Dear Editor,

The arduous sell of Spanish owned Bluesky to A.T.H. of Fiji has raised some eyebrows for many and could be seen as fortuitous for Little Samoa and even smaller American Samoa. 

The decision of the Regulator and Uncle Sam’s red tape dynasty, maybe a hindrance to what could be a good thing for Samoa. 

A move back to a company with a vested interest in the Pacific is something hard to come by. 

Seldom can a Pacific Based business compete with the Blue-chip companies of the world who seldom have the Pacific People’s Interest at heart.

4G or not to be, that is the question. Why aren’t we there yet? Samoa cell charges are proof we’re actually lagging in the world communication network. 

We still pay top Tala for old technology when everywhere else internet is virtually free. 

Not pointing the finger at Bluesky but Samoa boasts some of the most expensive internet in the world. 

Great UTOs gets good dividends, but at whose expense you ask yourself. Like many Samoan parents nowadays, “Text soó, text soó!

The Bluesky saga is a fairy tale in its own right. 

They first entered Samoa with a failed bid for the first GSM License to Digicel. 

Several years later, the push for WTO and Privatization of State Owned Assets was a blessing in disguise; they purchased the prize cow SamoaTel for a pittance of its book value. 

After their fifth birthday $70+ Million USD opportunity to sell what was an $11 Million USD Investment. Don Quixote and his return to chivalry are set to ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after. I can just hear Vincent Price’s laugh from the end of Thriller echoing in the background.

The company looking at acquiring Bluesky boasts ties with Vodafone the third Rank Teleco in the world. They don’t have to reinvent the wheel, they just send the wheel to Samoa and presto we 4G. 

The new submarine cable cool but the benefits of linking into the existing Vodafone network makes me feel all warm and prickly inside, or was that the maneso from the luau pipi I just ate? 

It is like the Taula advertisements Digicel and Bluesky when placed next to Vodafone, “tou te mosi!” The new forged relationship could benefit Samoa in many ways. Money and connectivity aside, look at what Vodafone sponsorship did for the Flying Fiji Sevens…lol!

Have a peaceful Sunday Samoa.

Oi Sole