Fiji Telecoms Market Report
Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses
Fiji’s long-awaited 5G service delayed due to USAID freeze
Fiji presents a challenging geographic environment for infrastructure development due to its population being spread across more than 100 islands. However, the majority of Fijians live on the two main islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. This has helped Fiji become the leading market in the region in terms of mobile broadband infrastructure. The market boasts relatively sophisticated, advanced digital networks, while the telcos’ substantial investment has resulted in the country having one of the highest mobile and internet penetration rates among the Pacific island states.
Considerable investment has been made by the Fijian mobile operators in recent years. These telcos include Digicel Fiji, Vodafone Fiji, and Telecom Fiji. Notably, LTE now accounts for the largest share of connections in the mobile segment. LTE networks provide more than 95% population coverage, and full coverage is anticipated within a few years. Concentrating on the more highly populated areas, the operators have deployed LTE-A technology and have prepared for the next growth area of high-speed data. Having secured trial 5G licences in 2023, Digicel Fiji and Vodafone Fiji have prepared their networks to be 5G-ready, anticipating an easier migration to the technology based on the relatively high LTE penetration rate. A commercial deployment of 5G was expected in the first quarter of 2025, but this has been delayed to a freeze on the contribution made by USAID, which had been advising on matters related to spectrum use and availability, and the pricing of services.
While Telecom Fiji has deployed fibre in some urban areas, the high cost of fibre broadband is prohibitive for most Fijians. This has meant that the connectivity rate for passed households is low, and thus the majority of fixed-line broadband connections remain via DSL.
In July 2018, the two islands were linked by the Savusavu submarine cable system, which provides a more secure link in times of emergency weather events such as the regular tropical cyclones that often cause considerable destruction to the area. Cyclones can destroy essential infrastructure such as electricity and telecommunications equipment. Notably, the December 2021 eruption of the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha'apai submarine volcano in Tonga damaged the Tonga Cable which connects Fiji. Cable theft and damage of critical communications infrastructure has also become a concern in Fiji, prompting authorities to establish a joint taskforce to tackle the issue.
While new subsea cables are being developed, notably the South Pacific Connect initiative which incorporates the Tabua cable connecting the US, Australia, and New Zealand to Fiji, an alternative platform emerged in May 2024 when Starlink launched services. By mid-year there were three satellite internet resellers, and while the cost remains relatively high it has ensured that internet services are available to all outlying islands and maritime areas.
Key developments:
- Three telcos become resellers of Starlink’s broadband internet service in Fiji.
- Telecom Fiji installs a transmission network on Vanua Levu connecting the Savusavu submarine cable station with the Labasa Exchange.
- 5G services delayed due to freeze on USAID support.
- Report update includes the regulator’s market data to September 2024, telcos' financial and operating data updates for fiscal 2024, recent market developments.
Companies covered in this report include:
Amalgamated Telecom Holdings (ATH), Telecom Fiji (TFL), Fiji International Telecommunications (FINTEL), Kacific Broadband Satellites, Southern Cross Cable Network (SCCN), Vodafone Fiji (VFL), Digicel Fiji, Inkk Mobile, Unwired Fiji, Fintel Internet Services (Kidanet).
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