The eighth Annual Pacific Telecommunications Conference (PTC) proceedings contain 61 papers related to the conference theme, "Evolution of the Digital Pacific." These papers look at the ramifications of future technological breakthroughs and transitional needs. The first two days of the conference focused on state-of-the-art developments and set the stage for the final day, which addressed training and human resource requirements. The proceedings parallel the chronological flow of the conference. The initial selection provides the context for PTC '86 as set out by the four keynote speakers--Richard K. Jacobsen, Richard Sedgewick, Park Hyon-Tae, and Toru Uehara. Focusing on current telecommunications developments, the first day speakers discussed network applications, business strategies, and regulatory frameworks. The second day's speakers considered future developments and the latest services and applications were presented in plenary and concurrent sessions. On the final day, authors concentrated on assessing and managing the transition into a digital Pacific. Training programs and organizations were examined both from a "needs" and "operational" point of view. (THC)