Federated States of Micronesia - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Telecoms infrastructure improvements planned for Micronesia

Similar to other Pacific Islands, Micronesia is at the mercy of natural disasters and environmental changes such as rising sea levels brought about by climate change. The small islands which make up Micronesia have focused on recovery and rebuilding since Typhoon Maysak hit in March 2015. It destroyed precious infrastructure including homes, buildings, crops and telephone poles.

It is these rising concerns regarding climate change that is bringing renewed attention from the global community to many of these small Pacific island nations. The South Pacific is seen as a key region for observing climate changes and in turn, this is leading to some new investments in terms of ICT services and infrastructure in order to supply the appropriate monitoring tools and equipment. In addition, the South Pacific islands are expected to reduce their own environmental impact through the use of alternative energy solutions. Renewable energy solutions and solar power are now being installed in some parts of Micronesia.

Micronesia is also well aware that to ensure a viable future for its citizens it needs to develop its telecoms infrastructure for the associated economic and social benefits. In particular, it is important for the country to have reliable international and domestic communication services in order to further grow its tourism industry.

Micronesia is expected to receive international funding to install fibre-optic cables in two of the states (Yap and Chuuk) as well as improve satellite communications for Kosroe. Satellite technology is very important for the Pacific Islands in order to reach remote areas where other telecoms infrastructure isn’t feasible. However, there are limitations with satellite services which can be sometimes unreliable and slow.

In 2016 there are promising developments afoot for Micronesia. The government has developed a National Infrastructure Development Plan 2016-2025 which will see around $13.35 million invested in various infrastructure projects including mobile and fibre-optic technologies.