Published on and written by Cyril Jarnias
Lost in the middle of the Pacific but connected to the rest of the world: that’s the paradox of the Marshall Islands. An archipelago of 29 atolls scattered across nearly two million square kilometers of ocean, the country seems isolated on a map. Yet, between submarine cables, satellites, satellite phones, mobile networks, and VoIP applications, there are now many ways to stay in touch with family and friends, wherever they are.
To communicate from the Marshall Islands, several options exist with varying performance and costs. Fixed and mobile internet connections, Starlink and other satellite services, satellite phones, messaging apps, and traditional international calls are available. Postal mail and parcels are also operational. Choosing the most suitable tool depends on your location (Majuro, Ebeye, or a remote atoll) and should take into account service quality, costs, and practical constraints specific to each solution.
Understanding the Infrastructure: Where Does the Connection to the Marshall Islands Come From?
To know how to communicate, you first need to understand what the country’s connection to the rest of the world is based on. The Marshall Islands are experiencing a rapid digital transformation, but on a still fragile technical foundation.
The first pillar is the HANTRU‑1 submarine cable. Stretching 2,917 km, it links Majuro and Kwajalein/Ebeye to a hub in Pohnpei (Federated States of Micronesia), then to Guam. It can theoretically carry up to 160 Gbit/s, even though historically only part of that capacity was active. Before its arrival in 2010, the country relied almost exclusively on slow and expensive satellite links.
This is the estimated bandwidth reduction during a 2017 outage, forcing the country to rely on satellite links for three weeks.
Since then, authorities have begun to secure the system. The National Telecommunications Authority (NTA), the historical operator, is modernizing the cable’s equipment to increase its capacity and extend its lifespan. Other projects are also set to provide redundancy: the Central Pacific Cable (CPC), a future 15,900 km cable between Guam and American Samoa, will include a landing station in the Marshall Islands, with service expected around 2027‑2028. In the shorter term, the East Micronesia Cable project, funded by Japan, Australia, and the United States, will connect other Pacific islands to HANTRU‑1 to make the entire network more resilient.
Internet and Mobile: The Basics for Staying in Touch from Majuro and Ebeye
On the ground, it is mainly fixed internet and mobile that are used to call, send messages, and use applications. The two main urban areas, Majuro and Ebeye, concentrate roughly 79% of the population. That is where the infrastructure is densest.
The NTA, created by law in 1990, long held a monopoly. Its dominance ended in 2022, when Parliament (Nitijela) passed Bill 66, opening the market to other players. On the mobile side, NTA launched 4G LTE in Majuro as early as 2017, skipping 3G entirely. By 2022, about 87% of the population had access to LTE, though that does not necessarily mean every resident owned a smartphone or an affordable plan.
As of early 2025, there are about 39,300 mobile connections, representing over 100% of the population, as some users have multiple SIM cards.
On the performance side, the situation is improving but still lags behind standards in major cities. In 2022, the median fixed broadband speed was around 10.2 Mbit/s. In 2024‑2025, some lines in Majuro reach 15 to 20 Mbit/s. On 4G mobile, speeds typically range from 5 to 12 Mbit/s, with latency to Guam around 50 ms, and to the United States or Asia between 120 and 180 ms. This is enough for decent video calls… provided the network is not congested.
Average download speed of the ‘Marshall’ operator over the 2024‑2025 period.
These advances come at a cost: the price. According to 2021 estimates, the internet bill represents about 4% of gross national income per capita, which meets a UN goal of “affordable connectivity,” but remains high for households with limited resources. In practice, many families pay between 30 and 50 US dollars per month for a connection, sometimes with data caps or reduced speeds during peak hours.
