Upcoming Repairs to Fiber Optic Cable Could Disrupt Internet and Telephone Service

United States Embassy Majuro

Security Message for U.S. Citizens:

Upcoming Repairs to Fiber Optic Cable Could Disrupt Internet and Telephone Service

October 28, 2016

The U.S. Embassy in Majuro informs U.S. citizens living in Pohnpei (Federated States of Micronesia), the Kwajalein Atoll (Marshall Islands), the Majuro Atoll (Marshall Islands) and throughout the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) that upcoming repairs to the sole fiber optic cable running between Guam and these locations could, according to the RMI National Telecommunications Authority, cause significant interruptions to internet connectivity and international telephone calls in RMI.The repair expected to begin on October 31 has reportedly been delayed. The dates for the upcoming repairs have reportedly been pushed to a future, unspecified date.

The U.S. Embassy is in close contact with RMI authorities on this issue.  For questions regarding continuity of service and contingency planning for telecommunications in RMI during the cable outage, please contact the National Telecommunications Authority.

For further information See the State Department’s travel website (http://www.travel.state.gov) for Worldwide Caution (http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/alertswarnings/worldwide-caution.html), Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Vietnam Country Specific Information (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Vietnam.html).

Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency (https://step.state.gov/step/).

Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

For any emergencies involving U.S. citizens, please contact the American Citizen Services (ACS) Unit of the U.S. Embassy Majuro during regular business hours (8:00 am to 5:30 pm Monday through Thursday and 8:00 am to 3:00 pm on Friday) at 692-247-4011. Outside of business hours, please call the U.S. Embassy Duty Officer at 692-455-8213.