OpenFalklands

Two important new pieces of information about the future of Falklands telecommunications have emerged in the last few days. Neither tells Islanders what FIG has decided. Taken together, they suggest work on the post-2027 telecommunications structure is moving forward, while the promised public engagement has still not begun. The Islands Plan introduces a new word: “framework“ The Falkland Islands Government […] Read More

Image: Goose Green’s settlement school (Credit: FITV) I am pleased to publish the following guest post from Andy Trish, following his recent October 2026 visit to the Falkland Islands. Andy has been involved in technology and education for many years and, during his visit, spent time in the Islands’ schools talking with some of those who educate Falklands children. Indeed, […] Read More

Perhaps it is perfectly reasonable to be schizophrenic in views about Elon Musk. I certainly am. I’m awed and terrified at the same time. On one hand, I am genuinely in awe of what Musk and the engineers at SpaceX have achieved. Reusable rockets returning to Earth and landing vertically would have sounded like science fiction not very many years […] Read More

It is beginning to remind me of the boiling-frog metaphor, where gradual change happens so slowly that its significance is not immediately recognised. Taken individually, each new statement may not appear particularly dramatic. Put them together, however, and a different picture of the post-2027 process is emerging. Recent verbal updates from MLAs have gradually told us more about what is […] Read More

MLA Roger Spink recently gave us an important insight into what is happening behind the scenes regarding the future of Falklands telecommunications: “Officers are working on ways to reach that point and are in regular contact with Sure to make certain that both organisations are in the best possible position to work together effectively once notice is given.” On the […] Read More

In response to Stephen Luxton’s questions, MLAs again confirmed that FIG intends to give Sure notice. But they also disclosed something that, as far as I am aware, has not been made public before. The telecommunications paper ExCo considered in August set out parameters for both giving notice and future market engagement. Those parameters have apparently not yet been met […] Read More

Over the past six years, the Falkland Islands have experienced four significant, publicly acknowledged network incidents that disrupted the entire island, rather than being confined to a single settlement or group of customers. The incidents had different immediate causes. But that is precisely what makes them worth examining together. Different failures, at different points in the network, have repeatedly produced […] Read More

I seem to have been posting more frequently than usual recently—not by design, but because quite a lot is happening in Falklands telecommunications at the same time. You must be getting bored with them after 7.5 years and 170 posts! Sure Falkland Islands (Sure) recently invited consumers and businesses to take part in its September 1st to 18th Future Telecommunications […] Read More

The 17th September edition of Penguin News provides a little more information about the telecommunications paper ExCo considered in August. MLA Jack Ford confirmed that it discussed issuing notice to Sure South Atlantic (Sure), its timing, and the process, but he would not say whether notice has actually been served. That matters because notice is not simply an administrative step. […] Read More

A recent post examined the continued use of 2G for mobile voice calls in the Falklands. An associated technology is LTE-based Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), which provides services to homes and businesses in Camp. FWA has acquired something of a poor reputation in Camp. Mention wireless broadband to some Camp residents, and their reaction is likely to be shaped by […] Read More

Something significant happened in St Helena today that deserves close attention in the Falkland Islands. On 16 September 2026, the St Helena Government (SHG) announced it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sure South Atlantic to advance a major upgrade to the island’s broadband and mobile networks. At first sight, that might sound like another telecommunications investment announcement. But buried […] Read More

On the 27th August 2026 Sure announced on FaceBook: “𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧. At Sure, we’re continuing to invest in our mobile network to improve coverage across the Falkland Islands. Work is now well underway on a new mobile site in Goose Green, which will help deliver a stronger and more reliable mobile signal […] Read More

The report on Executive Council meetings held on 12 and 25 August 2026 included this statement: “Future of Telecommunications – Closed paper: Executive Council agreed the next stage of planning to secure robust telecommunications provisions for the Falkland Islands. Work will now begin on shaping future market models and opportunities for public engagement will be outlined soon. Full public communications are […] Read More

This post has been triggered by a reader’s comment on last week’s post on Facebook: “Amazing the number of people that think the copper-based POTS system will be around forever. Have SURE and MLAs noted that BT are phasing out in the UK and new phones are all VOIP?” Much of the current discussion about the future of telecommunications in […] Read More

