Jules Maher ICT Infrastructure in the Pacific Presentation

1. Pacific Wave Conference
IT Connectivity in the Pacific
Infrastructure:
An Operator’s Perspective
Jules Maher
15 May 2015

2. Background & Context
• CEO of Telecom Cook Islands 2009 - 2014
• Formerly with TNZ for 20+ years in various roles
(legal, risk management, insurance)
• Currently:
– Advisor on Telecommunications to the
Government of Niue
– Director of Our Telekom, Solomon Islands
• Speaking from the perspective of a Pacific telco

3. KEY MESSAGES
• There’s an ICT revolution going on in
the Pacific right now
• The Revolution could die if radical
action not taken

4. Revolution fuelled by 2 things:
1. Breakthrough in international connectivity
- O3b’s “fibre from the sky” a “Game-
Changer”
- Geosat prices halved since 2010
- more undersea fibre cable
- Kacific the next “Game-changer”?
2. Mobile Explosion*
- Growth rate above 5-year World average
- Mobile links majority to the internet
- Benefits to economies

5. 1. International Connectivity – CHOICE!
• O3b fibre-like service over
MEO at a fraction of the cost;
• Undersea cables installed or
planned;
• GeoSat responding to market;
• HTP goesats planned;
• Kacific the next game-changer in 2-3 years?
• These technologies are complementary. A
combination of 2 or more is ideal.

6. Pros and Cons of GEO, Fibre, O3b & Kacific
Fibre Geo Sat O3b Sat Kacific
Capital Cost High Low Medium/low Low
Cost of Capacity Medium High Medium Low
Latency Low High Low High
Throughput High Low High Low
Rain-fade degradation No No Yes Yes
Steerable beam No No Yes Yes
Redundancy No No Yes No
Enable 4G/LTE Yes No Yes No
Cloud Apps & Big Data Yes No Yes No
HD Streaming Yes No Yes Yes
Multi-point reach? No Yes Yes Yes

7. O3b Positioning vs. GEO

8. 8
2008 2014
To..
Download Stream
CloudHard Drive
Online, Massive Open
Online Course (MOOC)
Classroom
Smart PhoneLaptop

9. Pacific Countries that have chosen O3b
Africa
Pacific – 11 Countries
Asia / Middle East
Central & South America
Pacific
Papua New
Guinea
Western
Samoa
American
Samoa
Cook Islands
Vanuatu
Palau
Yap
Nauru
Norfolk
Island
Chuuk
Solomon
Islands

10. 2. Explosive Mobile Growth *
• Has been above World average over last 5 years;
• Competition, low fixed-line penetration and rapid
network expansion driving the growth;
• Mobile is responsible for 4.7% of Pacific Region
GDP;
• Majority of connections currently 2G;
• Mobile broadband (3G/LTE) is undoubtedly the
future for consumers in unwired islands;
• Growth predicted to stall over the next 5 years;
• The “bottleneck” is now local access.
*Source -GSMA

11. Internet connections made via mobile
devices in…
11
2013 2025
17% 80%
Source: GSMA

12. Keeping the Pacific ICT Revolution going
The “Bottleneck” for internet is now Local Access,
so:
• Mobile networks need to expand;
• 3G/LTE networks required to deliver broadband;
• Prices must be affordable;
• Mobile backhaul needs satellite;
• National broadband plans, collaboration,
incentives all required;
• Strategies for dealing with providers such as
mobile network manufacturers.

13. Learning to text for
the first time
……. priceless

14. Collaboration….
.…the earlier the better

15. Building ICT Capability
…is primarily about people

16. My Challenge to Key Players
If you really want to unleash the potential of Pacific
people:
• Government policy makers
• Aid Partners, NGOs
• Telco leadership & management
• Regulators
• Technology Providers …
…. look at the Big Picture
Envision, collaborate, cooperate, complement, think
outside your cultural and agenda bias …
… and help create a connected and independent Pacific