Source: The Fiji Times
Development of international communication in Fiji
InternatIonaL telecommunications in Fiji began due to the fortuitous location of the coun- try on the optimum cable route between australia and Canada coupled with the man created situation of colonial preferences.
Since the landing of the telegraphic cable in 1902, Fintel continues to attract regional cable systems onto its shores. The major attraction today for the regional islands is the Southern Cross Cable network (SCCn), which landed in Fiji in 2000. Today, with the direct interconnection of the tonga, Vanuatu, Samoa (including american Samoa) and Wallis & Futuna sub-sea cable systems, Fiji further strengthens its position as the hub of the South Pacific telecommunications network and focal point of regional business activity.
Digital connectivity through information and communication technology (ICt) integrates the region with the rest of the world.
UN — sustainable development goals (SDG) one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United nations is the building of reli- able, sustainable and resilient infrastructure to in- crease access to ICt and the provision of universal and affordable access to the Internet.
ICTs and Internet are key building blocks of the digital economy, and have been recognized as im- portant drivers to achieve the Sustainable Devel- opment Goals (SDG — UN 2015).
The Internet is enabling broad-based develop- ment in Fiji’s economy. this is through business, government and people, creating growth, services and jobs.
Fiji has witnessed a remarkable transformation of its ICt sector over the last decade.
FINTEL’s $F50 million investment in the South Cross Cable network has provided progressively cheaper and high speed international backbone capacity for development of the Internet. Bandwidth demand
Globally, demand for international bandwidth in- creased at a rate of 40 percent in 2017.
Fiji doubled its international bandwidth between 2016 and 2017, with the increasing demand for mobile broadband.
The amount of capacity deployed by content providers (Google, Microsoft, Facebook, amazon) has outpaced that of all other customers of international bandwidth in recent years.
In the Pacific, content providers accounted for over half of total demand in 2016.
FINTEL investments — Fiji’s international telecommunication — beyond 2030
Investment in sub-sea cable systems globally now average USD$2.5 billion annually.
For the oceania region, between 2015 and 2020, a total of USD$1 billion investment is envisaged (source: teleGeograpy).
Southern Cross Cable system life ends in 2030. FIntEL has committed to the SX next sub-sea cable system, taking Fiji’s international telecom- munications access to 2050. FIntEL’s total investment is around FJD$50 million.
This is not only to future-proof Fiji well beyond2030, but ensures there is a reliable, redundant and resilient supply of international bandwidth to keep Fiji and our interconnected Pacific Island neighbours, connected to the world.
The Hawaiki sub-sea cable system, running from the USa to australia and new Zealand, includes a branching unit in Fiji waters. the system will be operational in 2nd quarter 2018.
Hawaiki provides options for FIntEL/Fiji’s in- ternational telecommunications redundancy/ resilience. this option comes at a cost of around FJD$50 million.
The Fiji-Samoa (tui Samoa) sub-sea cable sys- tem came into service in February 2018.
A branching unit has landed in Vanua Levu (Sa- vusavu).
This provides the people of Vanua Levu the same standard of ICt access currently available in Viti Levu, a needed catalyst to social and eco- nomic developments in the north.
the branching unit is funded by the Government of Fiji through the World Bank (FJD$12 million).
FINTEL will manage the Savusavu cable land- ing. the project is targeted to be in service by June2018.
FINTEL continues to strengthen Fiji’s position as the hub of the South Pacific telecommunications network and focal access point of regional and in- ternational business activities.