Wallis and Futuna Islands
Power & telecom standards in Wallis and Futuna Islands
Connectivity Overview
Tempest Telecom offered satellite-only service in Wallis and Futuna Islands. Iridium satellite Internet and Voice access was available for communications in rural areas without infrastructure.
Wallis and Futuna Islands uses 220V at 50Hz. Power outlets are type C, E and telephone jacks are RJ-11.
Dial-up Internet Access
Dial-up access was not available in Wallis and Futuna Islands. Satellite Internet was the recommended alternative.
WiFi Hotspot Access
WiFi hotspot access was not available through Tempest in Wallis and Futuna Islands.
Adapters & Power
Travelers from North America will need a power plug adapter. European Type C/F adapters are widely compatible.
Standard RJ-11 jacks are used. Most international modems will connect without an adapter.
Wallis and Futuna Islands at a Glance
- Capital
- Mata-Utu
- Phone Code
- +681
- Voltage
- 220V / 50Hz
- Power Plug
- C, E
- Phone Jack
- RJ-11
- Currency
- CFP Franc
- Dial-up
- N/A
- WiFi
- N/A
About connectivity in Wallis and Futuna Islands
Wallis and Futuna uses 220V/50Hz with French-style Type C and Type E outlets. The phone jack is RJ-11. The country code is +681 and the currency is the CFP Franc (the Pacific French franc used across French Polynesia, New Caledonia, and Wallis and Futuna). SPT (Service des Postes et Télécommunications) operates as a public-service monopoly.
Wallis and Futuna's 12,000 population spread across three islands (Wallis, Futuna, Alofi) in the South Pacific shapes infrastructure economics. Commercial Internet emerged in the 2000s through SPT's satellite-only operation; submarine cable connectivity remains limited compared to the larger French Pacific territories.
Tempest Telecom served Wallis and Futuna essentially only through Iridium satellite phones, given the absence of any other commercial connectivity infrastructure during the operational period. The customer base was the small business-traveler population and the limited French overseas administrative personnel.
Modern Wallis and Futuna has expanding satellite connectivity and limited 4G LTE in the principal settlements.
Tempest's services across Wallis and Futuna Islands, 1997–2012
Tempest Telecommunications operated international connectivity services in Wallis and Futuna Islands between 1997 and 2012 under a unified prepaid account that absorbed multiple service types onto a single customer credential. Customers in Wallis and Futuna 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 Wallis and Futuna Islands from approximately 2001 (post-bankruptcy relaunch). Thuraya coverage did not extend to Wallis and Futuna Islands; Inmarsat BGAN data terminals filled the broadband gap from late 2005.