North Macedonia Communications - 2024

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 436,182 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 20 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 1,941,352 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 92 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: as part of the EU pre-accession process, North Macedonia has built closer economic ties with the Union which accounts for 79% of Macedonia’s exports and 49% of its imports; closer regulatory and administrative ties with European Commission (EC) institutions have done much to develop the telecom sector and prepare the market for the competitive environment encouraged in the EU; as part of EU integration legislation North Macedonia has implemented the principles of the EU’s regulatory framework for communications, established an independent regulator and set out several provisions to provide for a competitive telecom market, including wholesale access to the incumbent’s fixed-line network; broadband services are widely available, with effective competition between DSL and cable platforms complemented by wireless broadband and a developing fiber sector; the number of DSL subscribers has continued to fall in recent years as customers are migrated to fiber networks; the MNOs are increasingly focused on expanding their 5G networks, seeking stronger coverage across North Macedonia’s high value urban areas; mobile data services are also becoming increasingly important following investments in LTE network rollouts and in upgrades to LTE-A technology (2022)

domestic: fixed-line roughly 20 per 100 and mobile-cellular 92 per 100 subscriptions (2021)

international: country code - 389

Broadcast media

public service TV broadcaster Macedonian Radio and Television operates 5 national terrestrial TV channels and 2 satellite TV channels; additionally, there are 11 regional TV stations broadcasting nationally, 29 regional and local broadcasters, a large number of cable operators offer domestic and international programming; the public radio broadcaster operates 3 stations; there are 4 privately owned national radio stations that broadcast and 60 regional and local operators (2023)

Internet country code

.mk

Internet users

total: 1.743 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 83% (2021 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 475,569 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 23 (2020 est.)