Samoa has one of the highest rates of mobile phone coverage in the Pacific region, a United Nations report has found.

Some 97 per cent of the nation has mobile coverage, the Government research found. 

In a report last year - “Samoa’s Second Voluntary National Review” - the U.N. notes that Pacific islands’ isolation and distance from major markets puts them at a significant economic disadvantage.

But it finds that Samoa recognises the importance of Information and Communications Technology for its ability to promote socio-economic development; it was one of the first countries to liberalise its telecommunications sector in 2003. 

With the support of the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, the Government has since increased its wholesale internet access capacity with the American Samoa to Hawaii (A.S.H.) submarine cable in 2009, the report found. It has also launched a Government-wide area network called the Samoa National Broadband Highway (S.N.B.H.) in 2015 and the Tui Samoa Cable in 2019. 

A National Information and Communications Technology (I.C.T.) Steering Committee (N.I.C.T.S.C.) chaired by the Prime Minister to oversee a national plan for developing communications. 

“Reaping the results of almost two decades of investment in the I.C.T. sector, Samoa now enjoys one of the highest rates of mobile phone coverage (97 per cent) in the Pacific region,” the report finds. 

“Usage of mobile phones is 88 percent and user mobile phone ownership [was] 64 per cent in 2018, an increase from 71 per cent and 41 per cent in 2013 respectively. 

“People owning a smartphone with internet access is 64 per cent but access to internet other than on a mobile phone is low at 6 per cent.”

Internet usage has increased considerably from 13 per cent in 2013 to 64 per cent in 2018, primarily via mobile phones.

“This indicates the importance of mobile phones in terms of access to information and services including in times of disasters and emergencies,” the report says. 

“Furthermore, the introduction of mobile wallets, mobile banking and payment of water and electricity bills, checking bank balance as well as online shopping and delivery apps such as Maua and Seki Eats on mobile phones; and the sending and receiving of money to and from overseas on mobile phones is further driving the use and ownership of mobile phones.

“This in turn, is improving financial inclusion of a considerable proportion of the population that is currently unbanked.”