Based on the latest report submitted by IT&E to the CNMI Department of Commerce, 24,419 telephone lines were installed from May to June this year. Last year, 29,526 telephone lines were installed for the same period.
From May to June this year, 16,860 telephone lines were installed for commercial establishments, 7,729 of which were on Saipan. 341 were installed on Tinian and 360 were installed on Rota.
7,559 telephone lines were installed for residential homes, 6,744 of which were installed on Saipan, 403 on Tinian and 412 on Rota.
The number of telephone lines has been dropping since 2006 as the number of residents declines.
In 2006, IT&E installed 30,684 telephone lines on the three islands — 20,592 were for commercial lines while 10,092 were for residential lines. The number dipped to 28,963 in 2007, went up to 30,458 in 2008 before going down to 28,697 in 2009.
20,934 of the total telephone lines installed last year were for commercial establishments while 7,763 were for residential homes.
