15 Sep 2014

11 countries to get internet boost

7:27 am on 15 September 2014

A regional internet company says an agreement to provide 11 Pacific countries with fully equipped e-centers shows the area is desperate for internet connectivity.

Kacific Broadband Satellites was one of four companies to sign an agreement with the International Telecommunication Union for the development of communications capacity.

The project will establish 55 e-centers to service communities in remote islands or rural areas.

The e-centres will all have satellite connectivity for emergency telecommunication as well.

Kacific pledged to donate a total of 50Mbps of dedicated bandwidth for a full year along with 40 terminals worth close to 400-thousand US dollars.

Kacific CEO Christian Patouraux says the demand for bandwidth in the Pacific per capita, is the highest in world.

"There is a tremendous demand in the Pacific and we have verified that with our previous contracts we have signed with different parties such as Tuvalu telecommunications, with Solomons telecommunications. We know that the craving for bandwidth is absolutely there in the Pacific. The need for bandwidth is enormous."

Kacific CEO Christian Patouraux.