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Produced by the NASA Center for Aerospace Information (CASI)
Q94

(eIASA -C@ -173173) PACIFIC LASIN

CU114LINILATI065 SIM)% VCLUME 1 Fival

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PI',CIFIC BASIN COMMUNICATIONS STUDY

VOLUME I (of II)

prepared by the

Public Service Sa'*ellite Consortium

for the

National Aeronautics & Space Administration

and the

National Telecommunications & Information Administration,

U.S. Department of Comrlerce

Elizabeth L. Young

Principa' Inve-tigator

Jane N. Hurd

Project Coordinator

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PRINCIPAL OFFICE: I Suite 907

1660 L Street. N W

Washington D C 20036 • (202) 331.1154

k 2480 West 26th Avenue

Denver, Colorado 80211 • (303) 458-7273

TWX IPSSCTG 0M 910 931.2686

October, 1981

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PACIFIC BASIN COMMUNICATIONS STUDY

VOLUME I (of II)

prepared by the

Public Service Satellite Consortium

for the

National Aeronautics & Space Administration

and the

National Telecommunications & Information Administration,

U.S. Department of Commerce

Elizabeth L. Young

Principal Investigator

Jane N. Hurd

Project Coordinator

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PRINCIPAL OFFICE:

Suite 907

1660 L Street, N W

Washington. D C 20036 • (202) 331-1154

2480 West 26th Avenue

Denver, 6olorado 80211 • (303) 458.7273

TWX: (PSSCTG DVR) 910 931.2686

October, 1981

— o;
This final report fulfills the requirement specified

in Article VIII of Contract NASW-3488, dated 6 February 1981,

between the Public Service Satellite Consortium and the National

Aeronautics and Space Administration, for the Pacific Basin Study

portion of the subject contract. This report was prepared by the

Public Service Satellite Consortium, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsoring a gencies, the National Aeronautics

and Space Administration a , id the National Telecommunications and

Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Coinnerce.

1

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"A communication system can be an instrument of great influence...

no one should question the need for a reliable telecommunication service.

Links between our islands are virtual lifelines."

Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara

"The problem is not production, it is distribution. It is

absolutely vital that we have better telecommunications. It is costing

us dearly in termsof economic development."

Federated States of Micronesia

"Anything a week late is still news to us."

Vanuatu

"You can't measure the value of telecommunications by looking

at the revenue generated. There are so many aspects of human interaction

that telecommunication doesn't improve but provides a catalyst for, and

opens doors to: health, law and or.ier, talking to mother, emergency,

disaster relief, education."

Cook Islands

"We cannot wait for phones indefinitely. We have to move."

Papua New Guinea

"We use broadcast radio ... you only hope the message gets through

to the people you are aiming at."

Fiji

EAGE.—L'—INTENI10NALLY KAMK

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PRECEDING PAGE BLANK NOT FILMED

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0

"Fisheries are the economic base and communication is a necessity.

A prerequisite for development is an adequate infrastructure."

American Samoa

"Does it matter if people have better communications? Yes, for

health, education, law and order."

Solomon Islands

"If you think in terms of lives lost, then it is not too expensive

to provide service."

Republic of Belau

"What do I do if I want to talk to them? I write a letter.

Outer island Polynesia

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

VOLUME I

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................... EX1

1. INTRODUCTION ................................................. 1

1.1 Steps Toward a Pacific Basin Communications Study ............ 3

1.1.1 Political Background .................................... 3

1.1.2 Call for Assistance .................................... 5

1.1.3 United States Study..... .. .............. 5

1.1.4 Public Service Satellite Consortium (PSSC) .............. 6

1.1.5 Definition of the Pacific Region,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 6

1.2 The Emergence of the Pacific Island States„ ................. 7

M

1,2.1 The Chronology of Independence „ 8

1.2.2 Regionalism and Telecommunications ...................... 9

2. THE PACIFIC BASIN COMMUNICATIONS STUDY,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 11

2.1 Approach and Methodology ..................................... 11

2.2 Users' Meeting ............................................... 13

2.3 Phase I Report Description ................................... 15

3. COUNTRIES AND OTHER JURISDICTIONS. VISITED .................... 16

3.1

'

Islands Visited .............................................. 16 it

3.2 Descriptions ................................................. 17

3.2.1 American Samoa .......................................... 18

3.2.2 Republic of Belau ....................................... 19

3.2,3 Cook Islands . ..... ....................................

20 3.2.4 Federated States of Micronesia .......................... 21

3.2.5 Fiji. ............................................... 22

3.2.6 Kiribati ................................................ 23

3.2.7 Nauru ................................................... 24

3.2.8 Niue.. .......................................... 25 1

3.2.9 Papua New Guinea ............................•••••••••••• 26

3.2.10 Solomon Islands ......................................... 28 I i

3.2.11 Kingdom of Tonga 29

3.2.12

........................................

Tuv:1J .................................................. 30

3.2.13 Vanuatu ................................................. 31

' 3.2.14 Western Samoa., 32

v ^^
Table of Contents (continued)

4. DEVELOPMENT ISSUES IN THE PACIFIC ISLANDS:

THE ROLE OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS ............................. 33

4.1 The Philosophy of National Development ....................... 34

4.1.1 National Development.. ... .. ...... 34

4.1.2 Planning and the Implications of Decentralization....... 38

4.1.3 The Role of Broadcasting.. ....... ... ...... .... ... ....... 44

4.1.4 Appropriate Development: Technology, History and

the Appropriateness of Scale .......................... 52

4.1.5 The Importance of Regional Links ........................ 56

4.2 Telecommunications and the Management of Human Resources..... 62

4.2.1 Time and Isolation ...................................... 62

4.2.2 Health Care Delivery... .... ..... ........ 68

4.2.3 Public Safety: Disaster Preparedness and Relief,

Surveillance and Law Enforcement ...................... 75

4.2.4 Education.. ... ............................... 84

4.2.5 Training for Development... ... .................... 89

4.2.6 Women as a Resource for Development ..................... 103

4.2.7 Personnel: the Single Layer Problem... .............. 110

4.2.8 ATS-1: The University of the South Pacific,

PEACESAT and DISPNET .................................. 115

4.3 Telecommunications and the Management of Economic Resources.. 123

4.3.1 Toward Self-sufficiency: Import Substitution,

123 Production for Export and Marketing ...................

4.3.2 Transportation as Communication..... ......... 131

4.3.3 Supply and Production: Agriculture and Fisheries,

Cooperatives and Commodities Boards, Tourism

andEnergy....... .................. 137

4.3.4 Resource Management for Local Benefit ................... 148

5 THE TECHNOLOGY: ENGINEERING OPTIONS, STRATEGIES FOR

IMPLEMENTATION AND COST/BENEFIT RELATIONSHIPS .............. 152

5.1 Requirements for the Island Nations .......................... 153

5.2 Operational Alternatives ..................................... 158

5.2.1 Interim System Incorporating Existing Satellites........ 161

5.2.2 The Integrated Communications System .................... 168

5.3 Maintenance and Training ..................................... 187

5.4 Management and Implementation ................................ 193

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Table of Contents (continued)

5.5 Comparative Costs and Benefits ................................ 201

5.5.1 Costs of Alternative Telecommunications Systems......... 201

5.5.2 Who Will Pay? ........................................... 204

5.5.3 Economic Impact and Benefits of Improved Communications. 214

6. FINAL CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................... 222

6.1 Summary of Findings ........................................... 222

6.2 Recommendations ............................................... 227

BIBLIOGRAPHY........................................................... 229

VOLUME II

APPENDICES:

A. Chronology of Visits .......................................... Al

B. Users' Meeting Summary Report ................................. B1

C. Economic Data for Forum Countries ............................. C1

D. Techniques Used in the Study .................................. D1

E. Communications Choices ........................................ E1

F. Existing Resources in the Pacific Basin ....................... F1

G. WARC '79 Region 3 Rules and Regulations........ I .............. G1

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figures

0.0.1 Map of the Pacific .............................. ii

5.1.1 Distribution of Telephones in Four

Island Nations ................................ 157

5.2.1 Downlinks in the 3 & 4 GHz Sands ................ 179

5.2.2 Pacific Ocean Coverage at Frequencies

Over 10 GHz ................................... 181

5.2.3 Pacific Coverage frim INMARSAT Satellites....... 183

5.2.4 Annual Rainfall in the Pacific Basin............ 184

5.2.5 Pre-Intergrated Communications System........... 186

5.2.6 Intergrated Communications System ............... 186

viii
LIST OF TABLES

Table

5.2.1 Techniques Considered .......................... 173

5.2.2 Alternative Service Requirements and the

Likely Applications of a Communications

System for the Pacific Laalands ................ 174

5.2.3 Downlinks in the 3 & 4 GHz Bands ............... 180

5.2.4 Downlinks at Frequencies over 10 GHz........... 182

5.2.5 2.5 GHz Satellite System Capital Cost Summary.. 185

5.4.1 Management Options for a Pacific Regional

Telecommunications System ..................... 200

5.5.1 Percent of Capital Costs of Satellite System

Distributed Among Four Likely Sources......... 213

ix
-EXIEXECUTIV^t SUMMARY

Origins of the Study and Methods of Research

The Pacific islands lie in an ocean that covers *ne-third of the earth's

surface. The great distances between island entities, their sparse populations and their limited development all contribute to an urgent need for

better national and regional communications systems. Nearly every country

and territory in the Pacific region is linked internationally by satellite,

but domestic communications facilities range from adequate to nonexistent.