This post draws on excellent articles by TelecomsTV and a newsletter from Ookla. Full credit to the original authors and the media for the concepts discussed below. Headline points for busy readers Starlink is best known in the Falklands as an alternative way of getting broadband at home. But SpaceX has much bigger ambitions. The company is developing technology that allows ordinary mobile […] Read More

Two weeks ago, the Connected Falklands Group (CFG) published its full correspondence with Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) about its request for a Select Committee to fully scrutinise the post-2027 telecommunications framework to be proposed at the August 25th ExCo meeting. The exchange is worth reading in full. It provides a clearer picture of the Assembly’s thinking, the reasoning […] Read More

Over the past few weeks, OpenFalklands has published a series of posts examining the financial cost of delay, the negotiating culture behind it, the historical pattern stretching back to 2005, and the case for a Select Committee. With the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) ExCo paper on the future of telecommunications now imminent (assuming this to be on the agenda of […] Read More

Headline points for busy readers: Sure has upgraded its mobile network twice in ten weeks, increasing maximum download speeds to 50Mbit/s. Fixed broadband, meanwhile, remains capped at 15Mbit/s, unchanged since December 2025. At first glance, this seems backwards: in most markets, fixed broadband is faster than mobile. The explanation lies partly in how shared satellite capacity is managed, and partly […] Read More

Back in June 2026, “Sure’s 30 Mbit/s Mobile Upgrade: The Numbers Speak for Themselves” examined Sure Falkland Islands’ announcement of a headline speed increase from 12 Mbit/s to 30 Mbit/s on its mobile network. The post showed that the data quotas attached to each plan had not increased, meaning most customers would exhaust their monthly allowance around two and a […] Read More

Following the Connected Falklands Group letter published in the 17th July 2026 issue of the Falkland Islands’ Penguin News, several people have asked what a telecommunications Select Committee would actually do. PDF version of the six posts – The case for a Telecommunications Select Committee A Select Committee would not negotiate with telecommunications companies or attempt to conduct negotiations itself. […] Read More

Please note that this is an AI-generated image! PDF version of the six posts – The case for a Telecommunications Select Committee Over the past three weeks, OpenFalklands has published four posts examining the financial cost of delay. Together they make a single argument: that what happens in August, when a telecommunications future-after-2017 Falkland Islands Government (FIG) paper is presented […] Read More

Please note that this is an AI-generated image. PDF version of the six posts – The case for a Telecommunications Select Committee The headline points for busy readers In 2016, when the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) was deciding how to structure a new exclusive telecommunications licence for Sure, it did not lack for warnings. Its own consultants had set out […] Read More

Please note that this is an AI-generated image. PDF version of the six posts – The case for a Telecommunications Select Committee The headline points for busy readers This post is not about what the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) will propose on the future of telecommunications in August. It examines something more fundamental: the organisational culture that may shape that […] Read More

PDF version of the six posts – The case for a Telecommunications Select Committee The headline numbers to remember for busy readers:  While Sure South Atlantic’s (Sure) exclusive licence remains active, the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) pays the company approximately £653,000 per quarter, or £2.6 million annually, through two financial arrangements. The VSAT compensation agreement accounts for about £393,000 per […] Read More

PDF version of the six posts – The case for a Telecommunications Select Committee On Tuesday, 22nd June 2026, Traighana Smith, Editor of Falklands Radio, interviewed MLA Roger Spink and asked him about the current status of FIG’s telecommunications strategy. Although quite short, it is probably one of the most impactful interviews on Falklands telecommunications since Starlink took centre stage […] Read More

Everything written so far on telecommunications in OpenFalklands has been grounded in publicly available facts and documented statements, except for my recent speculative post on the Google undersea cable. This post is my second attempt at pure speculation, an exercise in understanding the incentives – the driving forces that influence choices and actions – facing the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) […] Read More

I wrote about the major change in telecommunications on Ascension Island back in January 2026 – Ascension’s Telecoms Turning Point and What It May Signal for the Falklands. Consider this an update with the benefit of several more months of evidence. When the Ascension Island Government (AIG) announced in December 2025 that it had selected Omnitouch Network Services to replace […] Read More

In yesterday’s OpenFalklands post, I speculated on what the MV Fugro Supporter surveying vessel was doing while visiting the Falkland Islands – Could the South Atlantic Be The Next Cable Frontier? As a follow-up to that post, I asked a colleague (Thank you!) to extract recent track data for the MV Fugro Supporter from various Automatic Identification System (AIS) sources […] Read More

