General assessment: an extensive but antiquated telecommunications network inherited from the Soviet era; quality has improved; the Bulgaria Telecommunications Company's fixed-line monopoly terminated in 2005 when alternative fixed-line operators were given access to its network; a drop in fixed-line connections in recent years has been more than offset by a sharp increase in mobile-cellular telephone use fostered by multiple service providers; the number of cellular telephone subscriptions now exceeds the population
Domestic: a fairly modern digital cable trunk line now connects switching centers in most of the regions; the others are connected by digital microwave radio relay
International: country code – 359; submarine cable provides connectivity to
Ukraine and
Russia; a combination submarine cable and land fiber-optic system provides connectivity to
Italy,
Albania, and
North Macedonia; satellite earth stations – 3 (1
Intersputnik in the Atlantic Ocean region, 2
Intelsat in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions) (2007).