The present study came about because the heads of state of the Pacific

island nations (the Pacific Forum) have stressed the need for improved

telecommunications over the past decade and in 1980 directed the South

Pacific Bureau for Economic Cooperation (SPEC), the action arm of the Forum,

to advise potential satellite snact. segment providers that the Pacific island

countries would be interested in sharing satellite use with them. Also, the

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) wanted to investigate

follow-on options to ATS-1, the requirements in the region that could be served

by satellites in the 30/20 GHz band, and the possibility that a cooperative

project with Canada involving mobile satellite communications could benefit

Pacific Basin users. Thus, in 1980, NASA and the National Telecommunications

f.

and Information Administration (NTIA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce

contracted for a study by th,^ Public Service Satellite Consortium that would:

(1) describe and assess extant telecommunications systems in the Pacific;

I

(2) assess communications needs in the region with an emphasis on user

requirements in relation to the development of social services and

commercial activities; (3) propose and describe alternative technological

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solutions to communications problems, including recommendations for an

optimal telecommunications system or systems; and (4) discuss questions of

system financing, implementation, management costs and benefits.

To conduct this investigation, existing literature about the political,

economic and social structure of the Pacific Basin and current studies

about communications systems in the region were reviewed. Visits to 13

selected countries were conducted by a research team that included sociological and engineering consultants, and a Pacific users' meeting was

convened in Suva, Fiji, in June, 1981, to review and validate preliminary

findings. Officials in metropolitan countries having an interest in the

Pacific region -- most notably the United States, Australia and New Zealand

-- were visited and asked for their ideas„ as were existing and potential

communications service providers such as INTELSAT.

Definition of the Pacific Region

For the purposes of the study, the Pacific islands*include the coral

atolls and high, volcanic islands between the Asian mainland and North and

South America, excluding Australia and New Zealand. Included are the

Island groups whose indigenous populations are Polynesian, Micronesian

I

and Melanesian. The Philippines, Indonesia, Hawaii and Galapagos (Ecuador),

and Easter Island (Chile) are excluded. Lord Howe and Norfolk Island

telecommunications needs are viewed as met by Australia. Although needs

of these respective entities were not studied, cognizance was taken of

existing or planned communications systems serving them and especially

insofar as these systems could be seen to interface eventually with the

communications systems in the entire Pacific Basin.

*with a total population of over 4.5 million on approximately 800 island

with as many as 6,000 communities ranging from fewer than 10 inhabitants

to a city of 100,000.

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The definition of the Pacific islands used here includes: American

Samoa, the Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Nauru,

New Caledonia, Niue, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the Tokelaus,

Tonga, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI), Tuvalu, Vanuatu,

Wallis and Futuna Islands and Western Samoa. The TTPI,once the compact

terminating the Trusteeship has been signed, approved by Congress, and

reconfirmed by plebescite, will result in four separate entities: the

Republic of Belau, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, the Marshall

Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia, which includes the States

of Yap, Truk, Ponape and Kosrae. These new entities are treated separately

although decisions and control in telecommunications still lie with the

presidentially-appointed High Commissioner of the Trust Territory of the

Pacific Islands.

The considerable task of sorting out the Pacific can be made less

complicated if one can envisage the island entities as "states" and the

Pacific region as the "nation." Numbers of people (in any given country

or ^q ntit!) are small, services are few, GNP's and GDP's are miniscule,

local languages differ within a single country, and currencies are not

identical.

Despite the varying political structures found among the islands

and their historical ties to a number of different metropolitan countries,

a strong sense of the need for Pacific regionalism is developing, particularly with regard to fishing, shipping, air routes and communications.

Regionalism and internationlism are keys to the island entities' Full,

participation in the modern world. Leaders in the Paicifc recognize the

critical role that communications will play in forging the links that will

make national survival and development possible.
-EX4-

Status of Present Communications Systems in the Region

While a number of domestic telecommunications systems are in place and

functioning (the dominant system is HF radio), some rural areas are either

totally unserved or lack adequate facilities. Communications between locations

within a given country, e.g., from island to island or from the coast to the

interior, are generally less reliable and, therefore, less frequent than communications between island nations and developed countries.

At present, 12 INTELSAT earth stations serve the island entities covered

in this report (additional earth stations have been proposed for six sites in

the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands). The dozen existing submarine

cables connecting "rim" (e.g., Japan, Australia, Taiwan) countries with North

America provide little capacity for the island nations near whose shores they are

laid. Neither will the island nations benefit significantly from the 7,100 cable

circuits planned for construction during the 1980's for increased capacity for the

metropolitan countries of the Pacific. A detailed description of extant

communications facilities in the Pacific region can be found in Appendix F of

the present study, and a discussion of comparative costs of various technologies

as well as a description of their capabilities can be found in Appendix E.

Economic, Social and Political Requirements for Improved Communications

Information obtained from other studies, the country visits, correspondence, discussions with representatives of U.S. government agencies with

interests in the Pacific (as well as with representatives of other metropolitan

countries), and the Pacific users' meeting in Suva has confirmed the following

points.

The most critical need is for a basic two-way emergency warning
9.1^`

-EX5-

signal between remote sites and urban centers. Then, the most pervasive

priority .s for improved and extended telephone services. Beyond basic

telephony and telegraphy, other requirements include: (1) simple con..

ferencing facilities linked by telephone; (2) integrated services for

mobile and fixed land, marine and air interconnection; (3) improved

communications for marine resources management (including surveillance);

and (4) data, facsimile and broadcast services. While television service

is available in several of the entities, video per se was not deemed as

critical a service as voice and message transfer.

With regard to commercial activities in the region, it is often the

case that normal sequencing of production or cultivation, transfer of

goods, and retail • Ing or exporting are seriously hindered by lack of

adequate communications links. Numerous examples were found in which

food products rotted on docks since the food producers and those responsible for marketing or shipping had not been able to set up necessary

schedules. Further, trade among the island entities tends to be less than

it might be due to poor communications, yet many items that could be sold

among islands are imported from rim countries at much greater cost.

Considering that not all Pacific island entities have similar

economies or natural resources, it is, nevertheless, possible to estimate that

improved communications would confer benefits on the following sectors listed in

descending order based on the likely magnitude of effect: maritime

industries (including the catching of fish and the movement of goods);

tourism (especially with regard to opening new areas for travel); agriculture; lumbering; mining and refining of mineral resources; and small

business development. Exporting is a factor in all of the above.

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- EX6 -

Social requirements wherein communications play a significant role

include: disaster warnings and emergency services; delivery of health care;

education; provision of government and social services; and general enhancement in the quality of life.

The politics of national and regional development also require improved

communications systems. In the Cooks and Soiomons, for example, broadcasts

of Parliament provide a sense of unity, but many islvnd groups lack such

services. In some instances, provincial, rural areas find themselves

pitted against central governments in an adversary role, the primary reason

for which is the lack of flow of information. National planning, devolution

of power to rural areas through gradual decentralization, and closer regional

cooperation all require communications.

Examples of successful communications systems in the Pacific region --

such as the Roman Catholic Church's Micronesia-wide network, educational

television in American Samoa in the 1960's, and the uses of ATS-1 by the

University of the South Pacific, PEACESAT and DISPNET -- point to the fact

that basic communications systems can successfully meet needs, but they

also are a reminder of the unevenness of communications generally in the

region. In some places where broadcast radio is available, for example,

it cannot be received by all communities. And ATS-1, a 15-year old

satellite, may become inoperative within the next twelve to eighteen

months.

Regional cooperation in the development of an improved telecommunications system is certainly possible, but national governments must be

assured that they will benefit economically, socially and politically from

such cooperative effort..

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Technological Options

A broad range of telecommunications technologies were examined in

order to determine which of these, singly or in combination, would provide

the best answer to communications requirements in the Pacific Basin. As

the study progressed, it became clear that any proposed new system would

have to Wild on the communications systems already in place Since it

would be far too expensive and unwise to try to start "from scratch" or

replace what people were familiar with.

The two technolog i es deemed most likely to bring about broad scale

improvements in communications in the region are submarine cable (primarily

with fiber optic links between islands) and communications satellites.

Since the technology of oceanic fiber optic cables was viewed as being

insufficiently advanced to be counted on as an adequate near term solution,

recommendations have been focused on the satellite options, and these

include (and are not mutually exclusive):

1) Extension of the present INTELSAT system, including provision

of small, low-cost earth stations in remote locations that

would serve to relay local communications, operating in

tandem with the standard A or B stations.

2) Use of existing or proposed domestic (or INMARSAT) satellites

that could provide some degree of Pacific coverage. Satellite

systems reviewed under this option included: ANSCS, INMARSAT,

X' (PALAPA, TDRS and ALASCOM's future satellite.

