| Telephones - main lines in use | total subscriptions: 22 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1 (2019 est.) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | total subscriptions: 54,658 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 49.41 (2019 est.) |
| Telecommunication systems | general assessment: generally good national and international service; wireline service available on Tarawa and Kiritimati (Christmas Island); connections to outer islands by HF/VHF radiotelephone; recently formed (mobile network operator) MNO is implementing the first phase of improvements with 3G and 4G upgrades on some islands; islands are connected to each other and the rest of the world via satellite; launch of Kacific-1 in December 2019 will improve telecommunication for Kiribati (2020) domestic: fixed-line 1 per 100 and mobile-cellular 46 per 100 subscriptions (2019) international: country code - 686; landing point for the Southern Cross NEXT submarine cable system from Australia, 7 Pacific Ocean island countries to the US; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019) note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments |
| Broadcast media | multi-channel TV packages provide access to Australian and US stations; 1 government-operated radio station broadcasts on AM, FM, and shortwave (2017) |
| Internet country code | .ki |
| Internet users | total: 15,946 percent of population: 14.58% (July 2018 est.) |
| Broadband - fixed subscriptions | total: 105 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 less than 1 (2018 est.) |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
