcasters, such as Imedi, Rustavi 2, Pirveli TV, Maestro, Kavkasia, Georgian Dream Studios (GDS), Obiektivi, Mtavari Arkhi, and a small Russian language operator TOK TV; Tabula and Post TV are web-based television outlets; all of these broadcasters and web-based television outlets, except GDS, carry the news; the Georgian Orthodox Church also operates a satellite-based television station called Unanimity; there are 26 regional television broadcasters across Georgia that are members of the Georgian Association of Regional Broadcasters and/or the Alliance of Georgian Broadcasters; the broadcaster organizations seek to strengthen the regional media's capacities and distribution of regional products: a nationwide digital switchover occurred in 2015; there are several dozen private radio stations; GPB operates 2 radio stations

(2019)

Internet country code

.ge

Internet users

total: 3,151,218

percent of population: 63.97% (July 2018 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 941,509

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 19.11 (2019 est.)