3) Creation of an Integrated Communications System that would

s I' include one 2500 MHz (2.5 GHz) satellite.

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A system incorporating a 2500 MHz satellite (S-band) is deemed optimal

because it would not only build on existing domestic systems in each of the

countries or entities and on the INTELSAT installations, but the 2500 MHz

assi;nment in this region of the world permits fixed, mobile and direct

broadcast satellite operations.

Whichever satellite system is selected, at least 3000 earth stations

will eventually be required to provide voice and message service to major

population centers and rural areas of the island entities reviewed in

this study. These earth stations, whether at C-band or Ku-band or S-band

should be low cost, easy to maintain, easy to relocate, sturdy in terms

of climatic conditions, and requiring a minimum of power.

The S-band satellite system would include approximately $100 million

in non-recurring capital costs (not counting earth stations) for a single

satellite. Construction of a spare would require another $36 million.

There would be associated facilities with this or any other satellite

option, e.g., power sources (sol,r charged batteries may be preferrable),

public call boxes, and the like. These facilities would, of course,

add to the overall system cost for each country.

There are encouraging signs with regard to satellite options for the

Pacific. INTELSAT is conducting its own investigation of rural telecommunications requirements and may create a special regional tariff or

tariffs. At the same time, INTELSAT and others are expending funds to

see whether a break-through can be made in the manufacture of low-cost

transmit and receive earth stations.

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-EX9-

Questions of Management, Training,_ Costs, Benefits and Implementation

If any type of regional satellite system is to be implemented, it

would be preferrable for a single entity to act as manager. There are

at least four options: (1) having a single country act as manager;

(2) creating a private corporation with the participating countries

as the board of directors; (3) working through an existing regional

consortium, e.g., SPEC; or (h) creating a new regional consortium.

Domestic communications systems within each country would continue to

be administered by the various authorities and entities already in place,

but they would interface with the regional manager.

Regardless of what improvements are made in Pacific Basin telecommunications systems, there is a critical need for training of indigenous

personnel. If the 2500 MHz satellite system is selected, it has a number

of advantages for system maintenance and training. The earth station

equipment is similar to the present microwave point-to-point facilities

except that antennas are larger. The experience already gained in use

of microwave paths can form a basis for operating and maintaining the

2500 MHz satellite system, and the existing local technicians and

operators will form the cadre of the Integrated Communications System's

operators. I

It will be important to outline the types of positions needed, to

estimate the actual manpower requirements, and to find financial support III

for training. The number of training institutions in the Pacific has

grown in recent years. Technical courses at the trade level are offered

in Kiribati, the Solomon Islands, Fiji and Guam. Basic technical I

training is offered in the Cooks, Tonga and Western Samoa. More advanced

telecommunications training is available at the Papua New Guinea Telecom- f

munications Training Center in Lae and at the Telecommunication Training

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Center in Suva, FIJI. The University of Lae in Papua New Guinea as well

as universities in Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand give tertiary degrees

in engineering. Funding may be obtained from (among other sources) the

United Nations Development Program administered through the ITU.

Appropriately trained personnel can be phased in gradually.

Without knowing the precise characteristics of each communications

satellite system that might be put in place for the region, it is not

possible to give precise estimates of cost. As previously noted, nonrecurring costs of a new S-band satellite would be approximately $100

million. If a significant number of earth stations were required (whether

for a C-band or S-band satellite), cost might be driven down from a

prntotype price of $25,000 to $15,000 or less, resulting in a total cost

of between $45 and $75 million over ten years. Power sources, additional

communications facilities, training, and annual operating costs would have

to be added to system costs. It is unknown at present what such options

as an INTELSAT regional tariff or costs of using the C-band transponder on

TDRS (assuming it could be negotiated) would be.

Given experience with establishing communications systems in other

developing countries of the world and based on an estimate of where

funds are presently available (both from the Pacific island entities

and elsewhere), it is suggested that a break-out of capital funding

might be along the following lines: (1) 10 percent of capital costs from

the Pacific entities who would use the system; (2) 50 to 60 percent from

developed countries having interests in the Pacific; (3) 10 percent from

supplier credits and commercial banks, investors, foundations; (4) 20

percent from the World Bank and its affiliates.
e taken by those Pacific Basin countries desiring to create a

-egio nal system:

f, -EX11-

M

The direct benefits of improved communications are difficult, perhaps

impossible, to measure in numerical terms. Nevertheless, as has been

demonstrated in other parts of the world, the impact of telecommunications

on economic growth and development, on the delivery of social services,

and on the enhancement of the quality of life can be considerable.

Since so many problems in the Pacific can be directly related to the lack

of adequate communications facilities and systems, it stands to reason

that the provision of upgraded facilities will go a long way toward the

solution of these problems.

a

At minimum, more efficient trade and commercial practices shou d be

A

able to be established by the creation of more comprehensive voice and

message networks. New commercial avenues such as tourism can be opened.

` Trade between and among the island entities can be significantly z•;

increased. These improvements will, in turn, provide a more solid economic

i

base for the support of the communications systems put 'in place. The ability

u .

to save lives through better communications, to step up educational opportunities, and to give people the ability to communicate as extended families

are benefits that have been realized in many other countries once improved

communications systems were available.

Recommendations:

Based on the review of other current studies about communications in

the Pacific Basin and on the results of the present effort, it is recommended that:

1. With regard to implementation, the following steps will need to

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-EX12-

a. Deciding whether to use differing telecommunications systems

In chronological sequence (e.g., starting with INTELSAT then

moving to a regional satellite) or establishing a single

system presumed to be useable over the next fifteen to twenty

years.

b. Assessing and making a decision about the most desirable

technology or technologies.

c. Establishing the necessary procedures to ensure creation of an

appropriate management entity.

d. Determining the likely rate of niturn on investment in each

country where new telecommunications systems will be installed.

e. Conducting preliminary discussions with communications satellite

carriers and equipment manufacturers who can be expected to

participate in the establishment of the telecommunications

systems.

f. Conducting ,p reliminary discussions with funding sources, including

the private sector, foreign governments, and multilateral development banks..

g. Establishing the management entity.

h. Establishing the specifications for the desired telecommunications

system and securing it (via bids, lease arrangements, etc.)

I. Borrowing of capital or other acquisition of funds.

j. Executing all necessary procedures to enable all interested

Pacific Basin countries to have access to the regional system.

Steps g through j should be carried out simultaneously.

1
-EX13-

v

2. The governments of the metropolitan countries with relationships

and responsibilities in the Pacific need to ascertain their

appropriate role with regard to assisting the island entities

in the implementation of an improved communications system.

3. Other studies that are currently being conducted that also touch

on telecommunications in the Pacific nc,ad to be reviewed and the

findings compared and coordinated so that as much evidence as is

available can be brought to bear to assist the policy makers,

planners, and funders who work in the region.

b

4. Developmental work on small, low-cost earth stations -- at S-band,

t;

C-band, and Ku-band -- needs to be fostered. A break through in

r:

,w earth station technology for voice and data could mean a more

s.,

rapid development of satellite use in the Pacific Basin.

,

`,- 5. Even before all questions relating to services and structure are

l

answered, work needs to continue with respect to system definitions

for the satellite options deemed feasible. If a more precise

estimate of costs can be given, and a better understanding arrived

f' at with regard to legal and management questions, the ground work

will be laid for other necessary planning.

The communications technologies available today and likely to become

m

available over the next ten years are increasingly appropriate for efficient

use in the Pacific region. What is needed now is a concerted effort to plan

y

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for and implement the most cost effective, versatile and beneficial system

that can be designed. It must also be a system that can accommodate growth,

(i can be increasingly affordable, and finally profitable over the long run.
I. INTRODUCTION

The Pacific islands lie in an ocean that covers one-third of

the earth's surface. It is said that the Pacific is so large that

the moon could fit inside it. The islands that dot this vast region

have, besides little land, limited land-based resources for supporting

their small, far-flung populations.

A major prerequisite for the successful development of these

islands is the, implementation of communication systems that will

adequately meet their unique national and regional needs. Communications must provide them with links beyond their waters. The

creation of such international service is well underway; nearly every

country in the Pacific region is linked internationally by satellite.

Further, however, a communication system must provide every citizen

of each island entity with adequate access to meet the most basic

personal and community needs, in both urban and rural environs.

The Public Service Satellite Consortium has undertaken a

study of rural communication needs in the Pacific islands for the

National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Office of Space and

Terrestrial Applications and for the National Telecommunications

and Information Administration, an agency of the United States

Department of Commerce. The study is entitled "The Pacific Basin

Communications Study."
-2-

The purpose of the Pacific Basin Study is:

1. To describe extant telecommunications systems in the

Pacific and to indicate current plans for expanding

or improving those systems.

2. To assess regional telecommunications needs, particularly in the area of rural telecommunications, from

the point of view of the user who needs adequate

telecommunications to accomplish the tasks of development, rather than from the point of view of the

telecommunications provider which supplies each nation

with telecommunications equipment and services.

