Telecommunication in Honduras started in 1876 when the first telegraph was introduced, continued development with the telephone in 1891, radio in 1928, television in 1959, the Internet in the early 1990s, and cellphones in 1996.
Television in Honduras includes both local and foreign channels, normally distributed by cable.[3]
The Comisión Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (CONATEL) adopted theATSC standard for digital terrestrial television broadcasting in January 2007. The first digital high definition TV station,CampusTv, was founded byUniversidad de San Pedro Sula.[4]
Main lines: 610,000 lines in use, 91st in the world (2012).[1]
Mobile cellular: 7.4 million lines, 93rd in the world (2012).[1]
Telephone system: fixed-line connections increasing but still limited; competition among multiple providers of mobile-cellular services is contributing to a sharp increase in subscribership; beginning in 2003, private sub-operators allowed to provide fixed-lines in order to expand telephone coverage contributing to a small increase in fixed-line teledensity; mobile-cellular subscribership is roughly 100 per 100 persons; connected to Central American Microwave System (2011),[1] a trunkmicrowave radio relay system that links the countries ofCentral America andMexico with each other.[6]
Hondutel, created in 1976, is the state owned telecommunications company in Honduras.[7]
The first cellular company in Honduras, Celtel (nowTigo), started operations in 1996. Megatel (nowClaro) started in 2001, Honducel in 2007, and Digicel (nowAmérica Móvil) in 2008.
TheInternet has been used in Honduras since 1990 and is common in all the major centers of population.Broadband Internet access is also common. All major media have an Internet presence.[citation needed]
There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet or credible reports that the government monitorse-mail or Internetchat rooms without judicial oversight. The constitution and laws provide forfreedom of speech andpress, and the government generally respects these rights in practice. The constitution and law generally prohibit arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, or correspondence.[14]
Four journalists were killed during 2012, compared with five in 2011. Reports of harassment of journalists and social communicators (persons not employed as journalists, but who serve as bloggers or conduct public outreach for NGOs) continued to rise. There also were multiple reports of intimidation of members of the media and their families. Government officials at all levels denounced violence and threats of violence against members of the media and social communicators. During 2012 the efforts of the Special Victims Unit (SVU) created in January 2011 to address violent crimes against vulnerable communities, including journalists, led to seven arrests and one prosecution in cases involving killings of journalists and social communicators. Members of the media and NGOs stated that the press “self-censored” due to fear of reprisal from organized crime.[14]
^"Honduras – Telecommunications". Privacy Shield Framework. Retrieved1 April 2021.There ar[sic] 42 local and national TV stations in Honduras, all with Spanish-language programming. Cable and pay TV service is also available with a wide range of stations, including major U.S. networks and entertainment-oriented stations.
^"Carlos Mendoza".International Center for Journalists. Retrieved14 April 2023.
^ab"Honduras",Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, U.S. Department of State, 28 March 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromThe World Factbook (2025 ed.).CIA. (Archived 2014 edition.)
