Micronesia
Power & telecom standards in Micronesia
Connectivity Overview
Tempest Telecom offered satellite-only service in Micronesia. Iridium satellite Internet and Voice access was available for communications in rural areas without infrastructure.
Micronesia uses 120V at 60Hz. Power outlets are type A, B and telephone jacks are RJ-11.
Dial-up Internet Access
Dial-up access was not available in Micronesia. Satellite Internet was the recommended alternative.
WiFi Hotspot Access
WiFi hotspot access was not available through Tempest in Micronesia.
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.
Micronesia at a Glance
- Capital
- Palikir
- Phone Code
- +691
- Voltage
- 120V / 60Hz
- Power Plug
- A, B
- Phone Jack
- RJ-11
- Currency
- USD
- Dial-up
- N/A
- WiFi
- N/A
About connectivity in Micronesia
The Federated States of Micronesia use 120V/60Hz with Type A and Type B outlets — the North American standard reflecting the country's status as a sovereign state in free association with the United States under the Compact of Free Association. The phone jack is RJ-11. FSM Telecom is the dominant operator.
Micronesian commercial Internet emerged in the late 1990s. The country's extreme geographic dispersion (population ~100,000 spread across 607 islands in four states) shapes infrastructure investment.
The Micronesian prepaid international calling-card market through the 2000s served the substantial Micronesian diaspora — concentrated in Guam, Hawaii, and the US mainland (particularly Springdale Arkansas and Honolulu) under the COFA migration provisions.
Tempest Telecom served Micronesia through Iridium satphones. The Pacific tuna-fishing industry, the modest tourism sector (Chuuk Lagoon dive operations), and the broader Pacific regional logistics customer base sustained satellite demand.
Modern Micronesia has expanding 4G LTE coverage in populated areas with substantial satellite-dependence for remote islands.
Tempest's services across Micronesia, 1997–2012
Tempest Telecommunications operated international connectivity services in Micronesia between 1997 and 2012 under a unified prepaid account that absorbed multiple service types onto a single customer credential. Customers in Micronesia 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 Micronesia from approximately 2001 (post-bankruptcy relaunch). Thuraya coverage did not extend to Micronesia; Inmarsat BGAN data terminals filled the broadband gap from late 2005.
Nearby countries in Oceania
French Polynesia · Guam · Kiribati · Marshall Islands · Nauru · New Caledonia · New Zealand · Papua New Guinea