Tongan delegation investigates fibre

Media release 8 December 2009

Tongan delegation investigates fibre

Tonga Power is considering a move to fibre optic broadband and is relying on the expertise of New Zealand Regional Fibre Group member Northpower to help out.

Spurred by the New Zealand government’s pending roll-out of an ultra-fast fibre broadband network, a delegation from Tonga Power is today visiting Northpower’s cutting-edge fibre optic lab to gain a better understanding of the technology and how it can be applied to Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa. The Tongan government is currently planning the re-construction of Nuku’alofa’s CBD, with ducting being laid throughout the city to carry electricity and fibre.

The Tongan government is also investigating the laying of a fibre submarine cable from Fiji which will link to the fibre cable already running through Fiji – ensuring global connectivity links for Tonga.

Northpower boss Mark Gatland says ultra-fast fibre broadband would be hugely empowering to Tonga.

“If we can assist with getting fibre to them, it will be immensely beneficial to the Tongan economy,” says Mr Gatland.

“Tonga Power has home grown talent driving their technological developments and those people will have so much more to offer once they have fast and consistent broadband connectivity. This really is a very important consideration for the development of Tonga as a business nation but also to bring social improvements through faster and easier access to education networks, globally.

“International studies have shown that establishing fibre optic broadband networks in major cities can provide multi-million, if not multi-billion, economic boosts over a number of years – and lift employment. Fibre is the way the world is going so the more fibre networks that can be established in the Pacific, the better off we will all be.”

Tonga Power CEO Peter McGill hopes to be deploying fibre in the Nuku’alofa CBD next year.

From a central Whangarei office, Northpower has this year begun offering upload and download speeds of 100Mbit/s to local businesses.

I t is expecting a surge in connections when a number of new providers begin offering services across the open-access fibre network early next year.

ENDS

© Scoop Media