Canberra, AUSTRALIA — The telecommunication sector in the Pacific region has experienced growth in the uptake of mobile technology since roughly 2005, fuelled by market liberalisation, network expansion, and products and services tailored for low-income customers. Nonetheless, user uptake remains below potential, with substantial variation between countries.

Internet access has remained expensive and unreliable across the Pacific, but new undersea Internet cables are increasing bandwidth availability. There is hope that Internet reliability will improve, speeds will increase, and prices will drop.

In some countries, persistent monopolies are concerning. They present vulnerabilities because the people in such locations are dependent on one company for all of their telecommunication needs. If the company experiences technical failures, becomes insolvent, or decides to leave that market, the citizens may be left with no telecommunication services.

In order for Pacific nations to maintain access to telecommunication services, they need to balance the sustainability of corporations with scrutiny of their actions through regulatory oversight. In small states, governments may not be able to effectively regulate the market.

Pacific governments have attempted to regulate social media by devising legislation to prosecute cybercriminals and in some cases have tried to restrict access or threatened to do so.

In Nauru, Facebook was blocked for nearly three years. In 2020, similar bans were proposed in Samoa and Solomon Islands. In 2018, a ban was threatened in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

Although there are several players in the Pacific telecommunications market, the dominance of two mobile network operators means that the region is reliant upon their continued operation. Digicel’s first Pacific market was Samoa in 2006, followed by its launch in PNG in 2007. It also operates in Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Nauru. Digicel made a substantial investment to establish its mobile networks in the Pacific and build goodwill through various initiatives, including sports sponsorship and a philanthropic foundation in PNG.

Amalgamated Telecom Holdings (ATH) is a public company listed on the South Pacific Stock Exchange in Fiji that has mobile networks in American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, and Vanuatu. It has received funding from the Asian Development Bank to set up a new mobile telephone network in PNG. It has a partnership with Vodafone in some markets, sport sponsorship arrangements in Fiji and Samoa, and operates a philanthropic foundation in Fiji.

Pacific governments could work together with telecommunication companies operating in the region and other actors, such as donor countries, to build more robust and secure telecommunications networks and markets. While the region faces numerous challenges, including damage to infrastructure due to natural disasters and an immature cybersecurity structure, Pacific governments must balance the need for cybersecurity with citizens’ rights to freedom of expression. By striking this balance, policymakers will enable the region and its people to stay connected

Read more at Asia & The Pacific Policy Society