CIIAG attends launch of Cook Islands Fibre Distribution Company — Avaroa
The Cook Islands Internet Action Group (CIIAG) Executive joined members of the government and other invited guests to the formal launch of the Avaroa Cable Company which will be distributing fibre Internet across Rarotonga in the upcoming months.
The CIIAG guests were Ano Tisam (Vice President), Maureen Hilyard (President), Caroline Tiria (Treasurer) and Mii Nimerota (Secretary).
Ano Tisam has been on lockdown on Rarotonga for the past few months and unable to return to his current workplace, the Forum Fisheries Agency in the Solomon Islands where he is a specialist database developer. He also trains FFA personnel around the Pacific in their role relating to the technology they use to monitor fishing activity within the Pacific.
Maureen is a development consultant on the island and occasionally works on policy, strategic development or capacity building projects. Much of her time however, is taken up with international Boards and Committees she either chairs or is involved in, that (before COVID) generally met overseas, but now are limited to several Zoom meetings during the day or night depending on the timezone of the meeting organisation.
Caroline is the Administrative Manager for the Seabed Minerals Authority which has been involved in some interesting community discussions of late, about the mining of our seabed and its environmental impacts on life at the bottom of the sea.
Mii is currently the coordinator of a joint venture between the Cook Islands and Indian Government which is based at the campus of the University of the South Pacific on Rarotonga. The Indian government has provided funding and personnel to deliver specialist, on-demand and customised IT training programmes for business personnel to advance IT capacity and economic development in the Cook Islands.
The rare get-together due to the COVID-19 restrictions (despite no covid on Rarotonga) gave us an opportunity to discuss plans for the group once we return to normal, and our members become more available to more frequent meetings and activities.
The group has been monitoring progress of internet development and also the fibre cable since it was landed in January 2020. Infrastructure constraints have restricted the preparation for the “last mile” development which will eventually enable domestic use of the fibre network. The formal launch of the distribution company will now enable potential entrepreneurs to at least prepare for business opportunities that will be possible through the enhanced service… but of course there has been no indication yet from government about affordability of the new internet supply service which has been a major issue for internet users on Rarotonga currently using internet connectivity via the O3B satellite. All we have heard so far is that the service will be faster but not necessarily cheaper. This is something that CIIAG can follow up on…
