Northern Mariana Islands
Power & telecom standards in Northern Mariana Islands
Connectivity Overview
Tempest Telecom offered dial-up internet access, WiFi hotspot access and broadband ethernet access in Northern Mariana Islands. We also offered Iridium satellite Internet and Voice access in Northern Mariana Islands for communications in rural areas without infrastructure.
Northern Mariana Islands uses 120V at 60Hz. Power outlets are type A, B and telephone jacks are RJ-11.
Dial-up Internet Access
Tempest Telecom provided local dial-up access numbers in Northern Mariana Islands at $0.155/minute. Travelers could connect using any standard modem with an RJ-11 telephone adapter.
WiFi Hotspot Access
Tempest Telecom provided WiFi hotspot access in Northern Mariana Islands at $19.95/day for unlimited browsing.
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.
Northern Mariana Islands at a Glance
- Capital
- Saipan
- Phone Code
- +1-670
- Voltage
- 120V / 60Hz
- Power Plug
- A, B
- Phone Jack
- RJ-11
- Currency
- US Dollar
- Dial-up
- $0.155/min
- WiFi
- $19.95/day
About connectivity in Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands uses 120V/60Hz with Type A and Type B outlets, matching US standards (the CNMI is a US Commonwealth). The phone jack is RJ-11. IT&E and Docomo Pacific operate the principal mobile networks. The country code +1-670 is part of the North American Numbering Plan.
The CNMI's commercial Internet emerged in the late 1990s through Pacific Telecom (later acquired) and IT&E. The 2008 federalization of CNMI immigration substantially increased the territory's integration with mainland US connectivity standards. Tourism (predominantly Japanese, Korean, and Chinese visitors) and the small garment-manufacturing legacy industry shaped commercial Internet adoption.
Tempest Telecom served the CNMI primarily through Iridium satellite phones for the US military presence (Tinian, Saipan), the Pacific maritime industry, and the diving-tourism operator base. The Pacific's strategic importance to US defense made the CNMI a steady regional market.
Modern CNMI has 4G LTE coverage in populated areas, with US-mainland-style data plans available from the integrated carriers.
Tempest's services across Northern Mariana Islands, 1997–2012
Tempest Telecommunications operated international connectivity services in Northern Mariana Islands between 1997 and 2012 under a unified prepaid account that absorbed multiple service types onto a single customer credential. Customers in Northern Mariana Islands 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 Northern Mariana Islands from approximately 2001 (post-bankruptcy relaunch). Thuraya coverage did not extend to Northern Mariana Islands; Inmarsat BGAN data terminals filled the broadband gap from late 2005.