8th June update: AIS Data Offers Clues to the MV Fugro Supporter’s Activities in the Falklands Original Post I’ve never indulged in speculation on OpenFalklands before, but I couldn’t let this opportunity pass. Why not, I said to myself? So yes, this post is total conjecture and pure speculation, but it is also interesting and fun. I came across this […] Read More

Image Credit: Sure Falkland Islands graphic used when the 4G service was launched in 2018 I would like to thank several islanders who told me about this issue. On 25 May 2026, Sure Falkland Islands announced that from 1 June, mobile data speeds would increase from 12 Mbit/s to 30 Mbit/s, a headline improvement of two and a half times […] Read More

While much of the public discussion about the future of telecommunications in the Falkland Islands on OpenFalklands has focused on the expiry of Sure’s exclusive licence in December 2027, a potentially significant new development has emerged that deserves closer attention. MissionNEX, a US-based company, announced the South Atlantic Digital Gateway on 30 May 2026, a planned secure communications and space […] Read More

The two previous OpenFalklands posts examined the importance of the 2-year notice period for ending the existing exclusive telecommunications licence and the potential impact of delaying such notice. This post argues that FIG now faces a clear choice between genuine structural reform and the comfort of familiar ground, and makes the case that only the former will deliver what islanders actually […] Read More

The subject of the previous OpenFalklands post was –  Falklands Telecommunications: Why the Two-Year Notice Matters, while this post examines the potential consequences of delaying notice. That post concluded that approximately 20 months have passed since an external consultancy began developing proposals for the Falkland Islands Government’s (FIG) telecommunications licence-expiration strategy. Based on public reporting, it now appears that it […] Read More

Telecommunications in the Falkland Islands, particularly the exclusive licence held by Sure International (Sure), continues to attract attention. One point that comes to the fore is the requirement for the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) to give two years’ notice before any change. But what does that actually mean in practice? The Director of Development and Commercial Services outlined the current […] Read More

I would like to thank FIRS and FITV for letting me have recordings of the public meeting held by Alistair Beak, the CEO of Sure South Atlantic, on Wednesday, 22nd April 2026. Roma Stewart, CEO of Sure Falkland Islands, was also in attendance.  Please find below the 1-hour 25-minute recording and an OpenFalklands analysis of some of the significant points […] Read More

Executive summary The arrival of Starlink in the Falkland Islands has rapidly reshaped the connectivity landscape, introducing faster speeds, lower costs, and, for the first time in years, meaningful consumer choice. While some view it as merely a temporary “sticking plaster,” the reality is more nuanced. This piece explores how Starlink’s direct-to-consumer model is disrupting the existing global telecommunications framework, […] Read More

Executive Overview The Communications Regulator’s latest attempt to establish a broadband speed KPI for Sure Falkland Islands, based on newly installed network probes, risks repeating the shortcomings of earlier efforts. While these probes may provide insight into internal network performance, they are not designed to reflect real user experience and may exclude key factors such as satellite connectivity and ADSL […] Read More

To avoid any confusion at the outset, the CMC report has NOT been made public and is unlikely to be released by FIG any time soon, but it will go to EXCO in the near future. This post instead draws on and seeks to explain the high-level outcomes outlined in the case study published by Cambridge Management Consulting in March […] Read More

In recent OpenFalklands posts, we discussed the Chris Doyle, 2006 telecommunications report, the 2016 Cartesian telecommunications report and the resultant 2017 Communications Ordinance. It’s now time to look at some of the impacts on the Falkland Islands’ telecommunications landscape as experienced by consumers and businesses in their everyday communication activities over the last decade. Of course, it is not possible […] Read More

In the previous two OpenFalklands posts, we looked at two telecommunications consultants’ reports published in 2005 and 2015. One of the major activities following the 2015  report was the drafting of the 2017 Communications Ordinance, which represented a significant overhaul of telecommunications law in the Falkland Islands, replacing the outdated 1988 Ordinance with a broader, more modern regulatory framework. It expanded regulation […] Read More

Sure’s Earth Station in 2015 In the previous OpenFalklands post, we focused on Chris Doyle’s 2005 review of Falkland Islands telecommunications. Ten years on, in 2014, the Falkland Islands Government commissioned a further strategic review – Part A: Landscape Report of telecommunications to assess the sector’s performance and inform future decisions on licensing, regulation and investment. The public version of this […] Read More

