Satellite Internet Forum

[pacific_cruiser]

The cost of Internet in New Caledonia is very high, between 500 and 1000 cfp per hour, and the "high speed" connections are miserably slow compared to broadband connections in other countries.

The BEST deal, if you have a WiFi notebook, is to go the Phalco mobile phone store near the Port Moselle Marina and get a week's open ended high speed WiFi connection with i-Net. This works a treat on the Visitor's wharf in Port Moselle so if you need to spend some time online that's the way to do it. Now you can also get WiFi coverage at anchor in the Baie de Orphelinat from the i-Net transmitter at the CNC fuel wharf .

If you only need to get your email and minimum browsing you can do it while cruising without an ISP account using your mobile phone if you purchace a pay-in-advance GSM Carte Liberte (a sim card package for your mobile phone) and a pay in advance Carte iZi.

OPT, the New Caledonia telecom service, has a "Carte iZi" that lets you log onto the Internet with a special number from any phone at all - including mobile phones or hotel phones. This is the most economical way to get connected to the Internet in Noumea. The Carte iZi is one of those "call from any phone" code cards - which includes your mobile phone AND a very low cost Internet connection allowing you to connect for only 4.5 cfp per minute (very cheap). BUT also pretty slow. The advantage here is that you can hook up from your boat just about anywhere near a population center along the coast of New Caledonia - and even in remote areas if you happen to be in line of sight of an antenna.

As a helpful hint, in some anchorages surrounded by hills it helps to use a blue-tooth or WiFi connection between the phone and your computer and hoist the phone up to the top of the mast.

If you plan on cruising in New Caledonia on an extended basis you can get an "always connected" GPRS plan from OPT for 10,000 cfp per month (GPRS data only - voice is extra). Arrange this at the OPT commercial office in Noumea.

There are also many Internet Cafes around Noumea within easy walking distance of Port Moselle Marina but if you want to log on while aboard, Carte iZi and a mobile phone is a good choice.