To get a quick overview of the digital environment in which you communicate when you are in Majuro or Ebeye, we can summarize it as follows:
| Indicator (early/end 2025) | Approximate value | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 40,000–42,000 | High concentration in Majuro and Ebeye |
| Internet users | ≈ 24,300 (65.7%) | Rapid growth since 2017 |
| Mobile connections | ≈ 40,100 (112% of pop.) | Multiple SIMs, phones very common |
| Households with internet access | ≈ 74.6% | Often via mobile or tethering |
| Median fixed speed | 15–20 Mbit/s in Majuro | Lower on other atolls |
| Typical 4G speed | 5–12 Mbit/s | Depends on network load |
| Typical subscription cost | 30–50+ USD/month | Significant part of household budget |
In this context, staying in touch with loved ones naturally involves using tools that are the most data-efficient and best suited to sometimes unreliable connections.
Satellites, Starlink, and 2G Towers: Communicating from Remote Atolls
As soon as you leave Majuro and Ebeye, the equation changes completely. Many islands long had neither modern internet nor mobile networks. In these areas, communication was mainly via HF/VHF radio or occasional links with ships and planes.
To improve the situation, NTA and its partners deployed around sixty small cell towers powered by satellite between 2022 and 2023, covering all inhabited islands. This first phase provided at least 2G (voice) coverage to about 5,000 remote residents, with the promise of 3G/4G upgrades for data in a second phase. Even though internet access remains limited there for now, the arrival of mobile has already changed daily life for families: more frequent calls, SMS for quick updates, emergency alerts, etc.
For transporting communications, several technologies coexist: geostationary satellites (GEO), like those from Intelsat, sometimes serve as backup in case of cable cuts, but their high latency (~600 ms) hampers video calls; medium Earth orbit (MEO) constellations, such as O3b (operated by SES), deployed in some Pacific markets, offer response times around 150 ms; and low Earth orbit (LEO) constellations, which are becoming more common.
The most visible of the latter is Starlink, from SpaceX. Authorized to operate in the Marshall Islands, the service began accepting orders in mid‑2023, reaching full national availability by June 2025, including in Majuro, Ebeye, and Kwajalein. Early users report speeds above 50 Mbit/s and latency around 50 ms, comparable to a good fixed connection in many countries. A Starlink dish on the roof of a village house, powered by a generator or solar panels, can transform how a family stays in touch with their diaspora.
Outside urban centers, two connectivity options often coexist: a local 2G/3G/4G mobile network for voice and SMS, and Wi‑Fi access via a shared satellite dish (like Starlink), available at a home, school, town hall, or telecenter. Operators use these satellite technologies as backup solutions or for backhaul between islands, to secure connectivity and prevent a cable outage from plunging a region back into digital isolation.
Satellite Phones: Staying Reachable Everywhere, Even Without a Mobile Network
Even with these advances, there remain situations where no local network is reliable: sea expeditions, navigation between atolls, extended stays on islets without cell towers, humanitarian operations after a cyclone… In these cases, satellite phones remain the most robust solution for staying in touch.
The satellite phone market is dominated by three major networks: Iridium, Inmarsat, and Globalstar, with Thuraya also present in some regions. Choosing one or the other depends first on coverage area, then on budget.
The Iridium network, with its 66 low-earth orbit satellites, offers global coverage including the poles and all oceans, ideal for remote navigation. Its iconic terminals, the Iridium 9555 and 9575 Extreme, are rugged, waterproof (IP65 for the 9575), and equipped with an SOS button and GPS. The 9575 is often considered the best voice-only satellite phone. Costs are high: terminals cost between $1,124 and $1,500, and postpaid plans start at around $72 per month.
Inmarsat, on the other hand, operates a handful of geostationary satellites positioned above the equator at about 32,000 miles (52,000 km), offering coverage of roughly 90% of the planet, excluding polar regions. In the South Pacific – where the Marshall Islands are located – coverage is excellent, with good audio quality, thanks to dedicated beams for the region. The IsatPhone 2 has become its flagship model for voice. Available for around $700 to $900, it is often cited as the best value for money for satellite voice communication. It allows calls and SMS (with a high character limit), sending short emails, transmitting GPS coordinates, and has a one-touch SOS button linked to a GEOS alert center. Its battery lasts up to 8 hours of talk time and 160 hours on standby, one of the longest in the market. Its main weakness is the need to point the directional antenna correctly at the satellite, and the lack of coverage at the poles – which is not an issue as long as you stay in the Marshall Islands.
