Situated in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia, the Marshall Islands are an isolated and sparsely populated collection of five volcanic islands and 29 remote coral atolls. While the Islands offer much in terms of beauty and as a popular destination for diving and marine life, the country was falling behind in ensuring all its citizens had the connectivity needed to thrive in a modern and digitized world.
In the most remote outer islands, basic connectivity options were either severely limited or entirely unavailable. Citizens needing to register a birth, marriage, or death or apply for a passport were required to travel by boat to and from Majuro, the capital city, sometimes making multiple trips. Communication with the world outside the Islands was basically nonexistent.
Seeking a quick and economically viable approach to bringing quality connectivity to the entire country, including the most remote island locations, the country’s sole provider of telecommunications services turned to a leading satellite connectivity provider to connect the unconnected and ultimately, deliver consistent and robust connectivity for communities, schools, medical centers, and the general population.
As a longtime partner to the Marshall Islands National Telecommunications Authority (NTA) and having worked alongside the country’s ministers of health and education for more than 20 years, Intelsat had a deep knowledge of the requirements associated with building a network in the region. The team developed a multi-phase approach that would initially include using cost-efficient small-cell technology to build a 2G network and establish basic voice communications across the outer islands, giving 5,000 people access to a phone for the first time.
The team faced several challenges from the outset. In the Marshall Islands, goods of all kinds are transported between islands by 30-foot boats. With most islands separated by hundreds of kilometers, moving equipment proved to be a time-consuming and laborious undertaking.
Then came Covid. The project had retained an outside contractor from Papua New Guinea to construct the cell towers. But just as work was set to commence, the pandemic arrived and the borders were closed, eliminating the availability of outside skilled workers. Intelsat and NTA were faced with building the network themselves with the local population’s help.
Over several months, there were 60 small-cell base stations, a satellite hub, and VSAT equipment delivered across the islands and atolls, all transported by boat. By the time the pandemic eased, and restrictions were relaxed, most of the work to build the 2G network was completed and voice connectivity was successfully introduced across 100 percent of the country.
The project has transformed the lives of Marshall Islands citizens who, for the first time, can call a neighbor or relative or even speak with someone in another country. The presence of country-wide connectivity has also created new income opportunities and stimulated the local economy, particularly for the many women in the handicrafts trade living in the remote islands.
When a Marshallese couple gets married, they require a traditional, handmade, woven mat to be rolled out across the church as a symbol of health and happiness. It takes about 10 women to produce the mat which is usually 30-40 feet in length.
Due to the presence of newly established voice connectivity, a Marshallese expatriate living in Oregon was able to connect with a group of women residing in one of the outer islands and arrange for the production of a mat for a couple looking to preserve this tradition but living outside of the Marshall Islands.
“As a Marshallese person, I am quite proud of what we have accomplished to introduce 21st-century technology,” said Thomas Kijiner Jr., President and CEO of NTA. “There is certainly an appreciation for how technology has been able to connect people across the country.”
Connectivity work on the Marshall Islands is ongoing. The initial taste of connectivity almost immediately spurred greater interest among the Marshallese for broadband and internet access to stream movies, conduct online banking, and more. The second phase of the connectivity project will begin rolling out this summer to bring 3G and eventually 4G data to the entire country, including the most remote locations.
*Content and interview provided by Intelsat