3. To propose a number of alternative technological

solutions to current regional telecommunications

problems, recognizing that the ultimate choice of

options for resolving existing difficulties lies with

each government.

4. To discuss regional strategies that might facilitate

the creation of an improved regional telecommunications

system.

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1.1 Steps Toward a Pacifc Basin Communications Study

Improved telecommunications between the island nations of

the Pacific has been a long-standing high priority objective for

them. The development of international links between capitals and

the steady, though not rapid, economic gains in those capitals have

led to dramatic improvements in the urban centers of the islands.

Conversely, urban development has caused a reduction of

attention to rural development, and as the gap widens between the

two, governments have been required to refocus their attention on

rural issues. Health services, education, agricultural and other

economic development, disaster warning and relief are all aspects of

rural development requiring attention that cannot be provided adequately

until rural telecommunications links are substantially improved.

1.1.1 Political Background

At their meeting as the Pacific Forum in Wellington in

1971, the prime ministers of the region discussed the inadequacy

of telecommunications within the region. Indeed, its limitations

had curtailed their ability to plan the very meeting at which

they were discussing the issue. From the outset, then, the political

importance of telecommunications was established.

In 1972, the governments requested and received UNDP(ITU*

financial and technical assistance; and with the establishment of the

South Pacific Bureau for Economic Cooperation (SPEC), the action arm

*UNDP/ITU--United Nations Development Program/International

Telecommunications Union
-Rof the Pacific Forum, in 1973, the prime ministers agreed that

because both economic and social development were hampered by lack

of efficient telecommunications, it was essential to provide an

adequate telecommunications network in the region. The Forum charged

SPEC with assisting in the coordination of the development of

regional telecommunications. Since 1973 annual regional meetings

have been convened by SPEC for the governments to review progress

and plan further development of telecommunications in the region.

By June of 1981, twelve island entities had been linked

internationally by satellite through INTELSAT. An earth station is

planned for each of the four states of the Federated States of

Micronesia and also for the Republic of Belau.

In the face of these dramatic achievements, deficiencies in

national or domestic networks, particularly in rural communication,

are all the more glaring.

Analysis by the International Telecommunication Union South }

Pacific Regional Project has revealed that these deficiencies--deficiencies in management structures of telecommunications authorities,

in technical and commercial planning expertise, in operation and

maintenance and in skilled and experienced staff--are a direct

result of the need by the governments to provide modern and adequate

telecommunications within a very short time scale Y

4NDP Project Document: "Development of Telecommunications in the

South Pacific. Starting date January 1, 1982. 11 UNDP/ITU,

Suva, Fiji: 1981.
..

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The ITU also found that the region has only fifteen local

graduate telecommunications engineers and that fourteen of them live

either in Papua New Guinea or Fiji. Constraints on human resources,

they maintain, are unequalled elsewhere in the world.

1.1.2 Call for Assistance

Thus, the Pacific Forum meeting of prime ministers in Kiribati

in 1980, recognizing as an essential criterion to the common national goal

for all the countries the development of their rural areas, again stressed

the need for improved rural telecommunications. Realizing that collectively

the countries could benefit from developments in both satellite and earth

station technology, the prime ministers directed SPEC to advise potential

satellite space segment providers (including those in Australia, the United

States, Japan and the European Economic Community) that the Pacific island

countries would be interested in sharing satellite use with them.

1.1.3 United States Study

The appropriate United States agencies, including NASA and the

National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of the

Department of Commerce took cognizance of the prime ministers' interest.

Also, NASA was concerned about what type of system would provide follow-on

to ATS-1, how communications satellites in the 30/20 GHz band might be used

for service in the Pacific, and how a possible cooperative project with

Canada involving experimental mobile satellite communications could benefit

at least some entities in the Pacific Basin. Given these concerns and interests,

NASA and NTIA decided to investigate rural telecommunications in the region.

They requested a description of those communications systems already in place

and a projection of what would be desirable. They stressed the need to assess

1
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user requirements. Only from such a needs definition could suitable

communications system designs be developed.

1.1.4 Public Service Satellite Consortium (PSSC)

A contract was awarded to the Public Service Satellite Consortium

of Washington, D.C., a private, non-profit, membership based organization

that provides a variety of services, including contract research. PSSC's

more than 100 members include representative organizations in the fields

of health care, education, library services, religion, public broadcasting

and state government. These members, which are not affiliated with the

United States Government, share a common interest in the uses of satellite

technolog y for public benefits. They created the PSSC in 1975 to act as

an aggregator of services and their representative. Since that time, the

PSSC has participated in a NASA/Department of the Interior study concerning

"Determination of Societal Needs of Micronesia," has consulted on the

AID Rural Satellite Program, and has engaged in technical assistance to

AID and the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji. The Consortium

has provided coordination of services on both ATS-1 and ATS-6 in serving

the Pacific Basin.

1.1.5 Definition of the Pacific Basin

For the purposes of this study, the Pacific islands include

the coral atolls and high, volcanic islands between the Asian mainland

and North and South America, excluding Australia and New Zealand except

wherein their policies might affect Pacific island populations.

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Included are the island groups whose indigenous populations are

Polynesian, Micronesian and Melanesian. The Philippines, Indonesia,

Hawaii, the Galapagos (Ecuador), and Easter Island (Chile) are excluded. Lord Howe and Norfolk Island telecommunications needs are

viewed as met by Australia. Although needs of those respective

entities were not studied, cognizance was taken of existing or

planned communications systems serving them and especially insofar

as these systems could be seen to interface eventually with the

communications systems in the Paficic Basin.

The definition of the Pacific islands used here includes:

American Samoa, the Cooks, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati,

Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands,

the Tokelaus, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna Islands,

and Western Samoa. The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, once

the compact terminating the Trusteeship has been signed, approved by

Congress, and reconfirmed by plebescite, will result in four separate

entities: the Republic of Belau, the Commonwealth of the Northern

Marianas, the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia,

which includes the States of Yap, Truk, Ponape, and Kosrae. These

new entities are treated separately although decisions and control

in telecommunications still lie with the presidentially-appointed

High Commissioner of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.

1.2 The Emergence of Pacific Island States

The fact that there is so vastly much more ocean than there

are islands in the Pacific has been the major and most obvious

a
-a_

deterrent to development in the island region. Because each island

group has emerged from a unique historical context and has been

greatly influenced by one of the metropolitan powers, links have

been from island to colonial power, while intra-regional, traditional

island to island links have been neglected. Regional development

has been slow--impeded by inadequate regional transportation and

communication systems. Until recently, direct travel between the

U.S.-administered islands of the central Pacific and the major South

Pacific capitals was impossible. The deep grooves of communication

and transportation networks between islands and metropolitan centers

obliterate, in contrast, the thin, tentative lines that represent

Inter-island routes.

1.2.1 The Chronology of Independence

In the 1960's, Western Samoa and Nauru joined the Kingdom of

Tonga as independent Pacific states, meanwhile, the U.S. rapidly increased its fiscal commitments in manpower development and upgrading

of the infrastructure of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.

Fiji followed Nauru in 1970, and in the past decade Papua New Guinea,

Kiribati, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu have also gained

independence. The termination of the Trusteeship Agreement is imminent; a draft compact was initiated in November, 1980, and the four

entities have chosen the forms of their governments. Niue and the

Cooks have stable, permanent relationships with New Zealand while

they are internally self-governing.
-9-

1.2.2 Regionalism and Telecommunications

The emergence of these individual island states has brought

the increased interest of international agencies in their development and in the quality of life for their people. Likewise, a strong

sense of a need for Pacific regionalism in several areas has

developed. As individual entities gain a more exact sense of

themselves, they become less quick to view regional cooperation in

fishing, shipping, air routes and communications as detrimental to

I.

their own national development. Communication is crucial among these.

Indeed, regionalism and internationalism are keys to these islands'

full participation in Today's world.

For the purposes of an outsider's understanding, the considerable task of sorting out the Pacific can be made less complicated.

An outsider's sense of scale must be diminished in one sense while

expanded to the limits of the imagination in another. The numbers of

people are tiny, services are few, GNPs and GDPs are minuscule. It

might be helpful to envisage these entities as "states" and the

Pacific region as the "nation" with well-articulated "national" goals.

But this region has no contiguous states. The island jurisdictions are separated by hundreds--more usually, thousands--of

miles of ocean. Looking at the Pacific, the observer must dismantle

a notion of inter-state highways, mentally replacing them with

inefficient, costly shipping and air routes. Add to this the

unpredictability of destructive ocean storms, the fact that the local

languages of each entity are different, the currencies vary and that

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(+'Y

generations of separation—caused by nervous colonial powers--have

resulted in a measure of uneasiness between the states. Reliance

on imported foods and fuel leaves economies drained of funds

necessary for the development of self-sufficiency. Too few skilled

people are forced to perform too many different, often unrelated

tasks. Human and economic resources are taxed to depletion before

development can even be planned, not to mention, implemented.

