Telecommunications in Iceland

Telecommunications in Iceland is a diversified market.

Services

Internet

Data centres

• THOR Data Center ehf
• DataCell ehf
• Verne Global
• Basis ehf

Internet service providers

The largest Internet service providers in Iceland:

1. Iceland Telecom (Síminn hf)
2. Vodafone Iceland (Fjarskipti ehf)
3. Farice (Farice ehf)
4. Vortex (Hringiðan ehf)

Internet hosting service

Iceland has numerous internet hosting services:

• (1984 ehf)
• Advania (Advania ehf)
• (Davíð og Golíat ehf)
• (FlokiNET ehf)
• Iceland Telecom (Síminn hf)
• (Netmiðlar ehf)
• (Netvistun ehf)
• (Nethönnun ehf)
• (Tölvuþjónustan Geymir sf)
• Vodafone Iceland (Fjarskipti ehf)
• Vortex (Hringiðan ehf)

Internet exchange point

Iceland has an internet exchange point called the Reykjavik Internet Exchange (RIX).

Submarine cables

External image

Map of sea cables

Internet and telephone services rely on submarine communications cables for external traffic:

• CANTAT-3
• DANICE
• FARICE-1
• Greenland Connect

Proposed

• Emerald Express^[1]

Mail

Print

Telephone

Landline

As of 2010 there are 152,895 landlines in use in Iceland of which 132,069 are PSTN. Since the peak number of 196,528 total landlines in 2001 there has been a decrease of 43,633 landlines as of 2009.

Year Total (PSTN) Total Change 2010 132,069 152,895 -17.29% 2009 135,969 184,851 -4.48% 2008 140,858 193,512 3.66% 2007 134,622 186,688 -1.00% 2006 131,693 188,575 -2.72% 2005 134,258 193,852 1.77% 2004 133,504 190,478 -1.08% 2003 135,402 192,552 2.42% 2002 132,353 187,999 -4.34% Source: Statistics Iceland (statice.is)

Year Total (PSTN) Total Change 2001 139,300 196,528 0.10% 2000 141,330 196,336 6.14% 1999 145,769 184,973 6.51% 1998 148,817 173,673 5.01% 1997 151,700 165,390 5.47% 1996 153,551 156,807 5.49% 1995 148,645 148,645 0.23% 1994 148,300 148,300 0.00%

Mobile

As of 2010 there are 341,077 active GSM (2G) and UMTS (3G) subscriptions in use in Iceland. In 2010, all NMT (1G) networks were shut down. Nova was first to offer 4G^[2] followed by Siminn.

Year NMT 450 GSM/UMTS Change 2010 – 341,077 3.38% 2009 9,783 329,932 1.63% 2008 12,291 324,631 4.12% 2007 15,854 311,785 2.22% 2006 17,827 305,013 7.20% 2005 19,480 284,521 5.35% 2004 21,300 270,072 5.35% 2003 23,302 256,368 8.94% 2002 25,100 235,338 6.38% Source: Statistics Iceland (statice.is)

Year NMT 450 GSM/UMTS Change 2001 26,900 221,231 17.91% 2000 27,268 187,628 39.10% 1999 27,136 134,886 71.68% 1998 26,056 78,569 92.26% 1997 24,880 40,866 73.20% 1996 22,707 23,595 143.20% 1995 21,181 9,702 357.86% 1994 19,726 2,119 0.00%

Year NMT 450 GSM/UMTS Change 1993 17,409 – 0.00% 1992 15,164 – 0.00% 1991 12,889 – 0.00% 1990 10,010 – 0.00% 1989 7,893 – 0.00% 1988 6,519 – 0.00% 1987 5,008 – 0.00% 1986 2,106 – 0.00%

Telephone calling Year Thousands of minutes Change 2010 742,791 4.91% 2009 708,040 3.42% 2008 684,649 32.40% 2007 517,105 14.81% 2006 450,422 9.61% 2005 410,940 2.99% 2004 399,017 12.59% 2003 354,389 3.33% 2002 342,962 19.63% 2001 286,685 16.30% 2000 246,514 24.83% 1999 197,475 39.49% 1998 141,566 0.00% Source: Statistics Iceland (statice.is)

Text messaging Year SMS Change 2010 171,931 17.27% 2009 146.615 2.37% 2008 143.216 5.72% 2007 135.474 9.89% 2006 123.285 -0.34% 2005 123.711 -19.79% 2004 154.236 8.31% 2003 142.403 14.43% 2002 124.451 37.97% 2001 90.201 46.48% 2000 61.581 0.00% Year MMS Change 2010 1,355 3.12% 2009 1,314 39.64% 2008 941 -34.43% 2007 1,435 92.62% 2006 745 180.08% 2005 266 0.00%

Telephone numbers

There are no area codes in Iceland, and all telephone numbers have seven digits. The international dialling code is +354. Due to the Icelandic naming system, people are listed by their first name in the telephone directory, and not by their last name (which is usually patronym, or, rarely, a matronym).

Television

Television in Iceland began in September 1966.

Television usage in Icelandic homes. Year Television set Two or more TVs Digital television Satellite television Cable television or Broadband television 2010 98% 50% 63% 8% 17% 2009 96% 50% 60% 9% 10% 2008 95% – 57% 6% – 2007 97% – 57% 11% – 2006 93% – 47% 7% 8% 2005 98% – 40% 6% 7% 2004 97% – – – – 2003 97% – 19% – – 2002 97% – – – – Source: Statistics Iceland (statice.is)

Related technology in Icelandic homes. Year Flatscreen Home cinema VHS player DVD player Blu-ray player 2010 54% 31% 64% 82% 2% 2009 48% 30% 67% 82% – 2008 37% 33% 74% 83% – 2007 26% 30% 80% 79% – 2006 – – 78% 81% – 2005 – – 90% 74% – 2004 – – – – – 2003 – – – 54% – 2002 – – 91% 40% –

References

1. "Emerald Express - Trans-Atlantic Fibre Optic Cable System". Retrieved 26 March 2016.
2. "Nova launches first 4G network in Iceland". telegeography.com. Retrieved 12 July 2015.

External links

• Reykjavik Internet Exchange (English)
• Reykjavik Internet Exchange (Icelandic)