Telecommunications began in Sudan in 1859, using wired communications in Swakin town on the Red Sea coast, eastern Sudan; it was there that Britain established a line to link the Sudan to its other colonized countries in Central and Northern Africa. Sudatel was established on 13th September 1993, Operations began on 1st February 1994. Sudatel is a publicly traded company with 893,915,388 shares (at the end of 2008), $2.5 Billion Authorized Capital, $893,915.388 Paid Capital and more than 10,000 shareholders.