The Globalstar GSP‑1700 terminal is compact, with a color screen and external antenna compatibility. It offers about 4 hours of talk time and 36 hours on standby. Its plans are among the most affordable (less than $500/year) and the device costs under $500 (new or used). Its coverage is optimized for North America, much of South America, Europe, and Japan, but has many dead zones elsewhere, making it less relevant for use centered on the Marshall Islands compared to Iridium or Inmarsat.
To navigate the main features of the key terminals suitable for use in the Pacific, we can summarize the flagship models as follows:
| Model | Network | Indicative Price (USD) | Battery Life (per charge) | Coverage | Main Strengths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inmarsat IsatPhone 2 | Inmarsat (GEO) | ≈ $700–900 (sometimes subsidized) | 8 h talk / 160 h standby | ≈ 90% of globe (excluding poles) | Excellent value, clear audio, GPS, integrated SOS, long battery life |
| Iridium 9555 | Iridium (LEO) | ≈ $1,124–1,500 (promo possible at $799) | 4 h talk / 30 h standby | 100% of globe | Reliability, global coverage, clear voice |
| Iridium 9575 Extreme | Iridium (LEO) | ≈ $1,440–1,450 | 4 h talk / 30 h standby | 100% of globe | Very rugged, SOS, GPS, best high-end voice-only solution |
| Globalstar GSP‑1700 | Globalstar (LEO) | < $500 (good deals) | 4 h talk / 36 h standby | Americas, Europe, Japan, patchy elsewhere | Affordable plans, good audio quality in its zones |
Beyond the price of the terminal, you need to factor in the cost per minute. Rates vary by network, but typically range from $0.15 to $2 per minute, sometimes over $10 in certain configurations (such as incoming calls billed by terrestrial operators). SMS usually cost around $0.10 each. Prepaid plans – from $100 to $5,000 in credit, valid from a few months to two years – are interesting if you only plan to use the device for emergencies or a few trips. Postpaid plans, with a monthly bill, are better suited for regular use.
If you are based in the Marshall Islands and plan frequent sea trips or visits to very remote atolls, two typical scenarios emerge: regular maritime routes and access to extremely remote atolls.
– For Pacific regional coverage, with a tight budget and the idea of a device that comes out of the closet when needed, an IsatPhone 2 paired with a global monthly plan of 25 or 75 minutes may suffice. Service offers like IsatPhone Global Monthly provide 25, 75, or 200 minutes per month with clear billing, free incoming calls, and outbound rates around $0.99 per minute to landlines and mobiles.
– If you travel across other oceans, or want the absolute guarantee of being able to call from anywhere on the horizon, an Iridium 9575 Extreme or 9555, despite its cost, will give you unmatched peace of mind.
Satellite Messengers: Global Texting at Lower Cost
For those who do not need live voice conversations, satellite “text‑only” messengers represent a very attractive option. Devices like the Garmin inReach Messenger, which also rely on the Iridium network, allow sending and receiving short messages anywhere on the planet, often at a lower entry price than a satellite phone.
A typical satellite messenger is compact (about 110 g), offers up to 28 days of battery life, and is waterproof (IPX7) for maritime environments. Some models have a USB‑C port and can serve as an external battery. Messages can be typed on the device or via a mobile app, sometimes with real-time GPS position sharing.
Budget-wise, most of these devices cost less than $400, with prices around $300 for a Garmin inReach Messenger, and subscription plans starting at about $14.99 per month for an “Essential” plan. Text plans are generally more economical than voice satellite phone plans, making them a very attractive solution for hikers, artisanal fishermen, or families spread across atolls who want to stay reachable without breaking the bank.
