The Independent Commission for World-Wide Telecommunications Development (Maitland Commission) reported that telecommunication networks, including public telephone systems, are an infrastructure which aids economic development throughout the world. The Commissions objective is to bring the majority of the world's population within easy access of a telephone and, in time, other communications services. Development in the Pacific Islands region is slowed by a lack of efficient communications. The islands are spread over 29 million square kilometers of ocean and extremely vulnerable to natural disasters. Pacific Island Nations (PINs) have problems of foreign exchange, skill shortages, and poor credit terms. Telecommunications infrastructure audits showed the overall regional teledensity of 3 telephones per 100 population. The individual countries vary form 8.3 in Fiji to 1.5 in Papua New Guinea and 25.2 in New Zealand. The population of the developing island countries is in mostly rural areas where there is a chronic shortage of telephones. The constraints on radio systems can be overcome with satellite technology. The new technologies are coming on the market faster than these countries can afford to handle them. By using satellite technology and sharing facilities PINs can greatly reduce the cost of telecommunications systems. Fiber optic cables will be used to carry large volumes of traffic over major routes while satellites can be used for a array of services for the smallest PIN nation to the largest route rim country. Work is being done to standardize the equipment specifications and to develop policies for the coordination of regional telecommunications training. To further facilitate communications development in this area, changes need to be made in international funding priorities for development, and recommendations by the Maitland Commission must be taken seriously.

中文翻译：

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太平洋群岛。电信投资的政策选择。

全世界电信发展独立委员会（迈特兰委员会）报告说，包括公共电话系统在内的电信网络是帮助全世界经济发展的基础设施。该委员会的目标是使世界上大多数人口都可以方便地使用电话和其他通讯服务。由于缺乏有效的沟通，太平洋岛屿地区的发展速度减慢了。这些岛屿分布在2900万平方公里的海洋上，极易遭受自然灾害的袭击。太平洋岛国（PIN）存在外汇问题，技能短缺和信用条件差的问题。电信基础设施审核显示，每100个人中3部电话总体区域电话密度。各个国家/地区在斐济的形式有所不同，在巴布亚新几内亚为1.5，在新西兰为25.2。发展中岛国的人口大多在农村地区，那里电话长期短缺。卫星技术可以克服对无线电系统的限制。新技术的上市速度比这些国家所能承受的要快。通过使用卫星技术和共享设施，PIN可以大大降低电信系统的成本。光纤电缆将用于在主要路线上承载大量流量，而卫星可用于从最小的PIN国家到最大的路线边缘国家的一系列服务。正在努力标准化设备规格并制定政策以协调区域电信培训。为了进一步促进这一领域的通信发展，需要改变发展的国际资金优先事项，并且必须认真对待梅特兰委员会的建议。