Ku-band services launched at USP centre on Samoa’s largest island
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 | The Prime Minister of Samoa, Honorable Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi cuts the ribbon to launch USP’s Ku-band network for the University's Savai’i Centre. Also seen in picture is the Alafua Campus Director, Ms Ruby Va’a. |
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The University of the South Pacific’s Savai’i Centre in Samoa has joined the USP’s expanding ICT educational network, USPNet. The USP’s Ku-band network – launched on 1 November 2012 on Salelologa, Savai’i – will connect students in Savai’i to USP’s real-time lecture conferencing and other course management applications.
The Prime Minister of Samoa, Honorable Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi launched the Ku-band satellite services as part of the USP expansion of the USPNet services to support University services to its students at regional campuses.
In his keynote address, the Prime Minister stated that the service was the crux of his Government’s rural education initiative.
“The great thing about it is that students in Savai’i can now study at institutions such as USP without leaving their homes or the care of their parents and the safety of their homes and villages,” he said.
The Ku-band service provides the capability for students to access lecturers/tutors based at other USP campuses, in particular, Laucala, Emalus or Alafua. Students can participate from Savai’i Centre via live classes, lectures and tutorials.
The Prime Minister acknowledged the leadership of USP for the development of such technology and also the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the generous funding support.
The launching ceremony was organised by Ms Ruby Va’a, Alafua Campus Director, and Mr Kisione Finau, Director ITS, connecting the Savai’i Centre to the Japan-Pacific ICT Centre in Suva with live video via the Ku-band link.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration & Regional Campuses), Dr Esther Williams and the Deputy Resident Representative, JICA Fiji Office, Mr Yutaka Fukase, delivered congratulatory speeches from Suva via the new Ku-band system and demonstrated the capability of the system to the invited guests in Savai’i. Among those present were Samoa’s Minister of Education, Sports and Culture, Honourable Magele Mauiliu, the Minister of Police, Prisons and Fire Services, Honourable Sala Pinati, as well as other members of Parliament, government officials and members of the Savai’i community.
Dr Williams said that the launch was another milestone for USP as the University moves towards closer communication throughout the University region to the rural areas from the more populated towns and cities.
She added that similar facilities had been installed in Tonga, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu which are expected to be expanded further.
The University of the South Pacific (USP) is implementing the Ku-band satellite communication network, in partnership with JICA under its technical cooperation project ‘USP-JICA ICT for Human Development and Human Security Project’. This Ku-band satellite network deployment will provide low cost solution for the expansion of USPNet throughout the region. The network, once operational will ensure that USP centres located in remote islands with limited resources for distance learning will be enhanced with ICT for distance education and learning.
One of the JICA experts, Dr Kader Pramanik, stated that the satellite Ku-band solution can provide broadband internet services to the remote islands which will boost expansion of tertiary education in the region, and at the same time, with government coordination, can be utilised as communication infrastructure for emergency communication and disaster management.
The installation of Ku-band systems at USP’s remote centres commenced in 2011. Savai’i Centre is the 8th Ku-band USPNet site after Ha’apai Centre and Vava’u Centre in Tonga, Emalus Campus and Malampa Centre in Vanuatu, Lata Centre in Solomon Islands, Labasa Campus and Adi Maopa School in the Lau Group of Fiji.
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