In 2004, the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) commissioned an independent review of telecommunications to assess proposals from Cable and Wireless (C&W) to upgrade the Camp communications system and to consider the sector’s future direction. The report, written by Dr Chris Doyle of Warwick Business School and published in January 2005, examined the structure, performance and regulation of telecommunications across the […] Read More

I think we can all agree that the licensing of Starlink in the Falkland Islands marked a genuinely transformational moment for residents and businesses alike. For the first time, many households and enterprises gained access to reliable, high-speed broadband connectivity that meets modern expectations. The scale of uptake, reflected in the Communications Regulator’s remarkably high number of VSAT licences issued […] Read More

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons Readers cannot have missed the recent news indicating a very significant shift: the United States is now distancing itself from the proposed transfer of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius, undermining earlier claims of consistent US support. However, this post examines consumer telecommunications services on the island and will not digress into these other […] Read More

  A previous post titled “St Helena terrestrial fibre optic network disaster” discussed problems with St Helena’s terrestrial telecommunications network. As of the start of 2026, the original exclusive telecommunications licence held by Sure South Atlantic in Saint Helena expired under its original terms, having reached its stated duration on 31 December 2025. However, under the transitional provisions of the new Communications […] Read More

February 27th update from the AIG: Temporary Changes to International Calling on Ascension Island Ascension Island Mobile (AIM) has recently launched mobile phone services on Ascension Island. The priority during the network launch has been to ensure that the local island network is up-and-running in advance of Sure South Atlantic exiting on 28 February 2026. There will be some disruption […] Read More

On December 19th 2025, the Falkland Islands Development Corporation (FIDC)  published its 2025 Business Climate Survey with the statement: “FIDC is pleased to release its latest edition of the Business Climate Survey, a biennial survey conducted with its business association partners, Falkland Islands Chamber of Commerce, Falkland Islands Tourism Association, and Rural Business Association.” You can download the 2025 Business […] Read More

I had the pleasure of another visit to the Falkland Islands that coincided with the MLA elections in December 2025. This rather unusual OpenFalklands post looks at the trip and what I got up to on this South Atlantic archipelago. I hope you find it entertaining. Northbound travel woes. Let’s begin with the end. The challenges of flying to the […] Read More

Next week I’ll be visiting the Falkland Islands, a place I know well and have long supported in its efforts to improve connectivity. As one of the original members of the Starlink Petition Group, I am genuinely pleased to see that Starlink has finally arrived on the islands and is providing a modern, high-performance option for many residents and businesses. […] Read More

On the 30th October 2025, the Falkland Islands government issued a press release stating that FIG and Sure have reached a VSAT Licensing Agreement. The press release can be seen here – Falklands Government Press Statement: FIG and Sure Reach VSAT Licensing Agreement The Starlink website now shows that Starlink is available in the Falkland Islands. 31st October 2025: Falkland […] Read More

In this week’s Penguin News, Sure South Atlantic (Sure SA) shared its perspective in an interview about taking legal action against the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) over its approval for Starlink to operate in the Falkland Islands. This legal challenge came at a time when the Falklands community had been eagerly awaiting improved connectivity, with Starlink’s low-orbit satellite service seen […] Read More

“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it” On November 3rd, 2025, the Falkland Islands reached a milestone many once believed impossible: unrestricted access to Starlink and the right for residents to obtain their own VSAT licences. Starlink Freedom Day is not simply the arrival of a new internet service; it marks the end of enforced technological […] Read More

FIG PRESS STATEMENT 30 October 2025 FIG and Sure Reach VSAT Licensing Agreement The Falkland Islands Government (FIG) and Sure South Atlantic (Sure) have reached an agreement to allow Sure to continue to discharge its universal service obligations under its exclusive telecommunications licence, alongside the more permissive VSAT licensing scheme approved by Executive Council in June this year. This also […] Read More

Caveat: The views expressed in this OpenFalklands post are solely my own. While I do not speak for others, I hope they may resonate with many Falkland Islanders. Over the past few weeks, several readers have inquired about the potential implications of the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) adopting a different approach to telecoms management; one that retains public ownership while leveraging […] Read More

Light at the end of the road in Camp Photo credit: Simon Verrechia This post has been reviewed in the 16th October issue of Penguin News. While the previous OpenFalklands post, “Stanley’s Broadband Crossroads: From Copper Legacy to Fibre Future,” explored upgrading Stanley’s legacy ADSL network, this post looks at the possibilities of upgrading Camp telecommunications. The rapid adoption of Starlink […] Read More