Such a scenario leads to the appreciation of the difficulties with

which Pacific island nations and their planners are faced.
2. THE PACIFIC BASIN COMMUNICATIONS STUDY

2.1 Approach and Methodology

One of the difficulties in resolving the telecommunications

needs of the small Pacific island countries is the lack of an adequate

description of those needs. It is common practice for needs to be

recognized in the most general terms, and then for solutions to be

sought from an engineering/economics perspective.

The approach adopted in this study has been first to identify

extant and planned telecommunications facilities and services, and after

finding out what services exist, to determine what it is that users

and potential users want and need from telecommunications. These needs

will, of course, vary from country to country, from state to state, and

from village to village. Furthermore, needs will change as development

progresses. Clearly, the needs for agriculture, for health, for education, for marketing, for administration and for social progress are

all matters of concern.

The project team needed to determine how the state of communications in each country affected the work they were undertaking. With

the aid of their findings, engineering efforts were undertaken to come up

with a wide range of possible solutions to meet the requirements that

have been described within the countries.

These three kinds of information: 1) documentation of existing

and planned facilities and services, 2) a description of user needs and
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3) a set of engineering options necessary to provide the required

adequate, reliable, economic services are expected to enable both

potential providers and governments with a clear statement of the

nature and extent of the telecommunications requirements for development, as well as to provide several options for fulfilling these

requirements.

After completing the initial task of compiling data on extant and planned telecommunications systems throughout the Pacific,

the project staff began a series of site visits to selected Pacific

island entities. A chronology of these visits appears as Appendix A

of this report.

The purpose of the visits was twofold. First, in discussions

with telecommunications authorities, the project staff verified and

updated the data collected earlier from a library search. Secondly, the

team interviewed government and traditional leaders and individuals in

rural communities in order to ascertain how the current condition of

telecommunications services affects the work of each of the sectors

in their efforts toward the achievement of national development.

The study emphasizes the needs of all those who use, or would

use, telecommunications services in their professional, personal and

traditional roles. Lengthy and numerous discussions with agriculturists

and others in primary industries, marketing and rural development, with

educators and health professionals, with staff members in national and

provincial state planning offices, with public works suppliers, with

traditional chiefs, elected heads of state and scores of others revealed
ings of the study to date.

-13-

that their overall development objectives cannot be met without consistant, reliable access to the outlying, rural areas of their nations.

A particular effort was made to spend part of each visit in

rural areas and on outer islands, talking with workers and officials

at the provincial or district level where the implementation of national

policies is required but where there is often no access to fast, reliable

transportation and communication.

This information on user needs and problems was compiled by

the project coordinator and two consultants. The technological data

was gathered with the assistance of consultants, including the project

manager of the UNDP/International Telecommunication Union South Pacific

Regional Development Project. Meanwhile, engineers on staff contract to

PSSC have coordinated with the UN/ITU to prepare possible technological

options appropriate to the needs detailed by members of the user popula•-

tions.

2.2 Users' Meeting

On June 24 and 25, 1981, SPEC and PSSC co-convened a meeting of

' senior government representatives from nine Pacific island countries

at SPEC Headquarters in Suva. A Summary of this meeting is included in

this report as Appendix B. The Users' Meeting, chaired by Dr. Macu

Salato of Fiji, reviewed the telecommunications needs of a broad spectrum

of government departments and other sectors of the Pacific community

involved in rural development. Members of the PSSC staff, consultants

and the ITU project manager presented the representatives with the find-
-14-

In summary, the meeting confirmed that the planning and implementation of all aspects of rural development in the region, including health,

education, agriculture, pr)mary industries, transportation, etc., would

benefit significantly from improved telecommunications.

In particular, the meeting covered the various types of services

which could be made available for a wide range of user applications.

Particular emphasis at the meeting was given by the Pacific island representatives to the problems of human resources and training for the application

of any new technology. Phis issue is discussed in sections 4.2.5 and

5.4 of this report.

The most critical need is for a basic two-way emergency warning

signal between remote sites and urban centers. Then, the most pervasive

priority is for improved and extended telephone services. Beyond basic

telephony and telegraphy, other services which were noted as particularly

desirable included: 1) simple conferencing by telephone, 2) integrated

services for mobile and fixed land, marine and possibly air interconnection,

3) improved communications for marine resources management (including

surveillance) and 4) data, facsimile and other services.

The meeting concluded that PSSC should continiie to investigate

thoroughly the alternative United States-provided satellite options which

appear to give an opportunity to rapidly resolve rural telecommunications

problems and to provide the required flexibility of utilization across

the region. The representatives stressed that national requirements of

each individual island state must be met on any jointly used satellite.

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2.3 Phase I Report Description

The Phase I Report which was largely compiled from material

available in the library of the Public Service Satellite Consortium,

the Pacific Collection of the University of Hawaii Library and the

UN/ITU office in Suva was completed in December, 1980, and submitted

to NASA's Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications and the National

Telecommunications and Information Administration of the U.S. Department

of Commerce. The report contains the following sections:

1. Definition of the Pacific Region

2. The Emergence of the Pacific Island States

3. Regionalism

4. Pacific Island Telecommunications Needs

5. International Telecommunication Union Summary of Radio,

Cable and Satellite Use

6. Tables I through VIII

7. Cables Servicing the Pacific Area

8. Existing Satellite Capability

9. Pacific Island Departments of Communications

10. Telephony

11. 1980 Tariffs and Traffic: Telephone, Telex, Telegraph

12. Broadcasting

13. Appendices with Information on Rim Countries

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3. COUNTRIES AND OTHER JURISDICTIONS VISITED

Several island nations and other jurisdictions were chosen

for visits after 1) a survey of twenty-five Pacific island specialists

i

world-wide, 2) consultation with ITU and SPEC officials in Suva,

3) a realistic assessment of airline schedules and fares and 4) receiving permission from each government to visit that particular country,

3.1 Islands Visited

t

In January and February of 1981, Project Coordinator Jane Hurd a

and former PSSC President John Witherspoon visited American Samoa,

Western Samoa, Niue and the Cook Islands, Hurd traveled to New Zealand

and Fiji for consultation with government, ITU and SPEC officials before

returning to Washington. In March, Hurd visited Aitutaki and Mangaia,

outer islands in the Cooks, and was joined by consultant Joan Abramson

and ITU South Pacific Regional Telecommunication Development Project Mani

ager Graham Davey for visits to Fiji (Viti Levu and Vanua Levu), Vanuatu, I

I

the Solrxnn Islands (Guadalcanal and Malaita) and Papua New Guinea (Port

Moresby, Goroka, Kainantu and Kundiawa.)

In May, June and July, Hurd, Abramson and Davey visited the

Federated States of Micronesia (Ponape), the Republic of Belau (Koror

and rural Babelthuap), made a courtesy visit to the Governor of Guam,

visited the Republic of Nauru and the Kingdom of Tonga. A schedule of

visits and interviews is contained in Appendix A.

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3.2 Descriptions

The brief descriptions that follow include information on

Kiribati and Tuvalu as well as on the island entities visited by

the research team. Additional details on economics in the Forum

countries (except Australia and New Zealand), taken from "Coping with

Crisis: Disaster Preparedness and Rehabilitation the Pacific Way,"

a project of the Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center,

Honolulu, Hawaii, with assistance from USAID's Office of Foreign

Disaster Assistance, are contained in Appendix C. More detail ,d information cn interviews in the countries is presented throughout section

four.
4^ I.

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3.2.1 American Samoa

American Samoa consists of the islands of the Samoan

group that lie east of the 171st meridian of west longitude

and at 14 degrees south latitude. The administrative center,

Pago Pago, lies on the high volcanic island of Tutuila. Aunuu

lies nearby. Ofu, Olosega and Tau are in the Manua Group,

and tiny uninhabited Rose Atoll lies to the east.

Area: 75.68 square miles

Population:

Political status:

32,395 (1980 census)

30,000+(appx.) Tutuila

1,500 ((appx.)) Manu'a

Unincorporated territory of the

United States of America.

Office of Communications

Office of Communications

Office of Communications

(COMSAT)

International airport at Tafuna,

Tutuila

Ta'u(small privately built a-Irport)

Ofu (small government strip)

Telecommunications

authorities:

Administration

National carrier

International carrier

Air Service:
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3,2.2 Republic of Belau (Palau)

The Republic of Belau stretches northeast to southwest

between 7 degrees and 2 degrees north latitude and between 130

and 135 degrees east longitude, The capital, Koror, is a small

island connected by a bridge with Babelthuap, the largest island

in the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Palau is currently

a district of the Trust Territory. After the termination of the

trusteeship agreement, and the Compact of Free Association is

approved by all parties, the Republic of Belau will be selfgoverning in free association with the United States of America.

Area: 177 square miles

Population: 12,177 (1980 U,S, Census)

Political status: see above

Telecommunications: Administered by `(rust Territory

Headquarters in Saipan.

Air service: Airport on Babelthuap accommodates B-727's
S v

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3.2.3 Cook Islands

The Cook Islands consist of 15 islands that lie between

8 and 23 degrees south latitude and 167 and 156 degrees west

longitude in two groups. The Southern Group consists of the

capital, Rarotonga, on which over half the population resides,

Aitutaki, Mangaia, Atiu, Mauke, Mitiaro; the Northern Group, all

atolls, includes Manihiki, Rakahanga, Pukapuka and Penrhyn. Most

of the Southern Group are high volcanic islands. (Mangaia is a

true makatea.)

