The equipment provided through the SPC program includes a satellite dish (VSAT) and a solar panel.to enable “always-on” high-speed Internet access.
PNCC recently completed a special project to bring telecommunications with Internet access to the Southwest Islands in partnership with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) through a program called “Pacific Rural Interconnectivity System” (RICS).As part of the “Pacific Digital Plan,” the goal of the SPC RICS program is to provide low-cost, reliable Internet access to people living in remote islands and rural areas of the Pacific, and Sonsorol State was designated as one of the SPC’s pilot projects.
PNCC technical staff travelled to Sonsorol and Hatohobei this December to install the systems and train state employees to operate them.The PNCC field crew was headed by Stalin Bai, Plant Operations Manager, and included Network Administrator Ernest B. Jamila, Telecom Technician Gailliard Rimirch, Network Technicians Arvin Rengulbai and Juslee Maui, and Facility Maintenance Technician Philipus Tkel.
Governor Damian B. Albis of Sonsorol State commented, “Today, Sonsorol Island has connected to the world in terms of Internet Communication.The teachers are able to down load educational materials…the sick can get their medical services directly from the Emergency Room at the Belau National Hospital by sending vital signs and complaints to the doctor on call [and] our state of Sonsorol can now send and receive daily reports, documents, and other communications…PNCC has extended its very important services to the people of Sonsorol Island.”
Hatohobei State Governor Thomas Patris said, “PNCC has helped us take a giant step in establishing a communication system.”
The goal is to give Sonsorol and Hatohobei States, along with the national government of Palau and other agencies, time to work together to identify ways to sustain the operational costs in the long-term, through a combination of cost-sharing and possible user fees.
