LSE:VOD 24 July 2025 - 27 November 2025

Vanuatu is a Y-shaped archipelago of roughly 80 islands scattered across the South Pacific Ocean. The country’s population is about 330,000, but only one-quarter lives in urban centers; the vast majority reside in rural areas spread over dozens of islands. This geography poses inherent challenges for internet access. Rugged volcanic terrain and wide inter-island distances make laying fiber-optic cables or building terrestrial networks difficult and costly. Many small or remote villages are separated by ocean, mountains, and rainforests, complicating the extension of physical infrastructure. Additionally, Vanuatu is highly prone to natural disasters like cyclones, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions, which frequently damage communications infrastructure and disrupt connectivity. For example, a severe 7.3 magnitude earthquake in late 2024 cut Vanuatu’s sole international submarine cable, causing a nationwide internet outage. Such events underscore the fragility of traditional infrastructure in an island setting and the need for alternative, resilient connectivity solutions. Another challenge is the country’s low population density and limited economies of scale. Small, isolated communities generate only modest demand, making it less economically attractive for telecom operators to invest in extensive infrastructure. Power supply can be unreliable or absent in some rural areas, complicating the operation of cell towers or internet access