Area:

Population:

Aitutaki

Mangaia

Rarotonga

Political Status:

Telecommunications

authorities:

Administration

National carrier

International carrier

88 square miles

18,128+(1976 data in PIY 1981)

2,500- 1981)

1 1 336 1981; compared with

1800 in 1976)

9,806 (1976 data in PIY 1981)

Self-governing in free association

with New-Zealand.

Ministry of Post and Telecommunications.

Post and Telecommunications

Department

Cable and Wireless, Ltd.

Air Service: US-built WWII airfield at Aitutaki,

coral strip at Mangaia. Seven

islands without airstrips. Only

Manuaia in the southern group lacks

a strip, Only Penrhyn in the

northern group has one. Interna,

tional jet airport at Rarotonga,

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3.2.4 Federated States of Micronesia

The Federated States of Micronesia, consisting of

Ponape, Truk, Yap and Kosrae Districts of the Trust Territory

of the Pacific Islands, lies between the equator and 10 degrees

north latitude and 137 and 163 degrees east longitude. Once

the trusteeship agreement is terminated and the Compact of Free

Association is approved by all parties and signed by the President

of the United States, the Federated States of Micronesia will

R

become a self-governing entity in free association with the United

k

States. The districts become states under free association. The

capital of the Federated states is in the town of Kolonia on Ponape,

r,

.'^ although plans are underway to move the capital 7 miles from its

current site to Palikir.

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c

Truk 45

Yap 46

Kosrae 41

Population: Ponape 22,3192/

Truk 37,742

4

Yap 8,172

Kosrae 5,522

TOTAL: 73,755

Telecommunications:

Under jurisdiction of the Department of Communications, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.

Some authority will be transferred on October 1,

1981.

Air Service: International airport on Ponape; the domestic airports on Moen, Truk and in Yap all serve B•-727s.

Kosrae has air service by small plane.

r 33rd Annual Report, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, May 1981.

1980 U.S. Census.

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4

3.2.5 Fiji

The 320 islands of Fiji lie between 15 and 20 degrees south

latitude and 177 and 175 degrees east longitude. The capital, Suva,

t

is on Viti Levu. Most islands are high, volcanic while there are

r'

many small, coral atolls.

Area: 7,055.55 square miles

Population: 6120046 (1978 estimate from PIY"1981)

Approximately 90% of the population live

a on Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.1/

Suva 63,628

T Lautoka 22,672

'g Nadi 6,938

Vatukoula 6,425

' Ba 5,917

Nausori 5,262

Labasa 4,328

la: Rakiraki 3,755

r: Navua 20568

Political status: Independent, 1970. Member of the

Commonwealth.

Telecommunications authorities:

Administration Posts and Telecommunications Department

4 Ministry of Works and Communications.

National carrier Posts and Telecommunications Department.

•; International

carrier FINTEL (Fiji International Telecommunications, Ltd.)

Air service: International airport at Nadi capable of

servicing wide-bodied aircraft.

Nausori Airport near Suva services jets

and smaller planes/ Vanua Levu has airports at Labasa and Savusavu.

Five other islands have government airs? strips and there are 6 privately owned

f: airstrips.

.I

1/USAID Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, Fiji: A Country Profile,

ii l page 21.

Y v 2/II Coping With Crisis: Disaster Preparedness and Rehabilitation the

Pacific Way," East-West Center Pacific Islands Development Program,

>i Honolulu, Hawaii; Angela Franco and Michael Hamnett; in preparation,

1981.

*Pacific Islands Yearbook

P
3.2.6 Kiribati

Kiribati consists of 17 Gilbert islands, the 8 Line islands

and the 8 Phoenix islands. They spread over more than one

million square ocean miles from Ocean (Banaba) Island east

to the Lines. The main group, the Gilberts, straddle the

equator just west of the international dateline lying northwest to southeast. They are situated between 4 degrees

north and 3 degrees south latitude and 172 and 177 degrees j

E, east longitude. All except the 265 foot high Banaba, are

s; low flat, coral atolls with a maximum altitude of 12 feet.

30 of the islands are inhabited; 3 are not.

Area: 264 square miles

r,

Population: 56,452 (1978 in PIY 1981)

Over 17,000 on Betio and

e Tarawa in Tarawa atoll.

Political Status: Independant in 1978; member

of the Commonwealth.

p,

! Telecommunications: j

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Adminstration Ministry of Communications & Works

National carrier Telecommunications Division

International carrier Telecommunications Division

Air Service: Boniki International Airport at

Tarawa and eight other airfields.

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3.2.7 Nauru

The Republic of Nauru is a single raised atoll located

30 miles south of the equator at 166 degrees east longitude.

Area: 274.5 square miles

Population: 7,200 (1981 local estimate)

4 1 000 Nauruans approximately

Political Status: Independent in 1968; associate member

of the Commonwealth.

Telecommunications

Administration

National carrier

International

carrier

Air Service:

Department of Telecommunications

Department of Telecommunications

Department of Telecommunications

Nauru International Airport services

Air Nauru
xv.

:

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3.2.8 Niue

Niue is a single uplifted coral atoll located at

19 degrees south latitude and 169 degrees west longitude

with its administrative center at A1ofi.

Area: 99.62 square miles

Population: Fewer than 4,000. Census underway 1981.

Political status: Free association with New Zealand;

internal self-government.

i

Telecommunications:

Administration Department of Telecommunications

National carrier Department of Telecommunications

International

carrier Department of Telecommunications

Air service: Hanan International Airport
-26-

3.2.9 Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea consists of the eastern half of

New Guinea, second largest island in the world, the islands

of New Britain, Bougainville, New Ireland and several groups

of off-shore islands to the north, east and south of New

Guinea.

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Area: 178,490.5 square miles

Population 3,016,000 (1980 census)

3,079,000 (mid-1979) SPC estimates

11% urban population

Population Distribution according to

Provinces: 1975

Port Moresby * 221,360

Western 82,930

G Ulf 65,240

Milne Bay 124,300

Northern 77,430

Southern Highland 210,430

Western Highlands and 558,680

Enqa

Eastern Highlands 219,110

Morobe 310,000 (1980)

Madang 191,570

East Sepik 198,370

West Sepik 131,820

New Ireland 67,200

East New Britain 109,190

West New Britain 80,180

Bougainville 111,580

Political Status: Inde pendent in 1975. Member of the

Commonwealth.

1 "Coping With Crisis: Disaster Preparedness and Rehabilitation the

Pacific Way," East-West Center Pacific Islands Development Program,

Honolulu, Hawaii; Angela Franco and Michael Hamnett; in preparation, 1981.

* Central Province and National Capital District.

3
X

0

-27-

3.2.9 Papua New Guinea (Continued)

Telecommunications:

Administration Department of Public Utilities

National carrier Postal and Telecommunication Services

International carrier Postal and Telecommunication Department

Air service: Jackson's Airport, Kieta and Lae all

provide international services

with hundreds of small airstrips servicing

the rest of the country. Regular service

is available at Daru, Buka, Goroka,

Kieta, Madang, Morobe, Mt. Hagen, Rabaul,

Wewak, Kavieng and Vanimo.
47

1 1

_E8_ i

3.2.10 Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands, a double chain of six large

islands and many smaller ones including Lord Howe and

Santa Cruz, are located between 5 degrees and 12 degrees

south latitude and 155 and 170 degrees east longitude.

Honiara, the capital, is on the island of Guadalcanal. Other

major populations are on Malaita, Santa Isabel, San Cristobal,

New Georgia Choiseul and Rennell.

Area: 11,016,5 square miles

Population: 217,000 (1979 estimate

Guadalcanal 46,619

Honiara 46,619

Malaita 60,000

Political Status: Independent in

Common,

in PIY 1981)

(1976 data in PIY 1981)

(1976 data in PIY 1981)

(1976 data in PIY 1981)

1978. Member of the

Health

Posts and Telecommunications Department

Posts and Telecommunications Department

SOLTEL (Solomon Islands International

Telecommunications Ltd.)

Henderson Field on Guadalcanal provides

international air service. Munda, Santa

Cruz, Gizo and Auki all have regular

service. There are a total of 11 government, 9 licensed and 2 private airstrips.

Telecommunications:

Administration

National carrier

International

carrier

Air service:

i

a
_29_

3.2.11 Kingdom of Tonga

The Kingdom of Tonga is an independent monarchy consisting

of three main groups: Tongatapu, Vava'u and Ha'apai, located

between 15 and 25 degrees south latitude and 173 and 177 degrees

west longitude. There are 162 islands in all. The capital,

Nuku'alofa, is on Tongatapu. Most of the islands are low coral

atolls while some, although few, are high volcanic islands.

Area: 289.6 square miles

Population: Approximately 100,000

Tongatapul/

67.576

Ha'apai

Vava'u

Nivatoputapu

'Eua

TOTAL:

Political Status: An independent

Member of the

Telecommunications

Administration Telegraph and Telephone Department

National carrier Telecommunications Division

International carrier Cable and Wireless, Ltd.

