The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) is funding a feasibility study to modernise the Marshall Islands’ mobile network with secure 4G and 5G technology, potentially opening up equipment and services contracts for US suppliers.
The study, commissioned with the Marshall Islands National Telecommunications Authority (MINTA), will assess options for a full network overhaul, including Open RAN and virtual RAN architectures. It will also examine financing options and provide guidance on evaluating bids to implement the project.
Virginia-based Widelity has been selected to conduct the study. The resulting network upgrade could benefit up to 42,000 people across the Pacific island nation, whose dispersed geography and exposure to natural disasters make resilient communications infrastructure particularly important.
The project is also intended to create opportunities for US companies to supply radio and core network equipment, backhaul technology, hardware, software and related services.
USTDA deputy director Thomas Hardy said the project would improve connectivity and expand economic opportunities while allowing US suppliers to compete in a strategically important Pacific Islands market.
The initiative follows similar USTDA technical assistance in Palau, where a study led to the selection of trusted technology suppliers, including three US companies, for a planned nationwide 4G/5G network.
MINTA president and CEO Yukiko Muller said the study would help identify sustainable solutions to improve connectivity and strengthen network resilience across the Marshall Islands.
