evidoria

← Back to browse

Good practice

Tonga–Fiji Submarine Cable & TongaPass Digital ID Programme

Tonga · Nuku'alofa · See the Tonga profile

The Pacific Regional Connectivity Program built Tonga's first submarine cables (2013–2018), lifting broadband penetration from under 2% to 50% and cutting bandwidth costs over 95%; a companion project launched the TongaPass digital ID in 2025, six years after approval.

<2% → 50%
Broadband penetration (2010–2018)
40 → 4,400 Mbps
International bandwidth (2013–2018)
US$1,500–3,500 → ~US$75
Wholesale bandwidth cost per Mbps/month

Details

Maturity
Established
Promoter
World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Tonga Cable Ltd & Government of Tonga
Period
2011–2018 (cable); 2019–2025 (digital ID)
Keywords
submarine cable, connectivity infrastructure, digital identity, e-government

Context

The World Bank (IDA) and Asian Development Bank co-financed Tonga's component of the Pacific Regional Connectivity Program: a US$34.0 million submarine cable from Nuku'alofa to Fiji, later extended domestically to Ha'apai and Vava'u, replacing expensive satellite links. A companion project funded the MOSIP-based TongaPass digital ID, launched publicly in June 2025.

Results

Broadband penetration rose from under 2% (2010) to 50% at project close in 2018, beating the revised 40% target; international bandwidth grew from 40 to 4,400 Mbps and wholesale cost fell from US$1,500–3,500 to about US$75 per Mbps per month. The completion report also documents an unbuilt independent regulator, stalled data-protection laws and gender-disaggregated monitoring dropped after 2016.

Implementation

Implementation detail (cost, timeline, staffing, conditions for success) is not yet available for this practice.

Data sources

Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.

Similar practices you may find useful