A well-integrated device allows you, from a remote atoll, to send regular updates (like safety or route confirmations) for a few dollars per month, while also providing access to a global SOS function.
Choosing Your Satellite Phone and Plan When Living in the Marshall Islands
Once you know you will regularly operate outside areas covered by 4G or Starlink, the question “which satellite phone and plan?” becomes crucial. Several criteria matter: usage area, frequency of use, total cost (purchase + minutes), and additional features (GPS, SOS, durability).
For local navigation in the Marshall Islands and the South Pacific, favor Inmarsat for its good audio quality, wide availability, and often lower rates than Iridium. If your travels extend to other oceans or extreme latitudes, Iridium is preferable thanks to its truly global coverage. Globalstar and Thuraya networks, while interesting for areas like Europe, Africa, or the Middle East, are less suitable for a base in the archipelago.
Next, you need to choose between prepaid and postpaid. Prepaid plans allow you to buy a volume of minutes valid for several months or years, with no recurring monthly commitment – perfect if the device is only used during a cyclone, medical evacuation, or a few trips. Postpaid plans involve a monthly charge, but simplify management: you no longer worry about “topping up” credit and sometimes get a free or subsidized phone with an annual commitment.
For users based in countries like the Marshall Islands, where purchasing power is limited, it is advisable to adopt a two-tier strategy. Prioritize a small prepaid plan exclusively for emergency situations. For all other communications, opt for a smart mix of mobile networks (when available), Wi‑Fi, VoIP, and messaging apps.
Internet + VoIP: Apps to Call Almost for Free
In Majuro, Ebeye, or via a Starlink or fiber connection on an atoll, the most economical option for calling abroad is to use VoIP and messaging apps on a smartphone: WhatsApp, Viber, Rebtel, Localphone, Google Voice (for some countries), YodelPhone, etc.
WhatsApp, with its 2 billion users, allows free audio and video calls over an internet connection. For international calls, such as between the Marshall Islands and abroad, only mobile data charges apply. It is therefore recommended to use Wi‑Fi (at home, school, or a telecenter) to avoid the high cost of mobile data.
Viber follows a similar model, with a “Viber Out” component allowing calls to regular landlines and mobiles at competitive international rates. Viber Out works either via prepaid credits (pay‑as‑you‑go) or monthly subscriptions for a specific country. The advantage is being able to reach relatives who do not have the app, or even a smartphone, while paying much less than a traditional international call.
Several lesser-known services (Rebtel, Localphone, Talk360, etc.) offer aggressive rates for frequent calls to one or two countries. They often operate in “pay‑as‑you‑go” mode with rechargeable credit. Some combine VoIP and local access numbers, allowing you to call via a local number in your country, without internet, using only your local minutes.
To compare a few popular options in terms of cost and typical use:
| App / Service | Pricing Model | Suitable For | Useful Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free app-to-app | Family, friends, daily use | Requires internet and smartphone, no calls to regular lines | |
| Viber Out | Prepaid credit or per-country subscription | Calls to landlines/mobiles | Integrated into Viber, variable but competitive rates |
| Rebtel | Pay‑as‑you‑go + unlimited subscriptions for some countries | Frequent calls to a few countries | Option for local numbers without internet, very useful if connection is unstable |
| Localphone | Very low pay‑as‑you‑go rates | Price-sensitive users | Among the lowest rates on the market, access via internet or local number |
| Talk360 | No-subscription credit | Occasional calls to areas with low internet connectivity on the recipient’s end | Recipient does not need internet or app |
In all cases, the main challenge when living in the Marshall Islands is managing data consumption. Where 4G is expensive, it is better to configure apps to prioritize Wi‑Fi, disable auto-play for videos, limit automatic photo backups, and favor audio calls over video when the network is congested.