Photo Credit TravelPhotograpyGuru From a technological perspective, Stanley’s broadband network can be considered a legacy, end-of-life network that is long overdue for an upgrade. The network is still based on copper cable, utilising a mix of Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) and ADSL2 standards, as far as can be ascertained, which is often considered a stopgap solution in the absence of optical fibre networks in […] Read More

Caveat: The views expressed in this OpenFalklands post are solely my own. While I cannot speak for others, I hope they may also resonate with many Falkland Islanders. I last wrote about the alternative telecommunications business models that could be adopted after Sure SA’s exclusive licence expires in December 2027 in the post – Holding islands hostage Part III: Telecommunications Options […] Read More

The Falkland Islands experienced a major unplanned broadband outage on Sunday, 21st September 2025. From my perspective in the UK, this appeared to be one of the most severe and prolonged outages in many years. As an example of déjà vu, the scope and impact appear to be similar to those of the major outage that occurred in December 2019. […] Read More

Caveat: The views expressed in this OpenFalklands post are solely my own. While I cannot speak for others, I hope they may also resonate with many Falkland Islanders. A recent insightful comment on Facebook about an OpenFalklands post – ‘Falklands Telecoms: £8 Million Broadband Spend: Sure SA and FIG Under Scrutiny’- resonated with many, and I would like to talk […] Read More

The Falkland Islands Government (FIG), in collaboration with its telecommunications consultancy, Cambridge Management Consulting (Cambridge MC), has outlined an ambitious vision: to transform telecommunications across the islands, enabling residents, businesses, and public services to enjoy connectivity that meets global standards. To make this vision a reality, FIG is taking a careful and consultative first step, the Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) […] Read More

The Falkland Islands Public Accounts Committee (PAC) released an important report this week on payments from the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) to Sure South Atlantic (Sure SA), dated May 2025.  The report is subtitled as: “Report of an investigation into payments of over £8 million made (or to be made) by FIG to Sure South Atlantic Limited between 2018/19 and […] Read More

15th August 2025: The following message was posted by the Communications Regulator on the Regulator’s website on the 15th August 2025: August updates: Starlink, VSAT and spectrum updates Today, a proposed Licence for Starlink Internet Services Limited has been published. This can be viewed here:  Proposed licence for Starlink Internet Services Limited.pdf(2.18 MB) I am receiving representations on the proposed […] Read More

The Starlink Petition Group has announced a change of focus and a change of name once Starlink VSAT licences are issued in the Falkland Islands. Starlink Petition Group Press Release 24th August 2025 – Starlink Win – But the Fight for Fair Telecoms Continues – Thanks to your incredible support, dedication, and determination, we have achieved a historic milestone: Starlink […] Read More

Lynk’s D2D messaging trial in 2022 (Credit: Lynk) The Falklands’ telecommunications landscape will experience a significant shift with the emergence of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite Direct-to-Device (D2D) technology. D2D promises to enhance connectivity in Camp and islands, support tourism, improve resilience, and reduce costs. However, it is not a replacement for existing 4G/5G networks, as true reliability comes from […] Read More

Reader overview In the opinion of many, Sure Ascension’s public notice to withdraw from Ascension Island is a deliberate negotiation tactic aimed at pressuring the local government amid Starlink licensing debates. While legally sound, the move raises serious ethical concerns by prioritising Sure’s monopoly over essential communications in a small community. The timing suggests a strategic play extending beyond Ascension, […] Read More

When a company’s reputation takes a hit, due to poor communication, poor management, poor market or product strategies, it doesn’t just hurt morale, it threatens long-term performance and even survival. Turning things around requires more than rebranding; it demands cultural transformation embedded into company strategy. That’s where an internal change agent or change champion comes in: someone in the organisation […] Read More

– Sometimes the biggest battles are fought not in courtrooms, but in the court of public opinion – Sure South Atlantic (Sure) is at a crossroads as its exclusive telecom licence in the Falkland Islands nears expiration in 2027. This analysis, based on public sentiment and independent observation, outlines a hypothetical path for the company to rebuild trust with the […] Read More

