Basics[]
The Federated States of Micronesia (abbreviated FSM and also known simply as Micronesia) is an independent island nation that is spread across the Western Pacific Ocean. Together, it comprises around 607 islands located northeast of New Guinea, south of Guam and the Marianas, west of Nauru and the Marshall Islands, east of Palau and the Philippines. The official currency is the US Dollar (USD).
Micronesia is linked by a submarine cable to Guam, but relies heavily on satellite technology to reach remote areas where other telecoms infrastructure isn’t feasible. A second link to Yap and Chuuk Islands is under construction in 2017.
This makes data slow, expensive and the mobile network only available on the main islands.
In the Federated States of Micronesia there is only one mobile operator:
- FSM Telecom
Many foreign phones set up for global roaming won't work in Micronesia, because FSM Telecom doesn't have roaming agreements with most foreign operators. The only way to connect is to buy a local SIM card or log on to one of their WiFi hotspots.
FSM Telecom[]
FSM Telecom short for Federated States of Micronesia Telecommunications Corp. is the only internet provider and mobile operator in FSM. The state-owned company operates a network on 2G/GSM 900 MHz and and started in 2014 3G/UMTS on 900 MHz. As 3G/UMTS on 900 MHz is not so common, check that your phone supports it.
Coverage is only available on the 4 main islands of Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Yap: coverage map. All other islands can only by reached by satellite telephony. FSM Telecom had 30,000 mobile subcribers in 2015.
So far even on 3G, reported speeds do not exceed 2 Mbit/s downlink and 1 Mbit/s uplink as of 2016. However they are deploying a partnership with O3b to improve speeds in near future.
Availability[]
A SIM card costs $10 without any airtime. It's available from FSMTC retail shops e.g. from FSMTC in front of Chuuk International Airport map.
Refill cards are available there and in local shops. They are called FSM Tel-Cards available for purchase in quantities of $5, 10 and 20. The same Tel-Cards can be used both to add credit to mobile phones and WiFi internet.
To check balance, dial *767#.
Data feature packages[]
Default data rate is pricey $0.10 per MB (= $100 per GB). So make sure to activate a package. Their packages don't auto-renew, so you need to get a new one before the old one expires or is used up.
These packages are offered:
| Price | Validity | Data | Voice and SMS | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $5 | 1 day (until 3:50am) | 100 MB | 30 mins + unlim. SMS | *438*1# |
| $30 | 30 days | 2 GB | 60 mins + unlim. SMS | *438*2# |
| $50 | 30 days | 5 GB | 120 mins + unlim. SMS | *438*3# |
| $2 | 1 day (until 3:50am) | 'unlimited' | - | *438*4# |
| $9 | 5 days | 'unlimited' | - | *438*5# |
All allowances can only be used domestic. The FUP of their 'unlimited' data packages remains unclear.
WiFi hotspots[]
Alternatively, FSM Telecom operates around 30 public WiFi hotspots on the islands of Pohnpei, Chuuk, Kosrae and Yap (list of locations).
To log on, you need to purchase a prepaid Tel-Card first, then connect to the FSMTC wireless network, open an internet browser and the login window will open. Click on the link to "Register for a new Prepaid User Account", complete registration information and click 'submit'. Then put credit into your account, validate user account (by re-entering new username and password that you created) and enter Tel-Card numbers as indicated and enter the dollar amount.
WiFi access is quite pricey at $0.08 per MB of data received or sent. No packages are offered.
More information[]
- Website: www.fsmtc.fm
- APN: fsmtc