Transmission Transmission is mainly based on analogue open wire and cable system. Korce and a digital radio link between Tirana and Durres. Though old, the transmission network is mostly in a bad condition having been built up in a very old fashioned way with unsatisfactory materials and construction methods. International calls are routed through three centers, Rome, Milan and Athens. The signal is currently beamed into Albania using a 960 channel radio link from Corigliano in Italy to a receiver on the Dajti Mountain which is linked to the international exchange in Tirana.
Separate studies are in progress for the introduction of a mobile cellular network.
The pressures to improve the quality and capacity of the telephone network and complete Phase I of the improvement program are becoming intense. Both private, organizations and ministries are finding that without effective telecommunication, their performance is being negatively impacted. Albanian Telecom and the Government will need to consider the standard of telephone service that is needed in rural areas and the relative budget that should be allocated. Rural telecommunications should be viewed in the context of the needs of the rural areas in which infrastructure and the utilities are an essential part of the social and economic development of the villages as a whole. This will help to define the base needs and budget for rural telecommunications and therefore the system options that need to be considered.