Air service: The International Airport at Fua'amotu

is on Tongatapu. There are five other

airports in the Kingdom.

1Y USAID Office of Disaster Assistance, Tonga a Country Profile.

L

11,144

14,735

6,650

4,420

100,105

Kingdom.

Commonwealth
u

a

-30-

3.2.12 Tuvalu

Tuvalu is made up of 9 coral islands which lie In a

northwest to southeast chain between 5 and 11 degrees south

latitude and 170 and 180 degrees east longitude. The capital

and main island is Funafuti.

Area: 10,001 square miles

Population: 7,357 living in Tuvalu

Funafuti

Vaitupu

Niutau

Nanumea

Political status:

Telecommunications:

Administration

National carrier

International carrier

Air Service:

800 in Kiribati

700 in Nauru

300 employed as seamen

2,191

1,269

866

842

Independent in 1978. Member of the

Commonwealth

Post and Telecommunications

Post and Telecommunications Department

Post and Telecommunications Department

An air strip at Funafuti accommodates regional service while amphibious,

planes fly to other islands.

6

9
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-31-

3.2.13 Vanuatu

Vanuatu is a double chain of over eighty islands

which lie between 12 and 21 degrees south latitude and 166

and 171 degrees east longitude. Its capital, Vila or Port

Vila, is on Efate island.

Area: 4,587 square miles

Population: 112,596 (January, 1979 estimate from

PIY 1981)

Urban Vila 16,604 (1975 estimate from PIY 1981)

Urban Santo 4,954

Rural 75,974

TOTAL: 96,532

Political Status: Independent in 1980. Member of the

commonwealth

Telecommunications:

Administration Oepartmeat of Posts and Telecommunications

National carrier Posts and Telecommunications

International VANITEL (Vanuatu International Telecomnu- j

carrier nications,Ltd.)

Air service: Bauer Field in Vila is the international

airport. Pekoa field in Santo can

accommodate ,jets. There are 15 other

airfields on 11 other islands.
^ai►l:

-32-

e y

Y

4-

3.2.14 Western Samoa

Western Samoa consists of two large high volcanic

islands and two smaller inhabited islands 13 and 15 degrees

south latitude and 168 and 173 degrees west longitude.

Apia, the capital, is on the island of Upolu. The other

large island is Savai'i.

1133 square miles

160,966) (mid-1979 estimate)

Upolu 1090000+

Apia 30,000±

Savai'i 42,000±

There are approximately 30,000

Samoans in New Zealand.

Area:

Population

Political status Independent in 1962. Member of the

Commonwealth.

Telecommunications:

Administration

National carrier

International

carrier

General Post Office

General Post tffice

General Post Office

Air service: Faleolo International Airport is

on Upolu. There is a domestic

grass air strip nearer to Apia and

two domestic stripy on Savai'i.

Western Samoa's Fourth Five-Year Development Plan 1980-1984., Vol.I.

Department of Economic Development, Apia, January 1980.
O

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11

/// 

I

-33-

4. DEVELOPMENT ISSUES IN THE PACIFIC ISLANDS:

THE ROLE OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The emerging Pacific island nations are engaged in a

three-tiered development effort. First, government leaders are

endeavoring to create a sense of national identity in order to

mobilize their people to work toward development goals within

the context of a unified nation. Second'y, altisi makers and

departmental officials are required to ensure that planning for

the appropriate training and utilization of human resources be

undertaken within the framework of national gook. ,And, finally,

leaders must encourage Die appropriate dive( ozit of scopormic

resources in a manner that will lead toward self-sufficiency and

national self-reliance.

Improved telecommunications are vital for pointing the

direction of these new nations in all aspects of their development.

The following sections on national development, human resources

and economic resources as they are affected by telecommunications

are based on discussions with government and traditional leaders,

business people and others in both rural and urban communities throughout the Pacific region.
-34- i

4.1 THE PHILOSOPHY OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

4.1.1 NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

"It is the policy of this government to equalize

' services, to develop entire provinces, to lift all

services as close as possible to the national level."

--A Pacific islands planner

e, The new nations of the Pacific are not easily unified. Typically,

{ these nations are made up of scores of far-flung islands between which

sea travel is measured in days and air travel is measured in hours. In the

larger island nations, mountains join the sea as obstacles to unification.

e, It follows, then, that people's identity is measured it local links rather

than in national or regional ones. In Papua New Guinea, over 700 languages

' are spoken by people representing as many cultures. In Ponape, Ponape

Island and five tiny atolls make up a state; each supports a population that

speaks a different language, and Ponape is only one state in a new nation,.

f

k '-

A concerted effort is underway to encourage people to see themselves as

„ citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, rather than of their own

k state, island or village. In an isolated province of the Solomon Islands,

there has been only one popular demonstration on the issue of independence,

Y.

and that demonstration was in noisy opposition to -- not in support of -- it.

Isolation's Erosion of Unity_

Section 4.2.1 describes the problems that isolation creates. Outer

island populations express little surprise at having to endure six to fifteen

week intervals between ships. These people welcome foreign fishing boats.

They pay little, if any, heed to the fact that the presence of many of these

boats is illegal. The boats carry supplies of kerosene, matches, cigarettes

' a
3Jul l7 •'

-35-

and canned food to trade for fresh produce and water, It is a difficult,

if not senseless endeavor to explain to such isolated communities that

tolerance of illegal foreign vessels is rot in the best interest of the

new nation. Since the development of the new nation passes outer island

residents by, they feel they must not let ships with essential trade goods

also do the same. Capitals and atolls, then, find themselves in adversary

roles; meeting basic needs is a stronger motivation for atoll dwellers than is

the desire to pursue the development of a national identity.

In some island states, populations that number in the few chousands

are divided into strictly opposite political groups reluctant to cooperate

on issues that require national unity. One Cook Islands official reported

that politics is played too hard and that since self-government, people have

ceased to cooperate in community work if they do not agree with current

government policy. In the Republic of Belau, the newest of all Pacific i

entities, people reported that those on the east coast do not know what

is happening on the west and vice versa. Those interviewed described the

impossibility of knowing common issues or of discussing national issues and

problems--an impossibility caused by nearly non-eristant rural telecommunications.

Communication's Role in Unification

Broadcasting, which will be discussed later in this section (4.1.3.),

is the major tool in the development of nationhood, in the establishment

of commonality. Broadcasting is used to educate and to inform. In the

Solomon Islands transmitters have been strategically placed so that every

island can receive national radio. In the Cook Islands, the impossibility
..,-

a^s

'.1

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r

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-36-

of reaching the remote northern islands and of maintaining consistent

contact with a Southern Group, closer to Rarotonga, led to the development

of a far reaching HF system in the Premier's Department, permitting twicedaily schedule contact with every island in the Cooks. In the Cooks and

in the Solomons, where the broadcasting of Parliament is considered an

inalianable right, people are informed of national issues. In the Kingdom

of Tonga, where the broadcasting authority is financially self-sufficient,

and where national identity is long-lived and stable, Parliament is not

broadcast, and the question arises of who would finance such broadcasting.

Longstanding colonial ties create difficult.ias in some areas

toward the development of a national identity. In Papua New Guinea, a

country of 11,000 villages, Papua and New Guinea were historically separate

territories with slightly varying relationships with Australia. The two

territories--separated by mountains--have developed at different rates,

and rivalry has been exacerbated by the use of Motu as the common language

in the south (Papua)and Pidgin in the north (New Guinea). These historical

causes are combined with the fact that some provinces are resource-rich

while the wealth of others is measured in human resources and a population

of educated elite. Teachers, furthermore, are not posted to schools in

their own provinces, a situation which has been divisive in the development

of the nation, Papua New Guinea, rather than binding, which had earlier

been anticipated. In Papua New Guinea the term "wantok" has developed as

an effort to have people see one another in terms of commonality taking

into consideration their likenesses rather than their differences.

Conclusion

Throughout Melanesia, the independence movement developed a momentum which, as it began to speed up, led people to realize that they

0
\' a

.;r,>..,rot ,M re^lvr+srre^ x' 3: rJd a;^Z'(.^^^^+usF^ ..

-37-

could not go back, even though--in terms of economics and infrastructure--

they were not really prepared to forge ahead. The equalization of services

in Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia is part of the thrust of nationhood.

Along with national public broadcasting, an improved two-way voice or data

link would go far to accomplish the unifying goal of establishing national

identity and cutting down the feeling of isolation. Several officials repeatedly pointed out that without the improvement of national communications,

the entire impetus of national development is apt to disintegrate. Without

an adequate, cost-effective and maintenance-simple communications system,

nation-building and national economic development will be stymied.
-38-

.c-c+^.de.,_Y=^mw,-rcwc€±^S}p?

yR^^...I

i

4.1.2 PLANNING AND THE IMPLICATIONS OF DECENTRALIZATION

"The national government here is the stepchild of

the states. Here, power devolves up."

