Page 27 - IBs November 2022

Connecting Ports with Opinion

Kacific1’s Satellite Internet

Ports: Arteries of the Pacific Guinea and as small as the Kiribati
Economy islands. State owned shipping fleets
Covering 162,500,000 square can utilise Kacific’s product offer-
kilometres of the planet, the Pacif- ings, as can very small, remote, in-
ic is a vast and largely uninhabit- dividual operations. Kacific services
ed area. With so much blue ocean can be scaled up or down to fit the
between them, Pacific nations needs of a business while allowing
rely heavily on their ports as their the ability to grow with a business
main channel for the entrance and or country. With the international
exit of essential goods including sector modernising their fleets and
fuel, foodstuffs, household goods, approaches to business, ports in the
building supplies, vehicles, ma- Pacific need to remain up-to-date
chinery and more. Without large- with the latest offerings in terms of
scale manufacturing and refining technology and internet connection.
capacity, the efficient importation Ports in neighbouring islands, if
of these goods is crucial. The ports all using Kacific as a broadband pro-
are the gateway for these items, as vider, can link together and create a
well as for the essential exports re- shared network. This would enable
quired to afford them. them to easily share information as
The covid pandemic and major well as internet bandwidth, getting
disruption to supply chains has made for an incredibly challenging few years for the best value for their money.
the Pacific ports and shipping industry. On average, 60% of Pacific nations’ GDP A 2021 report published by the International Monetary Fund found that Pacific
comes from imports. It’s time to reinforce the ports in the Pacific so that their governments struggle to know exactly how to tune their economies because of
largest contributor to GDP is not put at risk. the lack of high-quality economic data. With most goods being brought in by
ship, a connection between the ports and government is essential to transmit
Transformation in ports and shipping high-quality import and export data. With greater connectivity, regions will be
The need to upgrade port infrastructure to benefit, in particular, digital and able to develop faster and offer more to their inhabitants.
software opportunities, was a key discussion point at the Association of Pacific
Ports conference, held in September. Pacific ports outside of main centres are Improved management at Ifira Port Development
facing a major challenge when it comes to digital transformation: most, if not all, In Vanuatu, internet service provider, 3 Link is a distributor of Kacific’s Gig-
modern port technologies require a stable, high-speed internet connection. The starter. 3 Link’s services are leading to greater connectivity between the ports,
scope, ruggedness and distance between modernised centres in the Pacific and buyers, sellers, logistics groups and the local government.
the outer islands means that typical fibre-based internet connections are unfea- With services from 3 Link, the Ifira Ports Development and Services on Ifira
sible. It is too expensive and time-consuming to connect enterprises not based Island, which lies off the coast of Efate Island in Vanuatu, has benefited from
in the main towns. Kacific’s reliable, high-speed satellite broadband. DEVELOPMENT, INDIGENEITY AND
The best way to keep remote ports connected – both to people inland and The port is using Kacific’s Gigstarter 7-user plan as a backup internet con-
other countries and shipping providers worldwide – is by utilising satellite broad- nection to align with the Prime Minister’s directive for maritime safety, and to
band. Given its size, the best view of the Pacific is from space. The satellite Kacif- have VSAT connectivity in smaller vessels. This resulted in better connectivity to EXISTING TABLES
ic1 is always privy to this view, making it the envy of many. The operator of this support better communications and digital solutions, which in turn lead to more
high-powered satellite is Kacific and its mission is to connect as many communi- efficient export logistics management and better fleet management. The port can
ties in the Pacific as possible via satellite broadband. now collect better data on products moving through it. Alongside this, the inter-
net access supports better training for workers and faster communications, both Photos: Rise Beyond the Reef
Connecting the Kosrae Port Authority which enhance the health and safety at the site.
The port authority of the island of Kosrae in the Federated States of Micro-
nesia needed connectivity. The port receives between 3 and 5 cargo vessels a The Ifira Ports Development and Services on Ifira Island
month and is based around 10km out of the nearest town. Fibre is not available in With help from Kacific’s satellite broadband, ports and the shipping industry
Kosrae, and the port relies on Kacific’s satellite technology to secure high-speed, can upgrade their infrastructure for better communications and take advantage
affordable internet access. Installation of the satellite dish was fast and straight- of digital transformation. Satellite broadband not only provides a connection to By Ariela Zibiah and Janet Lotawa When the United Nations (UN) Secretary General, Antonio
forward – and the post was connected within hours to the satellite. the internet, but it provides an essential building-block for further economic Guterres spoke of bridging the gender divide at the 76th
Using Kacific’s satellite connectivity, the Kosrae Port Authority can better com- growth and prosperity. It opens more doors with the rest of the world. It allows For real and collective development, we must stop insist- Session of the General Assembly (GA) on 22 September, he
municate with cargo ships before they dock, they can connect with the nearby access to a variety of digital infrastructure and life-improving technologies. Ul-
town, with ports in neighbouring islands and with the wider pacific community timately, better connections, offered by Kacific, will work to further bring Pacific ing on localising strategies, frameworks, tools, or whatever touched on what we consider one of the cornerstones of our
and economy. nations onto the global stage. else our Pacific communities keep getting fed with, because it approach at Rise Beyond the Reef, (RBTR) that bridging the
By adding Kacific’s popular Community Wi-Fi service, extra data or bandwidth Kacific is a next-generation broadband satellite operator providing universal, worked somewhere else. We require indigeneity, an approach gap will be a “game-changer for humanity”.
not used by the port can be sold on to other users in the form of a prepaid vouch- fast, high-quality broadband at an affordable cost to rural and suburban areas centered in local Pacific agency and knowledge, supported by Seven years into working with women in remote villages
er. This could be visiting crew or even the local community. The flexibility means across 25 regions of the Pacific and South East Asia.
that in times of high flow, the port authority can access greater bandwidth, and in Kacific works with local partners and distributors in each region, offering a relevant development tools. in the interior of Fiji’s Viti Levu, has underlined that it is not
more sparse times, it can on-sell its extra internet capacity. range of prepaid high-speed unlimited data plans. Plans of up to 40Mbps start If we are to claim any impact in our intentions in leaving- just about ticking the box of working with women for wom-
from USD$200 per month, with bigger plans up to 100Mbps starting from no-one behind, then development must ensure that indi- en’s economic empowerment (WEE). It is a lot more than just
A heavy dependence on the ports USD$600 per month. The satellite terminal kits are a one-time fee which start geneity is meaningfully at the helm. Development in our being able to say we are changing realities on the ground. For
Kacific fills a gap in the APAC region. It serves countries as large as Papua New from USD$560.
communities need to grow beyond the adolescent teenager us, it is most importantly, also about the mechanisms involved
phase it seems to have become stuck in, into a reflective and in achieving actual progress.
Email: info@kacific.com • Website: www.kacific.com mature adult. Without a genuine intention to engage at exist- Our home in a remote part of Fiji’s interior is also home to
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kacific • Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/kacific-broadband-satellites ing tables, we will be stuck with repetitive cycles that stifle more than 500 women, and their approximately 1800 depen-
community-led action. dents, we’ve been privileged to work alongside. It is a long

To find local prices and a local internet service provider near you, visit www.kacific.com/kad
Islands Business, November 2022 27