The building of a second submarine cable landing station in Fiji is underway and will cement the country’s resiliency further, says Communications Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Manoa Kamikamica.
Speaking at second session of the 23rd Asia-Pacific Telecommunity Policy and Regulatory Forum, Kamikamica said Fiji has a robust and modern network infrastructure that allows businesses to communicate and collaborate remotely, improving productivity and efficiency.
He said this development is underpinned by the deregulation of the telecommunications market, installation of fiber optic cables for international connectivity, the expansion of 4G cellular networks, the development of wireless broadband internet service, and the recent onset of 5G trials.
“Today, 95 percent of our people have access to mobile broadband using 3G, 4G and 4G+ networks. And we are committed to connecting the remaining 5% of our people who live in remote and maritime communities.”
Kamikamica also highlighted that as part of its connectivity efforts; Fiji has joined the ITU Smart Islands Initiative and have recently completed its needs assessment.
“We have identified Rotuma, a volcanic island of approximately 43 sq. kilometers with less than 2000 people and located 590km from Nadi – for this initiative.”
“I am excited to see the innovative approach to deliver connectivity and new ICT-enabled services on one of our smaller maritime communities,” he added.
