Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation Partners with Kacific to Deliver Internet Nationwide with Maximum Flexibility

Apr 13 2021

Kacific’s flexible satellite broadband services are providing Tuvalu with a platform for digital transformation across Government, schools, businesses and communities. 

The Government of Tuvalu is undertaking a major reform to the nation’s telecom sector in order to digitally transform government services and provide the widest possible range of efficient, reliable, and affordable telecommunications and information services to all of Tuvalu. These reforms aim to promote socio-economic development and create a modern environment that encourages innovation, investment, and job creation. 

Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation (TTC), the State Owned Enterprise that manages telecommunications, sought a provider that could offer them high-speed bandwidth, which could be delivered easily and affordably to communities in Tuvalu’s nine islands. The provider needed to have solutions that could support both highly secure Government and business-level connectivity, as well as smaller scale residential and community uses.

A solution that meets the need nationwide

TTC chose Kacific to supply a comprehensive internet service via a dedicated beam from the powerful Kacific1 satellite. Under the five-year agreement, TTC will access all available capacity – a total commitment of 400Mbps to 600Mbps of satellite capacity depending on size of terminals – from the high-throughput satellite beam positioned over Tuvalu’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

As of April 2021, TTC has connected more than 50 enterprise-level customers including local and central Government offices, and schools, and has a growing waitlist of customers who are keen to experience the new services. With Kacific services, TTC has been able to reduce the retail price of internet for Tuvalu’s citizens by around 50%.

Bennett Simeona, IT Network Administrator says that feedback from customers has been very positive. Local government offices, in particular, have transitioned quickly to satellite internet, and upgraded to unlimited plans as they find the high-speed provides a better online experience, leading to higher usage.

“Our customers are quite surprised with the speed that a 1.2 metre terminal can offer,” says Bennett.

TTC has connected Tuvalu’s 8 primary schools, 2 secondary schools and 1 specialised disability school with small VSAT satellite dishes for online learning and teacher training. The specialised disability school, run by Fusi Alofa, is now using its terminal to arrange video meetings with special needs schools in other countries, giving both teachers and students the support of international peers.

TTC has deployed a large 2.4 metre antenna to service the Government offices in the capital of Funafuti with reliable unlimited broadband that can support both day-to-day work and enable digital transformation across many departments. TTC has installed a 4.5 metre terminal to provide even more capacity and support the expansion of the mobile data network for telco subscribers.

A flexible opportunity with unparalleled support

As TTC has a sizeable allocation of bandwidth to utilise, it uses Kacific’s highly flexible Virtual Network Operator (VNO) platform to shape and deliver appropriate bandwidth plans and packages for the nation’s internet needs.

Bennett Simeona says that the technical team found the VNO Platform easy to learn and use when monitoring and managing all the connected terminals.

“You can do much more than simply monitoring and provisioning terminals,” says Tomalu Talu, Acting Chief Operating Officer. “For example you can create policy actions and basic bundles. You can efficiently change customer plans when they need an upgrade — that includes changing both limited plans and unlimited plans. A favourite feature is the ability to administratively lock and unlock the terminal, which is permitted at any time.”

Support from Kacific’s Network Operations Centre has been excellent, with Bennett saying the Kacific NOC team is very much appreciated: “They have been ready any time we need support, particularly for issues concerning VNO.”

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