This report provides an overview and analysis as well as key statistics on all aspects of the South Pacific Islands market including mobile, Internet and Broadband, infrastructure, broadcasting and pay TV and the latest regulatory developments.

Islands covered include: American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa , Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu.

Key issues covered include:

Access to basic telecom services remains relatively expensive.
In 2005 less than half of all Pacific Islanders had a phone and generally only had one supplier for any particular fixed, mobile or Internet service.
Lack of reliable fixed infrastructure combined with cheaper installation costs has enabled mobile services to make significant inroads into the market.
Mobile telephony is expected to outpace growth in fixed-line connections as the market moves into 2006 and 2007.
Fixed line and wireless broadband services are making slow inroads in a few islands.

Penetration rates of telecom services in the South Pacific Island region are still comparatively low, with large differences between urban and rural areas where coverage is usually poor. Access to basic telecom services remains relatively expensive. In 2005 less than half of all Pacific Islanders had a phone and generally only had one supplier for any particular fixed, mobile or Internet service. A. lack of reliable fixed infrastructure combined with cheaper installation costs has enabled mobile services to make significant inroads into the market. Mobile telephony is expected to outpace growth in fixed-line connections as the market moves into 2006 and 2007. New technologies are gaining ground in some island countries: 3G mobile services are expected to be launched in Fiji in 2006, and in 2005 Unwired Fiji launched the country’s first privately-owned broadband wireless network.

Market overview:

In 2005 less than half of all Pacific Islanders had a phone and generally only had one supplier for any particular fixed, mobile or Internet service.
The vast expanses between the islands have created many uneconomic pockets and an enormous diversity in social and economic development has hindered the ability to adequately utilise the latest technologies.
A major digital divide has resulted and assistance from developed nations such as New Zealand and Australia is needed urgently to address the issue.
To make further economic progress, the region needs to start liberalising trade in goods, then services and labour. But it has been stumbling at the former partly because of strong protectionist business lobbies.
In mid-2005 Fiji was in the process of deregulating its telecom industry, and this process is expected to continue until 2006 or 2007. Like many other islands in the region, there has been pressure from the World Bank and other institutions for a more deregulated environment.
With the prohibitively high costs involved in laying wired infrastructure, wireless technology offers alternative opportunities to make Internet access, telephone and television services more widely available to the region’s dispersed populations.
Two types of mobile fraud: Internet Dialler Activity and PRS/ roaming fraud. are now prevalent worldwide as well as amongst many Pacific Islands.
The introduction of NewSat’s satellite services into PNG in 2005 is expected to provide a huge benefit to the country’s businesses and local communities in particular its schools, universities and hospitals.

This report provides an overview and analysis as well as key statistics on all aspects of the South Pacific Islands market including mobile, Internet and Broadband, infrastructure, broadcasting and pay TV and the latest regulatory developments.

Islands covered include: American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa , Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu.

Key issues covered include:

Access to basic telecom services remains relatively expensive.
In 2005 less than half of all Pacific Islanders had a phone and generally only had one supplier for any particular fixed, mobile or Internet service.
Lack of reliable fixed infrastructure combined with cheaper installation costs has enabled mobile services to make significant inroads into the market.
Mobile telephony is expected to outpace growth in fixed-line connections as the market moves into 2006 and 2007.
Fixed line and wireless broadband services are making slow inroads in a few islands.

Penetration rates of telecom services in the South Pacific Island region are still comparatively low, with large differences between urban and rural areas where coverage is usually poor. Access to basic telecom services remains relatively expensive. In 2005 less than half of all Pacific Islanders had a phone and generally only had one supplier for any particular fixed, mobile or Internet service. A. lack of reliable fixed infrastructure combined with cheaper installation costs has enabled mobile services to make significant inroads into the market. Mobile telephony is expected to outpace growth in fixed-line connections as the market moves into 2006 and 2007. New technologies are gaining ground in some island countries: 3G mobile services are expected to be launched in Fiji in 2006, and in 2005 Unwired Fiji launched the country’s first privately-owned broadband wireless network.

Market overview:

In 2005 less than half of all Pacific Islanders had a phone and generally only had one supplier for any particular fixed, mobile or Internet service.
The vast expanses between the islands have created many uneconomic pockets and an enormous diversity in social and economic development has hindered the ability to adequately utilise the latest technologies.
A major digital divide has resulted and assistance from developed nations such as New Zealand and Australia is needed urgently to address the issue.
To make further economic progress, the region needs to start liberalising trade in goods, then services and labour. But it has been stumbling at the former partly because of strong protectionist business lobbies.
In mid-2005 Fiji was in the process of deregulating its telecom industry, and this process is expected to continue until 2006 or 2007. Like many other islands in the region, there has been pressure from the World Bank and other institutions for a more deregulated environment.
With the prohibitively high costs involved in laying wired infrastructure, wireless technology offers alternative opportunities to make Internet access, telephone and television services more widely available to the region’s dispersed populations.
Two types of mobile fraud: Internet Dialler Activity and PRS/ roaming fraud. are now prevalent worldwide as well as amongst many Pacific Islands.
The introduction of NewSat’s satellite services into PNG in 2005 is expected to provide a huge benefit to the country’s businesses and local communities in particular its schools, universities and hospitals.