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Telephone and Telegraph Facilities
International Direct Dialling (IDD) telephone and telegraphic services are available 24 hours at Dhiraagu's (the local phone company) office in Male. All resorts and most Male hotels have IDD facilities, even though only a few of the larger ones have telephones in the room. The phone system uses standard U.S.-style RJ-11 phone jacks and wiring. U.S. phones and faxes can be used without special permissions. In January 1998, rates for calls to the U.S. from Male were about USD4.00 per minute with some adding a hotel surcharge of USD3.00-USD4.00 per minute.
Public phone and hotel phones can be used for national/international calls. Public phones require one of two types of phone cards (chip or magnetic strip, the former being the new standard) which can be purchased in many places (e.g. upon arrival at the airport in the souvenir shop, grocery stores, etc.)
The Maldivian cellular phone system has reached its full capacity, so participants who bring their own phones are unlikely to be able to use them.
Local telephone service is available in the Maldives, and telephones will be provided within the Meteorology Department complex.
Postal and Overnight Delivery Information
The General Post Office (Maldives Post Limited, B-194, Chandhani Magu) sells stamps and runs other postal facilities, including mail courier and other premium services. International transit times for mail to and from the Maldives can vary from a week to a fortnight depending on the destination and the frequency of flights.
DHL Worldwide Express is located at the Cyprea Hotels & Travel Pte Ltd., Ground Floor, 25 Boduthakurufaanu Magu, Male, telephone: 326688; fax: 323523/314177.
Newspapers
There are two local dailies written mostly in Divehi. Both papers carry one or two pages in English, with the emphasis on regional matters. Several local periodicals are also published, mainly in Divehi.
Some resorts provide international dailies such as the Herald Tribune and weeklies such as Time and Newsweek. These are also available in Male.
Radio and Television
There are no independent radio or television broadcasters. The Government radio and television stations broadcast regular news and entertainment programs, which do not normally run for 24 hours except on special occasions. Most resorts and some hotels have now installed satellite television receivers for viewing CNN, BBC and regional broadcasts.
Commerical Internet Access
The Cyber Café (Medhuziyaaraiy Magu) offers Internet access to the general public. The Cyber Café has six PCs permanently connected to the Internet. These computers are housed in individual cubicles and equipped with headphones and screen filters. Internet access offered includes email, WWW, FTP, chatrooms (IRC), radio broadcasts, and Web page publishing. Color scanning, printing, and internet tutorials also are available.
You may either pay for service as you go: Rf35.00 (~USD3.00) for the first 15 minutes or Rf45.00 (~USD4.00) for the first 30 minutes, plus Rf1.00 (~USD0.10) for each additional minute. Or, you may purchase a Club Membership for Rf75.00 (~USD6.50) per month. The membership fee is payable in advance ans includes one free email account and 1 MB or free Web space as well as a 30-minute tutorial on using the Internet. There is no Facilities Usage Fee (Rf15.00) for using the Cyber Café. For more pricing information, please click here.
The Cyber Café is located one block south of the STO Trade Centre in downtown Malé.
If you have questions or need clarification regarding information contained in these Bulletins, contact Ms. Diane Lask, JOSS, at (+1) 303-497-8684, lask@ucar.edu.
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Last modified: 8 January 1999