Communication facilities across Ladakh are very scarce. In Leh city, it is possible to find many operators who offer international calling facilities. Most hotels too offer this facility. The guest houses do not. One often comes across signs indicating that the next international calling facility is three hundred kilometers away! So plan to make all your calls when in Leh city. Look out for yellow boards announcing "STD/ISD". In 2005, some mobile service providers were granted permission to begin operations in the city of Leh. So things are looking brighter for those wanting to stay in touch with the rest of the world even when visiting a place you never feel like leaving. Internet facilities and bandwidth speeds are also improving by the day, although check around for good rates as many places use this opportunity to make a really quick buck.