ICT State of Play
The newly released Pacific edition of the Digital Economy Report provides an update on internet connectivity and costs in the region. Selected statistics and notes from the report
ICT
Solomons High Court orders two persons to pay damages for online defamation
Facebook users in Solomon Islands have been warned that whilst they have the right to post or comment on the popular social media platform, they must do so with care and
Improving access to solar power and satellite internet on Rabi Island
Students and teachers of Buakonikai Primary School on Rabi are now enjoying improved access to renewable electricity and internet thanks to Australia’s Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership
Siuhuu launches into Fiji market
Sydney-based company ‘Siuhuu’ is the largest online marketplace for Pacific Island owned
USP secures full patent for cyber resilient thermal power plants
The University of The South Pacific has secured a full patent from the Indian Patent Office for a system designed to counter cyberattacks targeting power
Banks and mobile wallet integration in Fiji ‘a game-changer’
People living and doing business in Fiji can now transfer funds between their mobile money wallets and bank accounts.
Starlink to launch soon in Samoa
The Office of the Samoa Regulator is on the verge of launching Starlink services in Samoa, according to the Regulator Lematua Gisa Fuatai-Purcell. In response to queries from the Samoa Observer, she provided an update
Legal Starlink users remain online in Samoa
The Samoa regulator has announced that legal Starlink users in Samoa will continue to have access to their services, as confirmed by SpaceX and will not be affected by the temporary cut-off scheduled for 21 August.
Starlink rollout slowly gains momentum
Starlink’s rollout in the region continues in fits and starts. The satellite technology company last month announced two authorised resellers in Fiji - Lightspeed Pacific and Telecom Fiji. Telecom Fiji CEO, Charles
Elon Musk invited to Pacific Island Leaders meeting amid Tonga’s internet crisis
Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX and CEO of Tesla, has been invited to attend the 53rd Pacific Island Leaders Meeting, scheduled from 26-30 August, 2024. The invitation reportedly comes from the Tongan government,
Tonga’s fibre optic cable repair underway despite ‘data glitch’
The Cable Ship Lodbrog located the northern end of Tonga’s damaged domestic fibre optic cable on Sunday and is now searching for the southern end attached to Tongatapu. The repair is expected to be completed by this
Vava’u and Ha’apai communications services survive on backup satellites as cable awaits repair
Tonga’s local telephone and internet service providers, Tonga Telecommunications Corporation (TCC) and Digicel are using satellite links to restore their services to the two outer islands groups, with hopes that
Foreign Minister Wong announces new digital cable centre to limit China’s influence in Indo-Pacific
Australia is stepping up its attempts to limit China’s influence in the Pacific, with the establishment of a new “cable connectivity and resilience centre” designed to boost connectivity for Pacific nations. The
Tonga grants Starlink “provisional temporary permit” to offer local services
Starlink has been granted a “provisional temporary permit” to operate in Tonga, MEIDECC announced Friday, 19 July. This was in response to a “significant amount” of public concern after the Tonga government
Fiji takes “massive leap forward” with Starlink
Lightspeed Pacific’s Executive Chair, Richard Broadbridge, says Fiji has taken a “massive leap forward” in allowing Starlink services in the country. The company last week announced its official status as Fiji’s
Repair ship on its way, but Tongan internet users still struggling to stay connected
With a cable repair ship still nine days away from Tonga, internet customers in Vava’u and Ha’apai are struggling to keep connected. And customers have been warned that satellites may not be the answer, even as Elon
Vanuatu prime minister visits Huawei, views policing technology
Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai visited technology company Huawei in Shenzhen and viewed surveillance technology used to enhance policing and reduce criminal activity, his office said in a statement on Tuesday.
Palau’s second submarine cable faces delay
The activation of Palau’s second submarine cable connection, linking the island nation to the Echo Submarine Cable Project between Singapore and the United States, has been delayed. The cable, originally slated for
The complexities of undersea cables
While outside actors may see undersea cable infrastructure through a lens of geopolitical competition, political leaders in the Pacific Islands region are geared towards providing digital connectivity to the islands, an
In the shadow of global challenges
Cybersecurity threats and governing generative AI are amongst the most pressing challenges facing telecommunications companies globally. While the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) characterises the
Cook Islands Bill to safeguard Manatua Cable passed with fines up to $250,000
A monetary fine will be imposed on anyone who breaches the Manatua Cable Protection Bill 2024 in Cook Islands. The bill, passed by Cook Islands Parliament last Thursday, safeguards the Manatua One Polynesian Cable from
Starlink is now live across Fiji
The SpaceX satcoms service Starlink is now live across the more than 300 islands in Fiji, marking, the company says, the 99th country, territory or market around the world where Starlink’s high-speed internet service