Kacific has signed a five-year agreement with the Government of Tuvalu to provide the Pacific Island nation with high-speed broadband internet connectivity via satellite.
The bandwidth, supplied by Kacific’s high-throughput satellite Kacific1, will connect agencies, businesses, and communities across Tuvalu’s nine islands with high-quality internet.
Under the agreement, Tuvalu, through the Ministry of Justice, Communication and Foreign Affairs, will take all available capacity – a total commitment of 150MHz – from the dedicated high-throughput beam Kacific has positioned over Tuvalu’s Exclusive Economic Zone. This will give Tuvalu unprecedented volume and flexibility for communications and create an immediate step-change in internet availability and affordability for the nation’s citizens.
With Kacific’s services, the capital and Outer Islands of Tuvalu will all have access to a high-quality communications infrastructure. Under the agreement, Kacific will provide a comprehensive turnkey service comprising 400Mbps to 600Mbps of satellite capacity depending on the size of terminals together with 60 1.2 meter VSAT terminals (satellite dishes) for schools, medical clinics, government agencies and small businesses for immediate connection.
Additionally, Kacific will deliver 40 outdoor WiFi access points to support community connectivity with WiFi hotspots, three maritime antennae to connect ferry services, and several Ka-band antennae to provide trunking and backhaul services for the mobile phone network, which the firm will also install.
Tuvalu’s Minister for Justice, Communication and Foreign Affairs Simon Kofe said: “Through this type of agreement, the Government is currently working to majorly reform Tuvalu’s telecom sector in order to provide the widest possible range of efficient, reliable, and affordable telecommunications and information services to all of Tuvalu. It is hoped that these reforms will promote socio-economic development and create a modern enabling environment that encourages innovation, investment, and job creation.”
Christian Patouraux, CEO and founder of Kacific, said that the agreement would “enable the Government of Tuvalu to adopt a holistic approach to ensure that all its people, whether remote or urban, have equal access to high-speed internet. This approach will improve domestic and international connectivity, reduce disparities and vulnerability, and ease the burden on those living on remote islands. It will make a significant difference to education, health, business and democratic participation throughout the nation.”