The domestic telecommunications infrastructure is very inadequate. Most fixed line telephones are located in
Asmara, the capital and largest city. Cell phones are in increasing use throughout the country. The government is seeking international tenders to improve the system.[2]
On 13 April 2006, Eritrea received a soft loan from the government of
China to upgrade their communication infrastructure. The total sum loaned to
EriTel was $23 million. All major cities are connected to the mobile telephone system in Eritrea except for
Assab, as of 2023.
Telephone
Fixed phones in use: 58,500 lines, 159th in the world (2011).[2]
Mobile cellular phones in use: 241,900 lines, 175th in the world (2011).[2]
Combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership is less than 5 per 100 persons (2011).[2]
The government controls all broadcast media with private ownership prohibited. Purchases of satellite dishes and subscriptions to international broadcast media are permitted.[2]
Listed as Under Surveillance by
Reporters Without Borders (RWB) in 2008, 2009, not in 2010, and again from 2011 to the present.[6]
Eritrea has not set up a widespread automatic Internet filtering system, but it does not hesitate to order blocking of several diaspora websites critical of the regime. Access to these sites is blocked by two of the Internet service providers, Erson and Ewan, as are
pornographic websites[dubious –
discuss]and
YouTube.
Self-censorship is said to be widespread.[7]