Linking Fiji with the world

Link up with the rest of the world with Internet. While this service has now become an integral part of communica

tion, Fiji is slowly catching there.

With Internet just eight months old in Fiji, it has already received a large number of queries and already has over 400 cus tomers.

These include corporate clients like the Fiji Sugar Corporation and government.

Internet is part of Telecom Fiji which recently became a sep arate entity after splitting with Post Fiji.

Manager Internet services Shailesh Singh said the response they received was better than what they had expected.

“From what we see it seems people are wanting to access information around the world without any problems.

“Internet is a lot easier and faster than anything else. There have been people who are interested but are not sure whether they want the service or not.

“It is like when fax machines first came out. People were not sure about its benefits and were hesitant, but now you will not find a business without a fax.”

Singh feels Internet is a mass media product which can touch the lives of housewives right up to the businessman.

One organisation which has Internet and is making full use of it is the Fiji Visitors Bureau.

Information on everything from accommodation to adventur ous activities can be found on the visitor information service. The Bureau said the system was very effective because they were able to get through to more people than ever before.

“They have developed it well. They are on the network and are well aware of what tourists want and are now working on those,” Singh said.

But Singh feels one sector which will benefit most from the services once hooked on is the trade and investment side.

“The Internet is one of the best ways to get your message and product across to people because there are millions who are hooked on.”

He said information available was wide ranging. It included everything from information on your favourite entertainer to medical and legal matters, cars, sports and much more.

“The variety is large and there is just so much information available, more than what one can ever imagine.

“It’s mind-blowing, never before has there been so much information available at any one time and been so easily accessi ble.”

Singh added that one service which was proving successful was news group, where a user could subscribe to a group where people were interested in just “one particular topic or topics of interest to you”. He said Internet was tailored to different needs and if the need changed so did the information.

“People here need to adapt to that changing environment because Internet allows you to make that change.”

Singh said charges in Fiji were $l2 per hour.

“There are people who look at this and think it is so expensive so what we try and tell them is that if they want they can down

load the information they are after on a disk and take their time and read it after they have hung up.”

Some of the services offered by Internet Service include the volume-based Corporate Access Service which provides for cor porate customers requiring high-quality service with expecta tions of low to medium volume usage. These customers may also choose to register a company domain name giving their compa ny a unique worldwide Internet identity.

Monthly rental is $3OO a month for up to 10 users, $420 for 11-25 users, $620 for 25 to 50 users and $lO2O for 51 to 100 users. On-line usage for volume charges for $B/MB. Customers need a router or server to terminate the dedicated Frame Relay Circuit and a personal computer to act as their Internet server for Email. The benefits include volume-based charges so you pay for what you use. Customers can have a Local Area Network or PC permanently connected to the Internet and own Internet servers.

The second service is the individual dial-up access which is offered to the general public to provide basic Internet Access.

This service is available anywhere in Fiji where there is access to the domestic telephone network. Customers need a personal computer (minimum requirement: 386 with MS Windows 3.1) or an Apple Macintosh; a dial-up modem and a two-wire phone line capable of dialling 144000. The benefits of this include access to all services available on the Internet, no charges for the call, no volume charges and easily met requirements. ■