Telecommunications in Mali

Mali, a large, landlocked, multicultural country in West Africa, consistently ranks low in the Human Development Index.

During the first two decades of independence, Mali received major technical and financial support from the former Soviet Union, China, and their allies, especially in the area of radio and television broadcasting.

Cellular phone usage, due to the vast and sparsely populated distances in the north and west, has grown tremendously since the 1990s.

Telephone system: the domestic system is unreliable but improving and provides only minimal service domestic: network consists of microwave radio relay, open wire, and radiotelephone communications stations; expansion of microwave radio relay in progress international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) Radio broadcast stations: Government funded: AM 1, shortwave 1.

Most ISPs are small Bamako based providers with a VSAT connection, a cyber cafe and use wireless systems (Alviron, 802.11a,b, g, Motorola) to share their service with their clients.