This article is about communications systems in American Samoa.
Contents
In 2009, American Samoa was connected to the Internet using the ASH undersea cable that increased bandwidth from 20 Mbit/s to 1 Gbit/s. The project used a defunct PacRim East cable built in 1993 that previously connected Hawaii with New Zealand. The cable system now connects Samoa to American Samoa and then to Hawaii where it will connect to global submarine networks.
Telephone
Main lines in use: 10,400 (2004)
country comparison to the world: 202
Mobile cellular: 2,200 (2004)
country comparison to the world: 210
Telephone system:
domestic: good telex, telegraph, facsimile and cellular telephone services; domestic satellite system with 1 Comsat earth station
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
international access code: +1.684 (in the North American Numbering Plan, Area code 684)
Radio
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2005)
Radios: 57,000 (1997)
Television
Television broadcast stations: 4 (2006) Televisions: 14,000 (1997)
Internet
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): at least 3
Internet country code: .as
Internet Hosts: 1,923 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 141
Internet users: NA
Situation in 2016
In 2012 American Samoa had the most expensive internet in America according to Engadget.
Under Governor Togiola Tulafono investment in a fibre optic network to replace ageing copper infrastructure across all the islands of American Samoa and the construction in 2015 of a 1.2Gbps satellite uplink via O3b Networks which more than doubled available bandwidth to the rest of the world resulted in broadband internet becoming more affordable, with the price of the cheapest available residential package decreasing from $75/month to $50/month and download speeds of the base package increasing from 256Kbps to 768Kbps. The improved connectivity to the outside world has revived previously stalled hopes that a call centre could be opened in American Samoa, boosting the local economy.