“2008 South Pacific Islands: Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband”, which is available at http://www.reportbuyer.com/
Less than half of all Pacific Islanders have a phone and generally only had one supplier for any particular fixed, mobile or Internet service. Internet cafes and telecentres help to address the issue of low Internet penetration. To communicate outside the region, most islands are in a satellite footprint and both Fiji and Guam are connected by submarine cable.
The report shows that penetration rates of telecom services in the region remain comparatively low, although mobile and Internet penetration have gained traction in some of the more highly populated and developed islands such as Fiji, PNG and Guam. Access to basic telecom services remains relatively expensive.
Authors of the report note that following the 2007 Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga, officials revealed that strong progress had been made to the digital connectivity plan. The strategylargely comprises two parts, a dedicated Pacific Islands satellite system sponsored by Australia, and the construction of a new cable connecting the 12 member nations and partially funded by the French government. Pacific leaders are aiming for a 2008 implementation of a major new undersea cable network and satellite links servicing island nations throughout the region.
The study finds that mobile telephony is expected to continue outpacing growth in fixed-lineconnections as the market moves into 2008. New technologies are gaining ground in some island countries. Several of the South Pacific nations are upgrading satellite links to outer islands, installing wireless broadband and upgrading fixed-line broadband capability and some are rolling out high-speed ADSL2+ broadband.
“2008 South Pacific Islands: Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband” is available from Report Buyer. For more information go to:
http://www.reportbuyer.com/
Report Buyer product ID: BUD00222
