Nauru has inaugurated the Pacific’s first Starlink Community Gateway. Attendees at a December 16 inauguration ceremony witnessed a live demonstration of the high-speed internet connection. The Nauruan Government calls the occasion a “transformative milestone in the region’s infrastructure.”
In August, Space & Defense reported that Nauruan state-owned entity Cenpac Corporation had inked an agreement with Starlink to roll out the lightning-fast internet across the island.
Unreliable local ISPs and disruptions to undersea cables have made satellite internet services an increasingly attractive option for many people living in the South Pacific, underwriting Starlink’s push into the region. The inauguration ceremony occurred just one month after Nauru broke ground for its branch from the USD86 million East Micronesia Cable system connecting three Pacific island nations.
Nauru provided land at Command Ridge for the installation of the Community Gateway equipment, including a satellite dish and router to connect users to the Starlink network.
By January 2025, the mobile services of Cenpac’s joint venture partner, Nauru Telikom, trading as Neotel, are scheduled to go live on Starlink with its 5G network. However, the Gateway services are operational and have begun serving some of Cenpac’s customers. The services will continue to roll out over the following weeks.
“This initiative signifies more than a mere enhancement in technology, but a profound commitment to bridging the digital gap and fostering innovation, ensuring that Nauru thrives in a rapidly changing world,” said Cenpac Chair Zikki Eoe. “This gateway will serve as a conduit for knowledge and economic development, cultivating pathways for a more prosperous future for our younger generations.”
“Once the rollout is complete, it will be a new era for mobile communication for our country,” said Nauru’s Minister for Telecommunications Shadlog Bernicke.
Starlink’s steady rise in the South Pacific
Starlink’s Community Gateway service has an advertised upfront cost of USD1.25 million and a monthly recurring cost of USD75,000. However, Nauru has negotiated with Starlink to reduce that monthly payment.
Since Nauru committed to the Starlink service, neighbouring Solomon Islands have also issued Starlink a licence to operate there after two years of discussions. Starlink is also used in Tonga and Kiribati. The company established a presence in Tonga following the severing of an undersea internet cable, and locals needed a reliable internet connection. There are no immediate plans for a Community Gateway in Kiribati. However, residents can apply for licences for individual Starlink kits.
Starlink’s low-Earth-orbit satellite service can reach remote islands, and some users have reported download rates of 100Mb/s or more. The SpaceX subsidiary says it is a good option for small island nations that lack the infrastructure and financial resources to maintain a network of mobile phone towers.
Cenpac says Community Gateway will offer Nauruans competitive bandwidth pricing and unlock substantial cost savings for homes, commercial enterprises and government services.
In the last month, Starlink has also rolled out Community Gateway services in Cape Verde, Timor-Leste, and Armenia. Timor-Leste, just one hour’s flying time from Darwin, flicked the switch on December 6 and became the 116th country where the Community Gateway service is available.
