In South Korea, telecommunications services improved dramatically in the 1980s with the assistance of foreign partners and as a result of the development of the electronics industry. The number of telephones in use in 1987 reached 9.2 million, a considerable increase from 1980, when there were 2.8 million subscribers (which, in turn, was four times the number of subscribers in 1972). Radio, and in more recent years television, reached virtually every resident. By 1945 there were about 60,000 radio sets in the country. By 1987 there were approximately 42 million radio receivers in use, and more than 100 radio stations were broadcasting. Transistor radios and television sets have made their way to the most remote rural areas. Television sets, now mass-produced in South Korea, became far less expensive; most city people and a significant number of rural families owned or had access to a television. Ownership of television sets grew from 25,000 sets when broadcasting was initiated in 1961 to an estimated 8.6 million sets in 1987, and more than 250 television stations were broadcasting. Telephone Telephones - main lines in use: 26.6 million (2004) Telephones - mobile cellular: 58.0 million (2015.7) Telephone system: general assessment: excellent domestic and international services domestic: NA international: country code - 82; 10 fiber-optic submarine cables - 1 Korea-Russia-Japan, 1 Korea-Japan-Hong Kong, 3 Korea-Japan-China, 1 Korea-Japan-China-Europe, 1 Korea-Japan-China-US-Taiwan, 1 Korea-Japan-China, 1 Korea-Japan-Hong Kong-Taiwan, 1 Korea-Japan; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 3 Inmarsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) Mobile phone There are three mobile phone service providers: SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus. Radio Radio broadcast stations: AM 61, FM 150, shortwave 2 (2005) Television Television broadcast stations: terrestrial stations 43; cable operators 59; relay cable operators 190 (2005). As of 2022, 255 channels are broadcast on B tv basis. South Korea has seven national terrestrial television networks from four broadcaster; KBS 1TV, KBS 2TV, KBS NEWS D, MBC TV, SBS TV, EBS 1TV, and EBS 2TV. All terrestrial channels are digital (ATSC) since January 2013. KBS NEWS D, a terrestrial MMS channel that opened before and after the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, is the latest broadcasting station to open. From November 2011, four generalist channel are available on cable television; TV CHOSUN, JTBC, Channel A, and MBN. Internet Internet hosts: 7.4 million Internet users: 43.9 million (Total population: 50 million (July 2012 est.) Country