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Digital Divide Country Profile · Oceania

WS

Samoa

Closing the digital divide, expanding meaningful connectivity, and advancing digital education and workforce participation.

Location in the world

Samoa

Flag of Samoa

Oceania

World map showing the location of SamoaSamoa
🇼🇸
Population (2024)
218,019
Total area
2,831 km²
Area in square miles
1,093.05 mi²
Coastline
403 km
Base map adapted from Wikimedia Commons. Population: World Bank (2024); geography: CIA World Factbook.

National digital inclusion context

A portfolio-based view of access, capability, and outcomes.

This profile organizes the initiatives directly connected to Samoa in the global research inventory. It follows the study's country-profile framework: national context, broadband infrastructure, inclusion practices, education and workforce connections, implementation actors, and intended contribution.

The documented portfolio emphasizes Fiber / Fixed Broadband Infrastructure, Backbone / Backhaul / Middle-Mile Infrastructure, Last-Mile / Access Infrastructure, Fiber/Fiber Optic, Cloud Computing. The profile treats infrastructure, affordability, capability, institutions, support, and outcomes as an interconnected system.

Portfolio pattern

What the documented response contains.

Counts reflect source-workbook tags. One initiative may appear in multiple infrastructure or technology categories.

Infrastructure and access

  1. Fiber / Fixed Broadband Infrastructure5
  2. Backbone / Backhaul / Middle-Mile Infrastructure3
  3. Last-Mile / Access Infrastructure3
  4. Telecommunications / Broadband Infrastructure3
  5. Digital Public Infrastructure2

Specific technologies

  1. Fiber/Fiber Optic5
  2. Cloud Computing1
  3. Submarine Fiber-Optic Cable1

Intervention classification

  1. Infrastructure and Specific Technology6
  2. Neither explicitly identified5
  3. Infrastructure only4

Education and workforce

Connectivity becomes consequential through participation.

2 initiatives explicitly connect to education, K–12, or college/university contexts, and 1 connect to workforce development. Other investments may enable these outcomes indirectly.

Access

Networks, service availability, devices, and connection quality.

Capability

Skills, confidence, accessibility, navigation, and support.

Participation

Education, work, health, government, and civic opportunity.

Sustainability

Governance, operations, maintenance, funding, and learning.

Project and initiative portfolio

15 documented records

Every directly tagged record is shown with details and supporting URLs preserved from the research workbook.

01

Digital infrastructure delivery

DCR Samoa – 2026 procurement implementation cycle

Procurement / August 2026 · Nationwide
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Status / periodProcurement / August 2026LocationNationwidePopulationProject beneficiaries and implementing agenciesOrganizationsGovernment of Samoa; World Bank

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Current procurement of connectivity, digital-government and consulting packages

Telecommunications / Broadband InfrastructureInfrastructure Planning / Mapping / Funding
02

Broadband enabling environment

DCR Samoa – broadband market and PPP enabling framework

Implementation · Nationwide
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Status / periodImplementationLocationNationwidePopulationOperators, investors and underserved usersOrganizationsMCIT; OOTR; World Bank

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: PPP frameworks; market development; private-sector investment

03

Cybersecurity

DCR Samoa – cybersecurity strengthening

Implementation · Nationwide
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Status / periodImplementationLocationNationwidePopulationGovernment, businesses and internet usersOrganizationsMCIT; Government of Samoa; World Bank

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Cybersecurity governance, resilience and online-safety measures

04

Digital trust and privacy

DCR Samoa – data protection and privacy strengthening

Implementation · Nationwide
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Status / periodImplementationLocationNationwidePopulationCitizens and digital-service usersOrganizationsGovernment of Samoa; World Bank

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Privacy and data-protection safeguards for digital transformation

05

Digital skills

DCR Samoa – digital literacy and skills

Implementation · Nationwide
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Status / periodImplementationLocationNationwidePopulationCitizens, youth and public-service usersOrganizationsMCIT; education/workforce partners; World Bank

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Digital literacy, skills and jobs support

EducationWorkforce
06

Gender digital inclusion

DCR Samoa – gender digital-divide and online-safety measures

Implementation · Nationwide
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Status / periodImplementationLocationNationwidePopulationWomen, girls and other vulnerable usersOrganizationsMCIT; social-sector partners; World Bank

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Gender-responsive access, safe internet and GBV-related safeguards

07

Digital public infrastructure

DCR Samoa – government data exchange and interoperability

Implementation · Whole of government
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Status / periodImplementationLocationWhole of governmentPopulationCitizens, businesses and agenciesOrganizationsMCIT; Government of Samoa; World Bank

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Data sharing, exchange and interoperability across public agencies

Digital Public Infrastructure
08

Government network modernization

DCR Samoa – Government Intranet capacity and resilience upgrade

Implementation · Whole of government
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Status / periodImplementationLocationWhole of governmentPopulationPublic agencies and service usersOrganizationsMCIT; Government of Samoa; World Bank

