Countries

Palau’s connectivity rests on a modern subsea backbone and a small, tightly regulated access market. The state wholesale utility BSCC lit Palau Cable 1 (PC1) in 2017 to a SEA-US branching unit via Guam, and is building Palau Cable 2 (PC2) to the ECHO system with Japan–Australia–US financing, scheduled to add diverse paths toward the US and Singapore once completed. This shift from a single to dual international links is the country’s most important resiliency upgrade.

On-island access is led by the state operator PNCC, which runs fixed broadband, 4G mobile and an extensive public Wi-Fi network (250+ hotspots) used by residents and visitors; technical assistance from USTDA is helping PNCC modernise the mobile network and prepare for 5G. For a microstate, that combination, broad public Wi-Fi coverage and an active 5G-readiness programme, supports wide service reach despite a small population and dispersed geography.

Governance is clear and centralised. The Bureau of Communications (BoC), created by the 2017 Telecommunications Act, licenses operators, manages spectrum, and enforces QoS and consumer rules. Palau also runs a government Digital Residency programme with a binding Cyber Security Regulation (ISO 27001-aligned controls) for systems handling applicants’ data. These frameworks give Palau a compact but coherent digital rulebook covering networks, services, and programme-level data security.

Consult Palau’s digital strategies and regulations

Follow Palau’s digital submarine cables