Automation of
pp. 35-39 · Read in the full issue
FIJI POSTS & TELECOMMUNICATIONS LTD - ADVERTISING FEATURE
Automation of Telecommunications in Rotuma
The new satellite earth station in Rotuma, Fiji, will bering the isolated island closer to the rest of the country and the world
The opening of the new satel lite earth station and digital telephone exchange in Rotuma by Fiji Posts and Telecommunications Limited (FPTL) will dramatically improve access to the people of Rotuma.
Rotuma is Fiji’s northernmost island, about 700 km from Suva. Its remote location elim inates the use of conventional terrestrial microwave, VHF or UHF radio systems as used in other parts of Fiji.
For this reason, satellite tech nology has been selected.
The new satellite earth sta tion and digital telephone exchange at Ahau will provide automatic modern telecommu nications services covering voice, facsimile and data.
The new system is a result of a Fs2-million project undertak en by FPTL.
The communications facilities in Rotuma feature a digital DAMA earth station supplied by Telstra Corporation of Australia, a 400-line Redeem
(RDX) digital exchange sup
plied by Redeem Laboratories of New York, solar and diesel hybrid power system with cus tomer cable reticulation. The telecommunications equip ment at Ahau is housed in a special passively cooled build ing designed to limit internal temperature rise without resorting to air-conditioning.
On the opening day 150 cus tomers are expected to be connected by underground cable from Itumuta, Motusa, Ahau and Malhaha.
The satellite earth station at Rotuma will utilise the new dig ital DAMA-Net Regional Satellite service developed and operated by Australia’s Telstra Corporation Limited.
FINTELs earth station at Vatuwaqa will be used to link Rotuma and interface with FPTLs Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) or any other country in the world (international calls).
The DAMA-Net is a modern, digital version of the extensive PACT (Pacific Area Co-opera tive Telecommunications) net
work which, since 1990, has provided economical, thin route satellite services to South Pacific countries.
The DAMA-net (Demand Assigned Multiple Access) service is cost effective, mean ing that satellite channels are only assigned to calls on demand and maintained for the duration of the call, rather than being permanently assigned. The multiple access feature allows each modem in the pool to be switched on a
call-by-call basis.
Customers can now dial 891 XXX - the six-digit number system for Return a. The rural Digital Exchange (RDX) is
supplied by Redeem
Laboratories of USA. This exchange was selected because of its reliability and cost-effectiveness in rural environment.
To facilitate this project, FPTL provided the tender docu ments with engineering design, installation, power sys
tem and equipment building.
Telstra Corporation provided
The earth station building at Ahau will provide auto matic modern telecommu nications services
the earth station equipment, training, installation, commis sioning supervision and docu mentation of the earth station equipment. Redcom Laboratories provided training installation and commissioning of the exchange. FINTEL pro vided the DAMA-Net modems at the Vatuwaqa hub.
FPTL would like to thank Telstra, Redcom Laboratories and FINTEL for their efforts in this innovative project and look forward to further participation in the extension of telecommu nications within Fiji.