The Falkland Islands won a war for freedom, now they're fighting for WiFi

Life under a telecommunications monopoly

Earlier this year, I went on a trip to the Falkland Islands. The archipelago is a unique and strikingly beautiful British Overseas Territory situated in the South Atlantic, 8,000 miles away from the United Kingdom. Despite the distance, with red phone boxes, plenty of Union Jacks, and cosy pubs, it is almost indistinguishable from a small English town. It is unmistakably British.

The Falkland Islands are most remembered for the 1982 war, in which thousands of Argentinian soldiers invaded the islands. The British Government at the time, led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, fought to defend their right to self-determination. The Falklands War was not just a military victory, but a moral one. It was fought and won to uphold the values of liberty and sovereignty.

Subsequently, a referendum was held in which 99.8% of the population chose to remain a British Overseas Territory. As a libertarian, I have often joked that the Falkland Islands Government is as legitimate a state can get.

Today, the Falkland Islands are simply beautiful, with gorgeous wildlife (the largest population of Gentoo penguins in the world!), birds, white sandy beaches and a collection of brilliant pubs. Falkland Islanders are kind people that have a profound understanding of what it means to be British, describing their home to me as ‘awesome’, ‘tranquil’, ‘windy’, and ‘free’.

I was lucky enough to spend some time with veterans from the Welsh Guards, who were able to tell me so much more about the realities of war, and what they felt they were fighting for.

But there was one thing that really stood out to me on my trip, especially as a member of Gen Z.

There is no mobile data. None. Zilch. The only way to connect to the rest of the world is to go to a designated WiFi hotspot, purchase an obscenely expensive WiFi card, and experience sub-optimal WiFi connection. Even on this WiFi connection, I could just about download emails, video calls cut out regularly, and video streaming could be forgotten about altogether.

The Falkland Islands are small, so perhaps the obscenely slow telecommunications was understandable, I thought. But it is 2025! Technology has, surely, far surpassed this level of digital isolation?

Horrified by my inability to post my unsolicited opinions on X, I spoke to local Falkland Islanders and sought to find out the reason for their abysmal connectivity.

The ugly truth - a Government-created monopoly!