Cook Islands Communications - 2021

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 3,305

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 37.56 (2019 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 7,308

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 83.05 (2019 est.)

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: demand for mobile broadband is increasing due to mobile services being the primary and most wide-spread source for Internet access across the region; Telecom Cook Islands offers international direct dialing, Internet, email, and fax; individual islands are connected by a combination of satellite earth stations, microwave systems, and VHF and HF radiotelephone (2020)

domestic: service is provided by small exchanges connected to subscribers by open-wire, cable, and fiber-optic cable; 38 per 100 fixed-line, 83 per 100 mobile-cellular (2019)

international: country code - 682; the Manatua submarine cable to surrounding islands of Niue, Samoa, French Polynesia and other Cook Islands, the topography of the South Pacific region has made Internet connectivity a serious issue for many of the remote islands; submarine fiber-optic networks are expensive to build and maintain; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Broadcast media

1 privately owned TV station broadcasts from Rarotonga providing a mix of local news and overseas-sourced programs (2019)

Internet country code

.ck

Internet users

total: 4,881

percent of population: 54% (July 2018 est.)

NOTE: The information regarding Cook Islands on this page is re-published from the 2021 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Cook Islands 2021 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Cook Islands 2021 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.