Palau
Power & telecom standards in Palau
Connectivity Overview
Tempest Telecom offered satellite-only service in Palau. Iridium satellite Internet and Voice access was available for communications in rural areas without infrastructure.
Palau 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 Palau. Satellite Internet was the recommended alternative.
WiFi Hotspot Access
WiFi hotspot access was not available through Tempest in Palau.
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.
Palau at a Glance
- Capital
- Ngerulmud
- Phone Code
- +680
- Voltage
- 120V / 60Hz
- Power Plug
- A, B
- Phone Jack
- RJ-11
- Currency
- US Dollar
- Dial-up
- N/A
- WiFi
- N/A
About connectivity in Palau
Palau uses 120V/60Hz with Type A and Type B outlets, matching US standards under the Compact of Free Association with the United States. The phone jack is RJ-11. The Palau National Communications Corporation (PNCC) operates the principal fixed and mobile network; the country code is +680.
Palau's commercial Internet emerged in the early 2000s through PNCC, with satellite backhaul carrying international traffic until the SEA-US submarine cable arrived in 2017. The country's diving tourism industry (Palau is one of the world's premier dive destinations) and small business-traveler population shaped commercial Internet adoption.
Tempest Telecom served Palau primarily through Iridium satellite phones for diving operators working remote sites, the Pacific maritime industry, and the limited US military and aid-program presence supporting the Compact relationship.
Modern Palau has substantially improved terrestrial broadband following the 2017 SEA-US cable arrival and the 2020 BSCC cable.
Tempest's services across Palau, 1997–2012
Tempest Telecommunications operated international connectivity services in Palau between 1997 and 2012 under a unified prepaid account that absorbed multiple service types onto a single customer credential. Customers in Palau 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 Palau from approximately 2001 (post-bankruptcy relaunch). Thuraya coverage did not extend to Palau; Inmarsat BGAN data terminals filled the broadband gap from late 2005.