Traditional International Telephony: When You Stay on the Mobile Network
Even though VoIP dominates, there are still situations where you have to use traditional telephony: lack of a smartphone or internet on one end, professional obligations, or simply unfamiliarity with apps.
The cost of an international call from a satellite terminal, in dollars per minute, to landlines or mobiles.
On the traditional mobile telephony side (NTA and others), exact plans vary and are not detailed in available data, but one constant remains: outgoing international calls to countries like the United States, Australia, New Zealand, or Japan are significantly more expensive than calls made via a VoIP app over Wi‑Fi. The simple reflex to adopt is: reserve traditional telephony for emergencies or contacts who cannot be reached otherwise, and shift all other communications to IP platforms.
Time, Time Zones, and Schedules: Organizing Calls with Family
Staying close to loved ones also depends on good timing. The Marshall Islands use a single time zone, Marshall Islands Time (MHT), UTC+12, with no daylight saving. The country is near the International Date Line and is therefore among the first regions in the world to enter a new day.
The Marshall Islands have a significant time difference with North America and Europe. For example, they are about 17 hours ahead of New York and 20 hours ahead of Los Angeles. With Europe, the difference is 11 or 12 hours depending on daylight saving time. So when the workday ends in New York, it is already the next morning in Majuro, the capital.
To coordinate conversations, a few simple benchmarks can help:
To call North America from the Marshall Islands, favor evening slots (8 PM–11 PM MHT), which correspond to morning or early afternoon there. To reach Europe, you generally need to call late at night or very early in the morning (MHT) to hit European business hours. Finally, with East Asia (Tokyo, Seoul), the difference is smaller (about 3 hours ahead for the Marshall Islands): Marshallese mornings coincide with late afternoon in Asia, making call scheduling easier.
Messaging apps can somewhat bypass these constraints: sending voice messages and text asynchronously avoids imposing a specific time. However, scheduling a few regular “video appointments,” taking time zones into account, helps maintain strong and structured bonds.
Staying Connected When the Power Flickers
It is sometimes forgotten: without stable electricity, no internet, no Wi‑Fi, and no way to recharge phones and satellite devices. Yet the energy reality of the Marshall Islands is fragile.
About 75% of the population of the Marshall Islands has access to the electrical grid, with a wide disparity between urban areas and outer islands.
The networks in Majuro and Ebeye rely mainly on diesel generators, with aging infrastructure and long, overloaded distribution lines. Outages are frequent, as illustrated by episodes where entire neighborhoods of Majuro were simultaneously deprived of power and telecommunications due to a failing backup generator.
To stay in touch despite these issues, it is useful to adapt your practices:
To maintain communication and operation of electronic equipment in the field, several strategies are essential. Multiply charging options: external batteries, individual solar panels, and vehicle adapters. Systematically take advantage of available power hours to charge all devices to 100% and pre-download critical content (voice messages, photos, videos). For vital satellite equipment (Iridium phone, IsatPhone, inReach, etc.), regularly check battery status and, if possible, plan for spare packs. Finally, inquire about the existence of mini-grids or small community solar plants, which can provide a few hours of electricity per day to charge phones and activate a Wi‑Fi connection.
In this context, a satellite phone with excellent battery life (like the IsatPhone 2 with up to 160 hours of standby) or a very energy-efficient satellite messenger becomes even more valuable, as it reduces the frequency of recharges.
Mail and Parcels: The “Slow Contact” That Really Works
Alongside calls and instant messages, traditional mail remains a discreet but solid pillar of communications from the Marshall Islands. Especially since, as a historical quirk, the archipelago is integrated into the U.S. postal system.
The United States Postal Service (USPS) serves the Marshall Islands (code MH) as a domestic destination, in partnership with MIPSA. Shipments from the United States benefit from domestic rates, not international rates, and use U.S. ZIP codes (e.g., 96960 for Majuro). This agreement facilitates exchanges with the Marshallese diaspora in North America.
