Digital FSM: East Micronesia Cable & National Connectivity Project

The Federated States of Micronesia, spread across 600+ islands, faced entry-level fixed-broadband costs of around $65/Mbps/month as recently as 2014. From 2014 (accelerating from 2018), the FSM government, World Bank and Asian Development Bank co-financed submarine cables to Yap, Chuuk and (via the East Micronesia Cable) Kosrae, alongside institutional reform creating an independent telecoms regulator and Open Access Entity.

Per the World Bank's results reporting and Implementation Completion Report, entry-level fixed-broadband prices fell 99% (from $65 to $0.78 per Mbps/month) and mobile-broadband prices fell 96% (from $705 to $30 per Mbps/month) between 2014 and 2025; internet usage rose roughly twenty-fold, from about 2% to around 40% of the population, and more than 100,000 people (about 88% of FSM's population) are reported to have benefited.

The World Bank notes outer, cable-less islands still depend on slower wireless or satellite links, so gains are not yet uniform across the country.