[19 September 2004] The telecommunication sector has been developing rapidly since the country reunification on May 22, 1990. A breakthrough has already been made in the national network of the telecommunication.
The Telecom Network capacity has been increasingly developed to cover all Yemeni regions, furthermore it is eventually provided with the most sophisticated technological apparatus and up to date facilities in this domain.
Over the period 1990-1995 , four telecom projects had been installed in the different regions of the country with overall capacities approximated up to (100) thousand phone lines totaled around (555) million YR .
Thus, during the years 1995 to 1998, six telecom projects had been set up with total capacity reached to (82) thousand phone lines calculated about (1 billion and 10 million) YR. Meanwhile works went on accomplishing other telecom projects with total costs estimated at 12 billion YR and gross capacity came up to (134 thousand and 200 hundred phone lines.
By the end of 1997, there were 220 thousand and 275 hundred phone lines in operation in addition to 59 thousand and 327 hundreds of lines were vacant. In 2000, the national network capacity of the stable telecom reached to a half million lines , to raise up to 769 thousand and 427 hundred lines by the end of 2002.
The government went on developing the telecommunication and information technology sector. The concerned ministry has adopted an ambitious plans and giant plants. Most prominent project is that installing 500,000 phone lines with a total cost estimated at $US 31 million and 30 thousand dollar. Another big project is setting up 115,000 phone lines in the rural and remote regions.
Minister of Telecommunication and Information Technology stated that the total number of the phone lines of the fixed national network and the rural telecom has come up to 756 thousand and 772 hundred lines in the mid of the past August, while the overall capacity of the stable network and rural telecommunication has reached up to one million and 575 thousand phone line. The capacity is expected to raise up to 1 million and 600 hundred lines by the end of this year. The number of subscribers in the Internet service estimated at 62 thousand.
Mobile Phone Service.
There is more than a single telecom system beside the local network of the cellular phone services in the republic of Yemen. Most important mobile phone services are being presented by the Mobile Phone Companies: TeleYemen national Co. and the two private Co . of Spacetele and Sabaphone which launched their service in Feb.2001, in addition to the mobile phone service through satellites like Al-Thowryah. The number of subscribers in the mobile phone service of Spacetele and Sabaphone reached to around 700,000. at the present.
During the celebrations scheduled to be held to mark the anniversary of the Yemeni revolution, more than 437 thousand and 808 hundreds of phone lines will be inaugurated with total cost up to 21 billion and 257 million YR.
Dozens of the telecom projects, with overall capacity up to 293 thousand phone lines totaling nearly 5 billion and 373 million YR, will be launched.
The general corporation of wire and unwire telecommunication also due to launch the cellular phone service (Yemen Mobile) which works on the system of (C.D.M.I) and it is to replace the mobile phone service of TeleYemen.
Thus, first phase of the project of making up computers is scheduled to set out soon. The project aims to construct the computer sets in Yemen with gross productive capacity up to 150,000 computer machine per year in addition to 1000 portal set (Lap Top).
Saba