I have now read the two highly redacted public June 2025 ExCo papers, 100-25P and 120-25P, written by the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) and its telecommunications consultants, Cambridge Management Consulting and Incyte Consulting, regarding changes to the operation of VSAT licences in the Falkland Islands. After agreeing with the papers’ recommendations, for the first time in decades, FIG and MLAs […] Read More

To download a PDF copy of all the Holding Islands Hostage posts please click here. This is the final post in the Holding Islands Hostage six-part series that has examined the current state of telecommunications in the Falkland Islands, highlighting a recurring pattern: ageing infrastructure, slow improvements, limited competition, and a single company, Sure South Atlantic and its subsidiary company, […] Read More

Parts I, II, III and IV of the Holding Islands Hostage series have extensively discussed the impact of an exclusive telecommunications licence in the Falklands Part V of this series delves into a murky world of secrecy, closed doors, commercial confidentiality, and redacted documents. This post examines the opaque financial position of Sure South Atlantic and its Falkland Islands operations, in light of […] Read More

Parts I, II, and III of the Holding Islands Hostage series have extensively discussed the impact of an exclusive telecommunications licence in the Falklands, which expires on December 29, 2027. I suggest taking a look at these before proceeding to Part IV, if you haven’t already done so. As the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) navigates a rapidly changing telecommunications landscape, especially […] Read More

With the expiry of Sure South Atlantic’s (Sure) exclusive telecommunications licence approaching in December 2027, the Falkland Islands face a pivotal decision on how to structure their future telecoms market. The Sure Exclusive licence ends only after the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) serves notice on them. The exclusive licence then specifies a 6-month transition period, which can be extended to […] Read More

This post follows up on the two major service announcements made by Sure Falkland Islands (Sure) on 19th March 2025: the introduction of “cheaper and unlimited broadband packages for all“ and a “low-latency” broadband service based on their OneWeb LEO satellite platform. Not unexpectedly, these announcements were met with significant interest and high expectations from residents and businesses. This is […] Read More

I last wrote about telecommunications in St Helena in February 2024, so it could be worthwhile reviewing St Helena terrestrial fibre optic network disaster if you are not familiar with the background of the issues discussed here. This post examines the recent breakdown in telecommunications negotiations between the St Helena Government (SHG) and Sure South Atlantic (Sure), and what it portends […] Read More

20th June 2025: Chloe Freeman, Communications Regulator of the Falkland Islands, provides an update on the status of Starlink’s application to provide service in the islands. (Thanks FITV) 13th June 2025: The Starlink Petition Group sent the following letter, raising concerns about the government’s press release regarding the change to VSAT policies announced on June 10 2025, 2025. The letter and the response […] Read More

Perhaps this could be an alternative title for this post? “The People Chose Starlink – Will Sure Try to Overrule Them? As Starlink’s long-awaited arrival in the Falkland Islands draws closer, the region’s digital landscape is poised for a historic transformation. Yet not everyone welcomes the change. The local telecommunications provider, Sure South Atlantic (Sure), has expressed significant concern about […] Read More

Nearly twelve months after submitting the Starlink Petition Group’s petition to the Falkland Islands Government in the Town Hall, Stanley, the government has formally revised the VSAT policy and fee level. This is a momentous occasion for all businesses and consumers on the island – Starlink (or, more accurately, VSAT) Freedom has finally arrived! This is the Starlink Petition Group’s […] Read More

25th April 2025 Penguin News 17 April 2025 BBC News Northern Ireland The BBC has delayed blocking BBC Sounds app for audiences outside the UK. “It comes after a decision made by the corporation meant listeners outside the UK would only be able to access Radio 4 and the World Service via a new audio section on BBC.com. In a […] Read More

3rd May Update: Rajeev Badyal, Amazon’s VP of Technology, belatedly posted a video showing the launch of the Kuiper satellites at the end of the mission on LinkedIn – “The sequence takes about 15 minutes to complete, and all satellites were successfully deployed right on time 36 minutes into the mission.” It’s a phrase we all know – “you wait […] Read More

Starlink’s Community Gateway on the island of Unalaska. Source: Starlink We’re all familiar with Starlink’s direct-to-consumer-focused low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite service, which offers global low-cost, high-speed internet access. It has quickly become one of the most disruptive innovations in the worldwide telecommunications market. Since launching its first batch of satellites in May 2019, Starlink has experienced phenomenal growth. Today, […] Read More

