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) process. A more traditional way of describing this process would be a ‘Request for Information’ (RFI).
Unlike a typical procurement competition, the PME is about dialogue and discovery that takes place before any future Request for Quote phase. It is designed to ensure that when FIG moves toward contracts and infrastructure projects, the requirements are realistic, affordable, commercially attractive, and technically achievable. Most importantly, not based on telecommunications licence exclusivity.
A Historical Perspective
For decades, telecommunications in the Falkland Islands have been constrained by geographic isolation, limited satellite capacity, and an exclusive monopoly held by Sure South Atlantic (Sure SA) that kept costs high, innovation slow, and customer choice virtually nonexistent. Previous attempts by FIG to improve connectivity, such as subsidising satellite bandwidth, addressed only part of the challenge and failed to deliver a long-term, integrated digital strategy. As global communications technology advanced through fibre, 4G/5G networks, and more recently, Low Earth Orbit satellites, the Falklands risked falling further behind, with consequences for healthcare, education, business, and government services. The recent approval of Starlink in the Falklands is just the first step in breaking the logjam. (However, it should be noted that Starlink users have yet to be able to apply for a legal VSAT licence for their illegal use of the Starlink service.)
A PME process is required to break this cycle of incremental, piecemeal improvements by engaging the international telecoms market. It ensures that future infrastructure projects are shaped by realistic ambitions, technical feasibility, and competitive collaboration, rather than being constrained by outdated models or unrealistic assumptions. By opening the market, the Falklands now have the opportunity to move beyond monopoly limitations and achieve the same quality, affordability, and choice in connectivity as enjoyed in other parts of the world.
Aims of the PME
These are the primary objectives of PME activities, as outlined by Cambridge MC.
Engaging Early with the Market: The PME is FIG’s invitation to telecom operators, technology providers, and potential partners worldwide to begin considering the provision of telecommunication services in the Falklands. By sharing its early vision, FIG ensures that potential suppliers can see the full scope of opportunities, ranging from broadband and mobile networks to satellite gateways, emergency services, and content delivery. It also gives companies the chance to position themselves as potential collaborators.
Testing Feasibility and Ambition: FIG’s goals include gigabit-capable broadband, expansion of 4G/5G coverage, and integrating Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite services. These are significant steps for a small and remote territory. The PME helps FIG understand whether the market believes these goals are realistic, what technologies might best deliver them, and what challenges (cost, logistics, regulatory) need to be addressed. The PME process is not just focused on legacy technologies, such as 4G/5G, but is also open to emerging technologies, including Direct-to-Device LEO services.
Shaping Policy and Regulation: The process isn’t just about infrastructure; it’s about reshaping the Falkland Islands telecoms market itself. FIG plans to move away from an exclusive licensing regime (currently held by Sure South Atlantic [Sure SA]) toward a more open and competitive framework inspired by the UK and EU. This ambition is already underway with the regulatory approval of Starlink in the islands. Input from the telecommunications market during the PME will help design licensing rules, universal service provisions, public/private business models, and wholesale access models that are fair, workable, and investment-friendly.
Identifying Risks and Barriers: Building modern telecommunications infrastructure in the South Atlantic isn’t straightforward, as harsh weather, a small population size, reliance on satellites, and high operating costs all pose significant risks. Through the PME process, FIG aims to encourage potential telecommunication service providers to identify and address these risks upfront, thereby suggesting mitigation strategies to prevent infrastructure upgrade projects from faltering after they commence.
Refining the Roadmap: FIG has outlined a phased process, with the PME (Phase 1), leading into the Future Service Provision (FSP) stage and, eventually, contract awards. Insights from the PME will help refine timelines, investment priorities, and delivery models before formal tenders are issued. The outcome of the PME will determine whether the procurement will be conducted with a single contract or multiple contracts for different tranches of service provision. It will also discuss whether to establish a netco/servco or public/private model with multiple service providers.
Preventing Unrealistic Projects: Governments often launch projects that appear promising on paper but ultimately fail in practice. FIG is deliberately using the PME to avoid that trap. By consulting early, ambitions can be scaled to what the market can actually deliver, thus ensuring the islands’ digital transformation is sustainable rather than aspirational.
A Signal to the Market
At its heart, the PME is a signal: the Falkland Islands are open for partnership. FIG isn’t just looking for technology vendors; it wants collaborators who can share in building the islands’ digital future.
By inviting the market in at this early stage, FIG is setting the stage for a telecoms revolution that is sustainable, competitive, and fit for decades to come.
In short, the PME process is about shaping a realistic, ambitious, and collaborative path forward. For industry players, it’s the chance to help design the next chapter in the Falkland Islands’ digital story.
Why This Matters
For the Falkland Islands, this isn’t just about faster internet. Previous attempts at defining a digital strategy were myopic in scope – something I highlighted on OpenFalklands back in April 2019 in “The Enigma of the Falkland Islands National Broadband Strategy“.
Looking back to what I argued in 2019:
“I believe that focussing on increasing satellite capacity alone only addresses a part – a not insignificant part I might say – of the strategy that needs to be developed.”
“There really has never been a better time to really articulate a wide-ranging Falkland Islands Internet strategy and the opportunity should not be allowed to slip away. In that vein, I’d like to throw out an exciting challenge to the consultant companies that attended Communications Week and who are aiding the Falkland Islands Government in the development of the National Broadband Strategy.
“The challenge is to step out of the normal comfort zone and not just provide a boiler-plate set of Incremental Approach safe options, but, maybe in addition, propose an Exponential Approach, 5-10-year Internet vision for the Falkland Islands.”
Yet subsidies for satellite bandwidth have continued to this day, and a truly comprehensive digital strategy has never been articulated, let alone delivered.
The stakes are much, much higher in 2025. Reliable connectivity underpins:
- Digital health and education that reduce dependence on overseas travel.
- Business innovation in fishing, farming, and tourism.
- Government services that are accessible 24/7.
- Emergency communications that are resilient and secure.
In short, the PME is about building the digital backbone of the Falklands’ social and economic future, an opportunity missed repeatedly in the past, but one that cannot be missed again.
Conclusions
The above descriptions have been sourced from the documentation provided to potential telecommunications service providers worldwide as a ‘call-to-action’ to encourage them to express their interest in joining the PME process, which commenced in August 2025.
Despite PME containing a lot of what could be considered flowery marketing language (and I’ve written much in my career!), its ambitions are admirable, and its activities should be welcomed because islanders have long awaited this level of ambition.
What becomes clear from this early engagement is that the Falkland Islands are not simply upgrading infrastructure; they are reimagining how connectivity underpins every aspect of island life. The PME is more than a bureaucratic step; it is the foundation for a long-term transformation that could shape the islands’ economy, society, and resilience for decades to come.
For telecommunications service providers and equipment manufacturers, this is a rare opportunity to contribute ideas and expertise before procurement rules are finalised. It is a chance to influence regulation, shape service models, and propose innovative technologies that might otherwise be overlooked. The Falkland Islands Government offers a way to align ambition with what the global telecoms market can realistically deliver.
Ultimately, the success of the PME depends on collaboration. The opportunity now lies with the international telecommunications market, encompassing both services and equipment, to step forward, contribute, and play a part in building the islands’ digital future.
If your company would like to learn more about the PME process and submit proposals, please visit this link.
Chris Gare, OpenFalklands, September 2025, copyright OpenFalklands
