Pacific CROP ICT Working Group s mandate on ICT, plans for the future, update on the submarine cable developments First Session of the ASIA-PACIFIC INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY Steering Committee Dhaka, Bangladesh 2 nd Nov 2017 Kisione W. Finau 1
Outlines 1. Updates from CROP ICT Working Group 2. Updates -Telecommunications and ICT in the Pacific Region 3. Case Studies Fiji & Tonga 4. Observations 5. Ways Forward 2
Pacific Islands
CROP ICT Working Group 1. What is CROP? Council of Regional Organizations in the Pacific 1. Pacific Forum Secretary 2. Secretarial of the Pacific Community (SPC) 3. Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency 4. South Pacific Tourism Organization 5. Secretarial of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) 6. The University of the South Pacific (USP) 4
CROP ICT Working Group CROP has a series of Sectoral Working Groups. These Working Groups are responsible for collaboratively working on various regional projects and policy initiatives. The primary objective of having Working Groups is to enhance sectoral coordination and development initiatives to strengthen integration, encourage synergy, and collaboration for the purposes of advancing sustainable development. 5
CROP ICT Working Group The ICT Working Group is Chaired by USP (Vice Chancellor & President). The Pacific Islands Forum Leaders adopted five key initiatives at their Summit in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea in September 2015. One of them was ICT, which they recognised as a gamechanging, transformative enabler of development and regional co-operation and integration. The CROP ICT Working Group has overall mandate and responsibility for ensuring that the vision of the Leaders is effectively advocated, co-ordinated, and facilitated. 6
CROP ICT Working Group Memberships The CROP ICT Working Group have two categories (i) Members; and (ii) Observers Members: USP (Chair); Representative of Member Countries; PIFS; SPREP; SPC; PITA; FFA; PIDP; SPTO; PPA; PASO; ADB; World Bank; Australia; New Zealand; JICA; PIPSO; and Forum Troika and SIS. Observers: Vodafone; Digicel; Territories of the region; ITU; CSOs and others as considered appropriate by the Working Group.
Main Focus for 2017
CROP ICT Working Group main focus 2017 Work with donors and business Partners in coordinating our efforts in developing ICT in the Pacific region Implementing the Pacific Regional ICT Strategic Action Plan (PRISA) Planning to have a meeting early 2018 Taskforce Cyber Security
Updates -Telecommunication & ICT in the Region 10 years ago, No one thought that small countries such as Tonga, Vanuatu, Marshall Islands would have submarine cable. Currently there are thirteen Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) connected to submarine cables and seven have the new O3B cheaper satellite service. Samoa (TUI Samoa) will have it submarine cable ready in early 2018 Solomon Islands, Niue, Cooks, Kiribati submarine cable are in the pipeline. Polynesian Submarine fiber connection Samoa, Niue, Cook Islands and Tahiti
TUI-SAMOA CABLE TUI-SAMOA CABLE
FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
Development in the Pacific Other ICT Developments in the Pacific He wants Samoa to take advantage of the opportunity to assist other Pacific Island neighbors by becoming the first ICT Hub for the Pacific Region. Tonga will have their Inter-island fiber (Tongatapu Haapai- Vavau) ready by 2018
Submarine Cables Map [Insert maps]
Development in the Pacific Other ICT Development in the Pacific The University of Hawaii is leading an international initiative to establish an Open Research & Education (R&E) exchange in Guam. This includes both major international systems connecting Southeast Asia, North Asia, Australia and North America as well as the smaller regional systems connecting the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and Palau. The open market in Guam makes it feasible to interconnect these systems.
Observations Fibre optic submarine cable remains the optimum medium for connectivity; Satellite will continue to play a major role in connecting the Pacific Islands Broadband access to small island developing states in the Pacific critical to ICT development; ICT development and infrastructure directly linked to economic development;
Updates - Telecommunication & ICT in the Region An overarching issue for ICT in the region has been affordability and accessibility Mobile is the main focus for local connectivity with good progress being made on coverage, however, mobile data is still seen as expensive and usually only available in the major centres.
Ways Forward It is very critical for the PICTs to collaborate and work together to address the needs of the people in the Pacific. As noted by the ICT Ministers in their 2015 meeting Lack of coordination and information around ICT initiatives within the Pacific region by countries, donor agencies and international organisations that could benefit from common approaches, standards, resources and infrastructures in ICT that could provide the force multiplier effect through cooperative development scaling and multi-purposing of technical resources. This includes human resource development and harnessing of available expertise and resources.
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