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Increase coverage, security, capacity and disaster resilience of government intranet

Telecommunications / Broadband Infrastructure
09

National fiber infrastructure

DCR Samoa – national fiber network

Implementation / 2025-2029 · Upolu and Savai'i
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Status / periodImplementation / 2025-2029LocationUpolu and Savai'iPopulationCitizens, businesses and public institutionsOrganizationsMCIT; OOTR; Ministry of Finance; World Bank

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Climate-resilient national fiber backbone and last-mile expansion

Fiber / Fixed Broadband InfrastructureBackbone / Backhaul / Middle-Mile InfrastructureLast-Mile / Access InfrastructureFiber/Fiber Optic
10

Government cloud and data infrastructure

DCR Samoa – national government cloud/data infrastructure

Implementation / procurement 2026 · Whole of government
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Status / periodImplementation / procurement 2026LocationWhole of governmentPopulationGovernment agencies and users of public servicesOrganizationsMCIT; Government of Samoa; World Bank

Closes a documented access, affordability, skills, institutional-capacity, or meaningful-use gap.

Activities and approach: Cloud/data infrastructure; secure hosting; shared digital services

Data Center / Cloud InfrastructureCloud Computing
11

Digital public infrastructure

Digitally Connected and Resilient Samoa – Digital Government Infrastructure

2024–ongoing · Nationwide
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Status / period2024–ongoingLocationNationwidePopulationCitizens and government agenciesOrganizationsGovernment of Samoa; World Bank

Improves government digital infrastructure so broadband enables education, healthcare and public services.

Activities and approach: Government digital infrastructure; resilient connectivity

Digital Public InfrastructureTelecommunications / Broadband Infrastructure
Education
12

Last-mile fiber broadband

Digitally Connected and Resilient Samoa – Savai'i Last-Mile Fiber

2024–ongoing · Underserved communities in Savai'i
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Status / period2024–ongoingLocationUnderserved communities in Savai'iPopulationResidents lacking reliable broadbandOrganizationsGovernment of Samoa; World Bank

Expands last-mile fiber on Savai'i beyond the cable landing.

Activities and approach: Last-mile fiber

Fiber / Fixed Broadband InfrastructureLast-Mile / Access InfrastructureFiber/Fiber Optic
13

Last-mile fiber broadband

Digitally Connected and Resilient Samoa – Upolu Last-Mile Fiber

2024–ongoing · Underserved communities in Upolu
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Status / period2024–ongoingLocationUnderserved communities in UpoluPopulationResidents lacking reliable broadbandOrganizationsGovernment of Samoa; World Bank

Extends climate-resilient fiber closer to underserved communities.

Activities and approach: Last-mile fiber

Fiber / Fixed Broadband InfrastructureLast-Mile / Access InfrastructureFiber/Fiber Optic
14

International fiber backbone

Tui-Samoa International Submarine Cable

2015–2018 implementation / operational · Samoa–Fiji / regional network
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Status / period2015–2018 implementation / operationalLocationSamoa–Fiji / regional networkPopulationNational Internet usersOrganizationsSamoa Submarine Cable Company; Government; World Bank/ADB/Australia

Replaced constrained international connectivity with high-capacity fiber and lower costs.

Activities and approach: 1,300 km submarine cable

Submarine / International Cable InfrastructureFiber / Fixed Broadband InfrastructureBackbone / Backhaul / Middle-Mile InfrastructureFiber/Fiber Optic
15

Island broadband backbone

Tui-Samoa Savai'i Cable Landing and Inter-Island Link

2017–operational · Savai'i
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Status / period2017–operationalLocationSavai'iPopulationResidents and businesses on Savai'iOrganizationsGovernment of Samoa; SSCC; World Bank/ADB

Ensures Samoa's second major island directly benefits from the international cable system.

Activities and approach: Cable landing station; inter-island fiber

Submarine / International Cable InfrastructureFiber / Fixed Broadband InfrastructureBackbone / Backhaul / Middle-Mile InfrastructureFiber/Fiber Optic

Evidence boundary

Read the portfolio as a starting point, not a final verdict.

Project records document interventions and intended contributions; they do not alone prove nationwide coverage, causal impact, or durable closure.

Profiles will deepen as national statistics, policy documents, evaluations, and implementation evidence are incorporated. Source links allow inspection of underlying evidence.

Evidence and contextProfile Sources

These sources support the country-level demographic, geographic, and connectivity context. Sources tied to individual projects remain with their project records and are not repeated here.

  1. Central Intelligence Agency. (n.d.). Samoa. The World Factbook. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/samoa/
  2. International Telecommunication Union. (n.d.). ITU DataHub: Country ICT data. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://datahub.itu.int/
  3. World Bank. (n.d.). Individuals using the Internet (% of population): Samoa. World Development Indicators. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IT.NET.USER.ZS?locations=WS
  4. World Bank. (n.d.). Population, total: Samoa. World Development Indicators. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=WS

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