Telecommunications in Vanuatu: Challenges and Opportunities Ahead

Vanuatu's telecommunications landscape is a mix of challenges and opportunities. The country has a relatively low mobile penetration rate of around 130 mobile subscribers per 100 people.

Vanuatu's geographical location, with over 80 islands and a vast ocean separating them, makes it difficult to establish a reliable and efficient telecommunications network. This has led to high costs and limited access to services.

Despite these challenges, the Vanuatu government has made efforts to improve telecommunications infrastructure, including the establishment of a national fibre-optic backbone. This has connected major population centers and improved internet access.

Vanuatu's country code for the internet is .vu, managed by Telecom Vanuatu Limited (Vodafone Vanuatu) as "VUNIC".

You can access the internet in Vanuatu, with its country code being .vu.

Vanuatu is a Y-shaped archipelago of roughly 80 islands scattered across the South Pacific Ocean, making geography a significant challenge for internet access.

The country's rugged volcanic terrain and wide inter-island distances make laying fiber-optic cables or building terrestrial networks difficult and costly.

Rural areas account for nearly 74% of the population, spread over dozens of islands, and are often separated by ocean, mountains, and rainforests, complicating the extension of physical infrastructure.

A severe 7.3 magnitude earthquake in late 2024 cut Vanuatu's sole international submarine cable, causing a nationwide internet outage, underscoring the fragility of traditional infrastructure in an island setting.

Digicel Vanuatu has committed to expanding its mobile coverage to an estimated 99% of the population, a significant leap forward in bridging the digital divide.

4G coverage for Vanuatu reached 90% at the end of 2023, a notable milestone in the country's telecommunications landscape.

Despite geographical challenges, Digicel Vanuatu remains dedicated to covering remote or underserved areas, providing pathways for increased access to digital tools and services for unconnected or under-resourced communities.

Vanuatu is a Y-shaped archipelago of roughly 80 islands scattered across the South Pacific Ocean.

The country's population is about 330,000, but only one-quarter lives in urban centers, primarily the capital Port Vila and Luganville.

Rugged volcanic terrain and wide inter-island distances make laying fiber-optic cables or building terrestrial networks difficult and costly.

Many small or remote villages are separated by ocean, mountains, and rainforests, complicating the extension of physical infrastructure.

Vanuatu is highly prone to natural disasters like cyclones, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions, which frequently damage communications infrastructure and disrupt connectivity.

A severe 7.3 magnitude earthquake in late 2024 cut Vanuatu’s sole international submarine cable, causing a nationwide internet outage.

The country’s low population density and limited economies of scale make it less economically attractive for telecom operators to invest in extensive infrastructure.

Power supply can be unreliable or absent in some rural areas, complicating the operation of cell towers or internet access points.

Digicel Vanuatu has committed to expanding its mobile coverage to an estimated 99% of the population in Vanuatu as part of its Universal Access Policy (UAP) obligations.

The company faces significant geographical challenges, with Vanuatu comprising over 80 islands spread across an area of 1,300 kilometres.

The telco aims to bridge the digital divide by providing mobile coverage to remote or underserved areas.

Digicel Vanuatu's CEO Gary Sue-Fong believes this expansion will make access to digital tools and services available to thousands of Ni-Vanuatu.

The company's 5th Undertaking will also offer pathways for increased access to Digicel's MyCash mobile wallet, e-learning portals, e-health initiatives, and digital finance for unconnected or under-resourced communities.

Currently, 4G coverage for Vanuatu has reached 90% as of the end of 2023.

The exact timeline for the expansion was not specified.

The market for telecommunications in Vanuatu has undergone significant changes over the last two decades. The Vanuatu government has been proactive in transforming the country into a global telecommunication hub.

The mobile market is the main focus of the telecom sector, with operators expanding their infrastructure and investing heavily in capital expenditure. A strong increase in telecom subscribers has necessitated network expansion, creating a need for significant investment in telecom infrastructure.

Vanuatu has a huge national telecommunications network, with top mobile operators planning to extend coverage to address a surge in data consumption. The fixed line market remains highly underdeveloped due to the dominance of the mobile segment.

Digicel Vanuatu Limited is one of the main Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Vanuatu, offering WIMAX, 3G & GPRS mobile internet services, and off-island connectivity via fibre optic cable. The minimum speed offered for fixed internet is 1 Mbit/s on residential packages.

Telecom Vanuatu Limited (TVL) also provides internet services, including WIMAX, ADSL, and Wireless, as well as VSAT for rural areas. Prepaid and Postpaid options are available for TVL customers.

Telsat Broadband Limited offers Carrier-Grade Wireless coverage to Port Vila and surrounds, with a minimum speed of 256 kbit/s up to 2 Mbit/s. Wantok Network Limited provides wireless 4G internet in Port Vila and surrounding areas, with plans starting from Vt2,300 per month.

Interchange Limited has constructed the Interchange Cable Network, connecting Port Vila to Suva, Fiji via a fibre optic cable with a capacity over 200 times Vanuatu's previous capacity. This increased capacity is expected to meet the growing demand for data localization in Vanuatu.

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As Vanuatu's telecommunications sector continues to grow, we can expect to see significant improvements in internet connectivity and mobile network coverage.

The government has set a target of achieving 100% mobile coverage by 2025, which is a significant milestone.

The country's first-ever 4G network was launched in 2017, and it has already made a huge impact on the lives of Ni-Vanuatu.

With faster internet speeds and improved mobile coverage, people in rural areas will have access to essential services like healthcare, education, and banking.

The Vanuatu Mobile Telephone Company, which operates as Digicel, has been instrumental in expanding mobile coverage to remote islands.

In 2020, the company successfully launched 4G services on the island of Ambrym, making it one of the first islands in the Pacific to have 4G connectivity.

Additional reading: Telecommunications Company