The U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce the signing of a technical assistance grant between the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) and the Republic of Palau. The USTDA grant, with funding from the Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership, will provide the Palau National Communications Corporation (PNCC) with technical assistance to modernize Palau's telecommunications network and advance Internet connectivity for its population.
The technical assistance will provide PNCC with the necessary support, including data, analysis, designs, and detailed implementation plans, to replace Palau's existing national mobile network with secure and trustworthy technology while enhancing service for users. As part of the project, an Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) deployment supported by the Quad governments - Australia, India, Japan, and the United States - will demonstrate the benefits of open and interoperable architectures to developing resilient, secure, trustworthy, and cost-effective networks.
Today's signing represents a critical step in Palau's network modernization effort, which was announced by the White House and Quad leaders before the Quad Leaders' Summit on May 20. This project, aligned with the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), and the Indo-Pacific Strategy, will be the first deployment of Open RAN in the Pacific Islands and will position Palau as a regional leader in the development of advanced ICT infrastructure and digital connectivity.