A further update on the media discussions in April about Starlink, further to an earlier post dated 8th April 2025. 10th April 2025: “Public frustration”..  Credit: Penguin News: Friday 18th April 2025 April 11th 2025 Credit FITV Chris Gare, OpenFalklands April 2025, copyright OpenFalklands

On March 17th 2025, two presentations were given by Sure Falkland Islands in Stanley. The first was to the islands’ businesses who are members of the islands’ Chamber of Commerce, followed by a public meeting at 17:30. The main speaker at the two presentations was Alistair Beak, Group Chief Executive Officer of Sure International. Sure International provide telecommunications services in the […] Read More

FIG’s Consultation extended 8th April 2025: A press statement from the Falkland Islands Government announcing an extension to the current consultation. “VSAT Public Consultation Period Extended The public consultation period on the proposed changes to the policy that guides the issuing of VSAT licences and the associated fee level has been extended by a month. The proposed changes were considered […] Read More

There was a lot of activity during March 2025, and it’s still taking a high priority in early April. Here is how the local media reported on the public meetings Sure Falkland Islands and Cambridge Management Consulting held in late March 2025 – and my letter to the Penguin News! 28th March 2025: My letter to the Penguin News Credit: Penguin […] Read More

This post examines the Falkland Islands Government’s initiative to install network ‘probes’ in the Sure network to measure broadband speed as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI). This initiative was the main driver behind introducing the KPI concept. The post does not cover basic network KPIs such as availability, reachability, or mean time between failures. This is the longest post ever […] Read More

Picture source: Mike Kemp I feel I should apologise for the flurry of posts from OpenFalklands in recent days. But can you blame me with everything happening at warp speed in the Falklands? That has to be a good thing? I have been asked to comment on Sure’s surprising proposal to probably offer two new broadband plans with no quotas […] Read More

Stanley, Falkland Islands town hall Hot on the heels of the Sure Falkland Islands presentation last week and my critiques of some of the comments made over the weekend – post 1, post 2 and post 3 follows the presentation by Cambridge Management Consultants discussing some aspects of the future of telecommunications on the islands. But first: Thursday 20th March 2025: […] Read More

A typical data centre where Points of Presence (PoPs) are hosted (Photo Source: datacenterfrontier.com) This is the final post in a three-part follow-up series covering the presentations delivered by Sure Falkland Islands on March 19th, 2025, in Stanley. You can listen to the public presentation and view the accompanying slides here. In a previous OpenFalklands post, I examined the technical […] Read More

This post is a follow-up to the presentation delivered by Sure Falkland Islands on March 19th, 2025, in Stanley. You can listen to the presentation and view the accompanying slides here. In my last OpenFalklands post, I focused on the technical aspects discussed during the meeting – specifically, the comparison between Starlink and OneWeb’s technical performance in the Falkland Islands. However, […] Read More

In yesterday’s post focussing on Sure Falkland Island’s public presentation, I talked about some observations asserted by the presenter about their technical views of Starlink.  Although I am far from being a technical expert in satellite technology. It is a fact that Starlink is the highest capacity system in existence today. Here are my ‘expert’ technical views (with help from […] Read More

March 19th 2025: Two presentations were given by Sure Falkland Islands in Stanley. The first was to the islands’ businesses who are members of the islands’ Chamber of Commerce and a public meeting at 17:30. The main speaker at the two presentations was Alistair Beak, Group Chief Executive Officer of Sure International. Sure International provide telecommunications services in the Isle […] Read More

Tom Clarke of Sky News in Stanley This is the latest update in the long process of gaining approval for the use of Starlink in the Falkland Islands following the Executive Committee (ExCo) meeting in early March 2025. More on that meeting can be seen in this post – Falkland Islands Government Greenlights Starlink. March 7th 2025: Comment on the […] Read More

(and a bit about the possible OneWeb LEO service in St Helena) I’ve discussed the arrival of the Equiano cable in St Helena several times on OpenFalklands with optimism for improved broadband services for islanders. It goes without saying that this was the whole point of the years-long campaign to bring the undersea cable to the island. The focus then […] Read More

This is a very brief OpenFalklands post—probably the shortest I’ve ever published! My last two posts covered the extraordinary week regarding Starlink usage in the Falkland Islands, culminating on Friday with the concerning news that Starlink was discontinuing service to users on the islands. It’s now Monday 10th of February 2025. I highly recommend reading those previous posts to understand […] Read More

