Knowledge Partner
Official publication
Market Overview
Mobile Services Making Significant In-Roads Into Pacific Islands
Penetration rates of telecom services in the South PacificIsland regionare still comparatively low, with large differences between urban andrural areas where coverage is usually poor. Access to basic telecomservices remains relatively expensive. Less than half of all Pacific Islanders have a phone and generally only have 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 continue outpacing growth in fixed-line connections in 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. In some of the relatively larger territories, mobile markets are already liberalised, with competition driving down the prices charged to consumers. Fixed-line marketsare opening up more slowly, but the recent liberalisation of the Fijian market may provide a template for regulators elsewhere in the region.
In Australia and New Zealand, 3G mobile services are a commercial reality, with operators now adding HSxPA to their networks and looking for a solid return on these significant investments. In both countries, the national Governments have been working to extend the availability of broadband services through regulatory and financialmeasures.
