American Samoa
Power & telecom standards in American Samoa
Connectivity Overview
Tempest Telecom offered satellite-only service in American Samoa. Iridium satellite Internet and Voice access was available for communications in rural areas without infrastructure.
American Samoa uses 120V at 60Hz. Power outlets are type A, B, F, I and telephone jacks are RJ-11.
Dial-up Internet Access
Dial-up access was not available in American Samoa. Satellite Internet was the recommended alternative.
WiFi Hotspot Access
WiFi hotspot access was not available through Tempest in American Samoa.
Adapters & Power
North American (Type A/B) plugs are compatible. An adapter may not be needed for US travelers.
Standard RJ-11 jacks are used. Most international modems will connect without an adapter.
American Samoa at a Glance
- Capital
- Pago Pago
- Phone Code
- +1-684
- Voltage
- 120V / 60Hz
- Power Plug
- A, B, F, I
- Phone Jack
- RJ-11
- Currency
- US Dollar
- Dial-up
- N/A
- WiFi
- N/A
About connectivity in American Samoa
American Samoa uses 120V/60Hz with Type A, Type B, Type F, and Type I outlets — an unusual four-type mix reflecting the territory's status as a US unincorporated territory in the South Pacific. The phone jack is RJ-11. ASTCA (American Samoa Telecommunications Authority) holds the dominant fixed-line position; the mobile market is served by Bluesky Communications.
American Samoan commercial Internet emerged in the late 1990s through ASTCA. The territory's small population (~45,000) and undersea-cable connection to New Zealand and Australia shape infrastructure.
The American Samoan prepaid international calling-card market through the 2000s served the substantial outbound diaspora — concentrated in Hawaii, the US West Coast (particularly California), and the continental mainland.
Tempest Telecom served American Samoa through dial-up POPs in Pago Pago. The Pacific tuna-fishing industry and the modest tourism sector sustained Iridium demand.
Modern American Samoa has expanding 4G LTE coverage with FTTH concentrated in the Pago Pago area.
Tempest's services across American Samoa, 1997–2012
Tempest Telecommunications operated international connectivity services in American Samoa between 1997 and 2012 under a unified prepaid account that absorbed multiple service types onto a single customer credential. Customers in American Samoa drew from the same balance for pre-paid international voice calling, RADIUS-authenticated dial-up Internet roaming, metered Wi-Fi hotspot access, Iridium satellite voice, and Inmarsat BGAN data terminals. An attempted kiosk-payment federation (PATN, 1998) extended the same architecture to public Internet terminals but failed to reach scale.
Iridium satellite voice was available in American Samoa from approximately 2001 (post-bankruptcy relaunch). Thuraya coverage did not extend to American Samoa; Inmarsat BGAN data terminals filled the broadband gap from late 2005.
Nearby countries in Oceania
Australia · Christmas Island · Cocos (Keeling) Islands · Cook Islands · Fiji · French Polynesia · Guam · Kiribati