M.C.I.T. to takeover broadband network

By Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi • 24 July 2023, 10:50AM

The Samoa National Broadband Highway (S.N.B.H.) is expected to be transferred under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (M.C.I.T.) by June of 2024, almost a decade after its establishment.

The S.N.B.H., which is managed by the Computer Service Ltd., links Samoa’s schools and hospitals to the fibre-optic cable network.

The Budget estimates for the year 2023-2024 for the ministry shows that there is allocated funds for this undertaking and is expected to be implemented by June of 2024.

This move is included in the Information and Communications Technology Sector Plan 2022/2023- 2027/2027 which was launched last month.

In the sector plan the ministry proposes an upgrade plan of action to be developed and implemented for S.N.B.H. with an allocation of $85,113,500 to implement the upgrade and all "necessary requirements needed" funded by the Government of Samoa and Development partners.

The ministry also proposes to conduct meetings with stakeholders for the full utilisation of S.N.B.H. and report on recommendations as well as regular monitoring and providing reports of the S.N.B.H.

They had allocated a total of $30,000 from the Government of Samoa for this.

Furthermore, the sector plan also highlighted a plan for S.N.B.H. to become a "Sub-division" of M.C.I.T. This included preparing and submitting a PK (Cabinet paper) for Cabinet approval of new proposals and positions.

An additional $20,000 tala was budgeted for the procurement of equipment and resources for S.N.B.H.

The The M.C.I.T.'s Corporate Plan also highlighted plans for S.N.B.H. to be upgraded to become the centralised government network linking all ministries, corporations, authorities, schools and communities across Samoa and for S.N.B.H. to be operated and maintained under M.C.I.T.

Samoan National Broadband Highway (SNBH) is the government network linking government offices throughout Apia as well as other locations. Launched in June 2014, the network was financed through a $20 million loan from EXIM Bank.

S.N.B.H. uses fiber-optic cable and microwave for backhaul and fiber, Wi-Fi, and the country's first implementation of 4G LTE for local access.

It has the potential to assist information flows between government offices and could enable such activities as mapping the outbreak of diseases and health epidemics.

In May of last year, the Minister for M.C.I.T., Toelupe Poumulinuku Onesemo revealed plans that the government was looking to take full ownership of the Samoa Submarine Cable Company (S.S.C.C.) with plans to buy the shares held by two Internet Service Providers (I.S.P.)

He confirmed that the Cabinet had given a directive to begin the process of managing the fiber cable.

During an interview with the Samoa Observer last year, Minister Toelupe said shares for the fibre cable had more than tripled the cost the Government had sold it to one of the service providers.

“The fibre was sold to Bluesky for not much, around $20 million,” said Toelupe. “We had discussed buying it back. The price has gone up to $100 million but it was sold to them for $20 million.

"Like I said the asset is valuable yet it was sold [by the previous government].”

The S.S.C.C. is a public private partnership (PPP) between the Government, Samoa National Provident Fund (S.N.P.F.), Samoa Life Assurance Corporation (SL.A.C.), Unit Trust of Samoa (U.T.O.S.), Vodafone Samoa, Computer Serviced Limited (C.S.L.) and Digicel Samoa.

The revelation from the Minister follows issues identified in the school connectivity programme concerning unreliable internet connection in schools.

Toelupe said fibre optics is the best connectivity and looking in the future it would be less sustainable for the Government to continue to pay thousands for the digital infrastructure.