WORLDWIDE MARKET RESEARCH REPORT - CISE

EC/IST FP6 Project No 026920
Work Package: 6
Type of document: Report
Date: 20.12.2007
File name: OP_WP6_D37_V1.0.doc Version: 1.0
Title: Worldwide Market Research Report 122 / 356
and Romania, which joined in January 2007, also have nuclear reactors. In some cases,
shutting existing older Soviet-era reactors was a condition of EU entry, but these countries
retain a strong interest in nuclear and several have firm plans for new reactors in the future.
The contrast between this wealth of activity in Eastern Europe and the lack of positive
nuclear plans further west is indeed striking. It has several explanations. Certainly, these
countries are already benefiting economically from EU membership and electricity demand is
rising rapidly. In itself, this brings with it consideration of energy policy and the available
generation alternatives. Having just broken free of economic dependence on Russia, none
wants to imperil energy independence by relying upon Russian oil and gas, nor import large
quantities of power from neighbouring countries. The economic benefits of nuclear are also
appreciated as the countries are proud of the operating performance of their older reactors.
Finally, in Appendix A, the first table shows the last data on the electricity production of the
Eastern European countries.
5.3.1.2 Telephone coverage
A brief description of the telephone coverage follows. [E32].
Albania
In Albania the telephone system is obsolete, with 42,000 main lines in 1995. In 1992, rioting
peasants cut the wire to about 1,000 villages and used it to build fences. There were 3,100
mobile phones in 1999, with coverage limited to the main cities. In 2000, the privatization of
the mobile phone company, Albanian Mobile Communications (AMC), was completed, and
the sale of the fixed-line operator, Albtelekom, was set for 2001. A consortium of Vodafone
(UK) and Panafon (Greece) won a mobile telephony license in early 2001 for US$38 million.
Belarus
Telecommunications services in Belarus are inadequate for both public and business use.
Hundreds of thousands of applications from household telephones remain unsatisfied. Some
investment on international connections and businesses has taken place, much of it in