The Internet was available in Suriname through
Telesur from November 1995; subscribers could choose either full access or email only. Internet access is common and widely available in major cities, but less common in remote areas of the interior with limited bandwidth and often no access to electricity. •
Fixed broadband: 32,192 subscriptions, 120th in the world; 5.7% of population, 98th in the world (2012). •
Wireless broadband: Unknown (2012). •
Internet hosts: 188 hosts, 201st in the world (2012). •
Internet service providers: Two ISPs offer
dial-up Internet access, two provide wireless access, and a further two provide access using
ISDN. One provider offers access using
DSL.
Internet censorship and surveillance There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet and the government asserts that it does not monitor
e-mail or Internet
chat rooms without judicial oversight. However, journalists, members of the political opposition and their supporters, and other independent entities report government interference or oversight of email and
social media accounts. The law provides for
freedom of speech and
press, and the government generally respects these rights in practice. Members of the local and international press corps report threats of violence directly linked to their coverage of the amendment to the amnesty law. The president's official spokesperson publicly criticized and intimidated journalists who reported on negative public reaction to the amendment. Some media members practice
self-censorship in response to pressure and intimidation by senior government officials or community leaders on journalists who publish negative stories about the administration. In addition many news outlets are affiliated with particular political parties, which discourages journalists from reporting on some subjects. The law prohibits arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, or correspondence, and the government generally respects these prohibitions in practice. The law requires search warrants, which are issued by quasi-judicial officers who supervise criminal investigations. ==See also==