In yesterday’s (Thursday) OpenFalklands blog, I noted that while a week may seem long in politics, even a single day can feel like an eternity when it comes to Starlink developments in the Falklands. And then, ‘Black Friday’ arrived on Friday, 7th of February! This morning, some Falkland Islands Starlink users began experiencing service terminations as their 60-day roaming period […] Read More

“Thursday, February 7th 2025: These past few days have been the most contentious since the Starlink Petition Group began its activities in May 2024 to legalise Starlink usage in the Falkland Islands. Boy, what a week so far it has been! They say a week is a long time in politics, but even a day feels like an eternity when […] Read More

KEMH hospital in Stanley, Falkland Islands This post shows the public updates in November and December 2024 in regards to the adoption of Starlink in the Falkland Islands. For new readers who are unfamiliar with the reasons as to why a £5,400 annual licence fee and an exceedingly complex licence process were implemented to prevent VSAT usage on the Falkland […] Read More

Part 2: Updated 10th November 2024 The following item is courtesy of 31st November 2024 Penguin News. An update on several issues concerning Starlink and an interview with Tim Passingham, Chairman of Cambridge Management Consultants. (Source Falkland Islands TV). Thanks FITV! Legislative Assembly meeting formally approving the Starlink Petition Select Committee recommendations. (Source Falkland Islands TV). The drive the Cambridge […] Read More

Updated 25th October 2024 Sure Falkland Islands’ Intelsat satellite dishes in Stanley With the Sure Falkland Islands Exclusive Telecommunications Agreement ending on December 29th 2027, the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) has issued an Invitation to Tender  (ITT) document in June 2024 entitled: “Invitation to Tender for the Provision of Telecommunications Consultancy Services”. The closing date was the 30th of July […] Read More

 The petition objectives were supported by all eight MLA Select Committee members. The final public Starlink Select Committee will be held at 09:00 Falkland Islands time on Thursday 3rd October 2024 held at the Chamber of Commerce. October 2nd 2024: Draft Recommendations of Select Committee of the Legislative Assembly into the Petition: Download PDF: MLA Gavin Short’s statement at the […] Read More

This is the official website for the Starlink Select Committee. The agenda of the 20th September 2024 Starlink Select Committee. Listen to an interview by Kris Ball with Roma Stewart, CEO of Sure Falkland Islands, broadcast on the 18th of September on Falkland Islands Radio service. On September 16th, Sure Falkland Islands updated their new ‘unlimited’ service by an additional a […] Read More

This is the first for OpenFalklands, as all previous posts have focused on topics related to telecommunications on the Falkland Islands. However, exciting times call for something different, so I thought I would like to lighten things up. Trip to Stanley But first, I’d like to let you know that I will visit the Falkland Islands later this month. I […] Read More

The previous OpenFalklands post discussed the first Falkland Islands Government Select Committee concerning the Starlink Petition. It can be found here: Starlink in the Falklands Part 8: First meeting of the Starlink Select Committee. On August 28th, 2024, just a few days before the second Select Committee meeting on the 5th of September 2024, Sure announced several revised Internet access […] Read More

The first meeting of the Starlink Select Committee can be found at the end of this post. 15th July: Peter Biggs interview on Falkland Islands Radio Service. 18th July 2024: 25th July Order paper has been published: July 19th 2024 Credit: (Penguin News) 25th July 2024: MLA Roger Spink presenting the Starlink Petition to the Legislative Assembly (Credit Falkland Islands Radio) […] Read More

Goose Green School By guest author, Andy Trish An Introduction My first visit to the Falkland Islands was in 1982 aboard HMS Hermes. Although I couldn’t come ashore due to my workload, I returned in 1986 and developed a deep love for the islands and their people. Over the years, I have made several visits, each time striving to positively […] Read More

A short post for a change, about the status of Starlink in the Falkland Islands -18th June to 1st July 2024. 18th June 2024: MLA Leona Roberts interview with Kris Ball.  Courtesy of  Falkland Islands Radio, 27th June 2024: Someone’s been busy being artistic. Let’s hope they are right! 29th June 2024: IT department Starlink trial. Courtesy of FITV 1st […] Read More

Source: About St Helena The 16th September 2022 issue of the St Helena Independent newspaper on page 3 discusses the plan for an island-wide fibre-optic network. You can read the original article here: St Helena Independent. Note: Please remember that this has only been enabled through the Google Equiano undersea cable coming to St Helena. An undersea cable to the […] Read More