of development
p. 43 · Read in the full issue
Maintaining a high pace of development
Vanitel was created in 1978 to take over all international telecommunications of Vanuatu. Since then this new joint venture has embarked in a completed renovation of the national network. In July 1990 a new digital telephone exchange was installed in Port Vila with a first capacity of4ooo lines extendable to 10,000. In May 1991 we commissioned the digital microwave (34 mbits) between Port Vila and Luganville linking, with the latest technology, the islands of Efate, Emae, Epi, Ambrym, Malekula and Santo. At the same time Luganville was equipped with its digital telephone exchange.
The line plants of Port Vila and Luganville have been upgraded and extended.
From there a digital rural network (TRT) was being implemented in South Santo, Central Malekula and South Efate. This was the first plan of development of the new joint venture and cost more than 1.2 billion vatu.
Also a new dish “Standard A” was installed and a new technology was introduced with the IDR carrier with Australia. This will increase the capacity of the earth station facilitating the growth in traffic.
In 1992 negotiations between the government of Vanuatu, Cable and Wireless Pic. and France Cables et Radio were successfully achieved with the merger on December 1, 1992 of the two previous companies, Vanitel Ltd and National
Telecommunications of Vanuatu Ltd. The new company now fully in charge of all telecommunications in Vanuatu is Telecom Vanuatu Limited.
Development plan N 0.2 has been launched with loan agreements between Caisse Francaise de Developpement, the government of Vanuatu and Telecom Vanuatu Limited. These loans for a total amount of 11 million FF are one part of a project for development for rural areas with the extension of the digital rural networks towards all islands for a three-year period and an investment program of 25 million FF. Connected to this digital rural network communities, Phonecards will be sold by local government councils, private shops or coasting vessels.
Since its inception in 1989 and with the help of the shareholders in Vanitel Ltd, Telecom Vanuatu Ltd has been able to bring modern telecommunications at a very high pace to give to the customers the best service. This success could not have been achieved without the good relations between the government of Vanuatu, Cable and Wireless Pic, and France Cables et Radio.
The government, by its decision to totally privatise telecommunications in Vanuatu, has shown the strong confidence it has in Cable and Wireless Pic. and France Cables et Radio.