The local postal network includes five offices: two main ones in Majuro (one in Uliga, across from the RRE Hotel, another in the K&K Island Pride Supermarket complex), one at the airport, one in Ebeye, and one in Jabor (Jaluit). For people without a PO box, it is possible to receive mail via “General Delivery,” simply indicating the name, “General Delivery,” and the locality.
For optimal use of this channel, it is essential to know and master several specific elements detailed below.
| Aspect | Important Details for the Marshall Islands |
|---|---|
| Basic rates (letters from USA) | A domestic “Forever” stamp covers the first ounce of a letter to MH ($0.73 USD in 2024), each additional ounce costing $0.28 up to 3.5 ounces. |
| Postcards | A Global Forever Stamp ($1.65) is enough for a standard postcard. |
| Delivery times | Letters typically take 7 to 21 days, but can sometimes take longer, especially if part of the journey is by ship. |
| Post offices | 5 offices in the territory, including Majuro, Ebeye, Jabor. |
| Private services | DHL and UPS are represented by Pacific International Inc (Delap), FedEx by an agency linked to the RRE group in Uliga. They mainly handle incoming parcels. |
| Restrictions | Some international services (EMS, GXG) may be limited; sending valuables (gold, jewelry, cash) is prohibited in certain mail categories. |
For Marshallese living abroad, this hybrid postal system has a significant advantage: sending letters, small printed photos, children’s drawings, or modest parcels remains financially accessible and often provides a very strong emotional bond, complementing instant messages. Conversely, for residents of the Marshall Islands, mail remains a reliable way to send official documents or small gifts, even though the lack of certain services (e.g., flat-rate outgoing parcels) makes calculating costs a bit more complex.
Choosing the Right Combination of Tools to Stay in Touch
In the end, staying in touch from the Marshall Islands does not rely on a single method, but on a smart combination, adapted to your location, financial means, and habits.
For a resident of Majuro with fiber or good 4G, the toolkit might look like this: home or community Wi‑Fi + free apps like WhatsApp and Viber for calls and messages abroad + possibly a small credit on a service like Rebtel or Localphone to call relatives without smartphones, all backed by a regular phone for emergencies and local calls.
For a family spread between Majuro and several atolls with a tight budget, an effective solution combines: domestic mobile calls via 2G or 3G networks, sending WhatsApp messages from Wi‑Fi hotspots, and using a satellite messenger (like a Garmin inReach) for the most isolated members. This mix provides good coverage of communication needs.
For sailors, fishermen, NGOs, or businesses operating regularly out of range of cell towers, an Inmarsat or Iridium satellite phone becomes the hub of safety communications, while Starlink or another LEO service can provide high-speed internet connectivity on board or at the home base, compatible with all VoIP and messaging apps.
Thanks to a partnership with USPS, postal mail remains a stable and relatively inexpensive solution. It is ideal for sending words meant to last, photos to hang on the wall, or small objects you want to send physically, not just digitally.
In a country where family and community are at the heart of social life, the challenge is not whether you can communicate, but choosing how to do it best: voice, text, images, sometimes paper, juggling bandwidth constraints, energy, and cost. The Marshall Islands are no longer a “black hole” of global connectivity. They are gradually becoming an archipelago hyper‑connected to its diaspora and the rest of the world, provided you know how to make the most of this range of tools.
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Cyril Jarnias is an independent expert in international wealth management with over 20 years of experience. As an expatriate himself, he is dedicated to helping individuals and business leaders build, protect, and pass on their wealth with complete peace of mind.
On his website, cyriljarnias.com, he shares his expertise on international real estate, offshore company formation, and expatriation.
Thanks to his expertise, he offers sound advice to optimize his clients' wealth management. Cyril Jarnias is also recognized for his appearances in many prestigious media outlets such as BFM Business, les Français de l’étranger, Le Figaro, Les Echos, and Mieux vivre votre argent, where he shares his knowledge and know-how in wealth management.