Federated States of Micronesia

Decentralization

Throughout the Pacific, particularly in the newly independent

A"

nations of Melanesia, the issue of decentralization has yet to find

s adequate, widely-accepted resolution. Provincial, rural areas find

themselves pitted against central governments in an adversary role,

the primary reason for which is the lack of flow of information. Adequate

agreement on the meaning of decentralization is rarely reached because

communication is difficult, and dialogue on the issue is impossible.

Delegation and Devolution Contrasted

From the perspective of the central government, national planning

requires the kind of coordination only available in the national capital

where a larger, comprehensive overview of needs is possible. Such a plan

allows for the delegation of power to the provinces but presupposes tight

central control. Provincial governments, on the other hand, view decentralization differently. At independence, the rural areas--some very rich in

resources--anticipated that decentralization would mean the devolution of

power to them. That is, provincial officials expected that responsibilities

would fall to them that would give them the control to choose, prioritize and

fund the development projects they adjudge to be most necessary.

i

7
-39-

Typically, one ministry takes charge of devolution efforts. But

the threat lingers that that single ministry will get bigger and gain

control in more areas as the power devolves. Bureaucratically, the

management of devolution becomes complex. It is cumbersome because, even

though power is devolved, the central government does not easily relinquish

its consulting role and, at the same time that the province's power grows,

the central governmental department also becomes bigger. Politically,

the ramifications are also considerable. Members of the cabinet and

politicians in general worry that the provinces will become powerful, so

they delay and undercut attempts at development.

Clearly, it is imperative to make every effort for services to

reach every province, whether the power to do so is devolved or delegated.

Ideally, as described in the Federated States of Micronesia, states do

the goal-setting and the central government provides technical assistance.

In fact, there is little possibility of actualizing this theory because

the central and state governments have so much trouble communicating.

Rural Communications

Without adequate communications, it is impossible to hold a

province together, and it is impossible to speak to that province about

the devolution of authority. Devolution is proceeding well in the

Solomon Islands. However, communications impedes further development.

Communications is controlled from Honiara, the capital; for any interprovincial connection a patch through Honiara is required where the

operator changes and adjusts the frequencies. It is also important

to recall that in the Solomons, for instance, there are seven provinces

besides the municipal authority of Honiara, but there are 140

l"^l
_a

-40-

individual local languages.

Communications hampers efforts to get clear policy on important

educational-issues. The national government in the Solomons created a

traditionally-oriented post primary school system for which the control

of curriculum was central. The central government reported that the

program no longer exists and that schooling had moved toward a classic

British-based academic high school. Visits to one provincial center

revealed that the culturally traditional post-primary schools were

flourishing. Administrators explained that while the province cannot

influence the curriculum, it can determine the allocation of the budget

resulting in the emphasizing or deemphasizing of whatever the province

chooses. In Papua New Guinea 80% of the curriculum is the responsibility

of the national government while 20% remains with the provincial education

office which frequently stresses cultural information. Ironically, the

teachers are from other provinces and cannot adequately or enthusiastically

teach such cultural studies for which the provincial office is responsible.

The Role of Central Plannin

Whatever method a nation finally employs to attempt to equalize

services, attention must be given to parallel planning on the part of the

national and local authorities. The normal political difficulties this kind

of planning entails are exacerbated by inadequate communications. Roads

in most cases are the beginning of a market economy; cash crops must be

growing well before the road is completed. Shipping and health services

for workers must be organized. Planning between national departments and

field personnel parallels the work of central planning offices for integrated

t
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_ _>: =way

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rural development.

In Papua New Guinea all projects must be approved by the Central

Planning Office. The projects must be of sufficient national priority

for funding, even if aid funds are available. The Central Planning Office's

influence predominates only every five years. At the every day maintenance

level, choices and power plays are between Treasury and other departments. In one Pacific state, planning is done by departments, but efforts

to execute government policy are hindered by the lack of articulation of

any such policy by the government. Budgeting is willy-nilly, as objectives

and priorities are unclear. Such problems are magnified because of the

lack of communication facilities for improved dialogue. Similarly in

Vanuatu, all development aid is administered by the Central Planning

Office and distributed through Finance. Work on a five-year plan has been

limited because of the implications of political unrest and unclear relations (and, therefore, aid commitments) from one of the former administering

authorities. In the Solomons, government ministers are more integral to

the planning effort, and work with the Planning Office. In the U.S.

territories, care is taken to ensure that development is planned with state

involvement. A sense of insecurity or mistrust remains, however, among

state officials because of colonial associations from earlier Trust Territory-days. Likewise, the congressional adversary position is unsettling

to the new locally elected administration that had thought it would receive

cooperation from elected fellow countrymen.

Communications is vital to planning. National Development Plans

are largely theoretical because inadequate communications limits the ability
n+

-42-

of the rural officials to provide input into the very plan that

is intended to create clear objectives for services to rural areas.

Other Difficulties with Decentralization

In the countries where the devolution of power is not smooth,

provinces pass legislation but it does not become law and is not empowered with financial backing until national government acts. Functions but

not power are transferred to the provinces, and confusion and frustration over

access to power remains. In one Melanesian country when planning for the

development of the infrastructure for local councils was begun, communications was added only as an afterthought.

In one nation's case, ministries will not officially support development efforts in the provinces until there are three to four hundred

people in an area. While provincial officials might begin to create

an infrastructure, their efforts are not acknowledged or assisted by

the central government. This situation forces local people not to get

what they believe has been promised, or they are forced to pay for initial

infrastructure-building efforts themselves. In the Cooks, it was pointed

out, an agricultural worker cannot borrow from an employee of another

department the tools or equipment necessary for a project on an outer

island. He must notify the central departmental office in Rarotonga of

his need which requires lining up to get on the radio to ask for help

for which he must wait until the arrival of the next ship from the capital.

The problem of inequity or disequilibrium results in nearly all resources

being in the towns while government policy might say that uniform services

must be delivered to people in towns and villages alike. People in villages,

f! '

as is pointed out in Section 4.2.2. on health, begin not to believe that they
-43-

have a right to services that are available to their fellow citizens

in urban settings.

In one Melanesian country, the central government attempted to

give responsibility for fisheries, livestock and agriculture to the

provinces. This scheme has not worked because the provinces have been

unable to disseminate information to the farmers and fishermen, The

central government is considering retaining the authority it had intended

to hand over the provinces until communication networks are more

far-reaching and reliable.

Conclusion

Rural authorities often do not share the philosophical perception

of the central government. Improved communications is an absolute requirement for easing the psychological strain of their disparate goals and for

building infrastructures and providing services to the rural population.

But no matter what pattern a government chooses for actualizing its national

development philosophy, the goal is certainly to provide services for all

people of the nation on a reasonably equitable level. Unless an adequate

communications infrastructure is created connecting the centers with provincial

capitals and provincial capitals with villages, no national philosophy has

a fair chance of finding its way to meet the needs of all the people of

Pacific island nations.

U

9
4.1,3

-44-

THE ROLE OF BROADCASTING

"We're aiming at making people feel less

isolated and making them feel they are part

of what's going on."

--a Pacific radio station manager

In the Pacific islands, broadcast radio serves as a means of

transmitting information to

communications facilities.

cations needs cover a broad

ensure that broadcast radio

voice and data systems to ri

the region.

people who have little access to reliable

Throughout the islands people whose communispectrum have found ingenious methods to

compensates for the lack of adequate two-way

iral and outer island communities throughout

Broadcasting as a Tool for National Development

Wherever possible, Pacific island governments utilize broadcasting

as a tool for national development. In the Solomon Islands threats of

political disunity resulted in the rapid placement of a repeater at the

provincial center at Gizo to ensure that Solomon Islands Broadcasting

Commission's coverage would be nationwide. In several countries parliamentary

sessions are broadcast. In the Cooks Parliament has been known to adjourn

when technical difficulties have interrupted broadcasting of a session.

In the Solomons, by law, Parliament is broadcast and is viewed as "an

inalienable right of the people of the nation." In Papua New Guinea such

a notion is unknown, while in the Kingdom of Tonga where broadcasting is

independent, (See section 4.1.1.) only the opening and closing are heard on

the radio. As national stability is not at issue in Tonga, there the

9 n+
-45-

question of who would pay for the broadcasting of Parliament was raised.

National and international news are broadcast, typically,several

times a day in the appropriate languages. Overseas news (usually from

Australia and New Zealand) is taped and replayed. National news is

sometimes played up to five times a day in one language.

In Papua New Guinea radio programs originate in the 19 provincial .

headquarters. Ef^ch produces programs in Pidgin and in two indigenous

languages. English news is produced only in Port Morseby, the capital,

where it is of primary importance. In the Cook Islands one-half the broadcasting is in Maori and half in English.

In Papua New Guinea plans are underway to augment the present network with its education and training focus by setting up another commercial

network featuring sports, and popular music.

€ Service Message s

s' Personal or service messages are short,usually paid (Papua New Guinea

=3 is one exception), personal announcements of particular interest

4 to an individual, a family or a community which otherwise might not be

r^

accessible through existing communications links. Birth, death and

marriage notices, birthday announcements, festival bulletins, requests for

i

individuals to make contact with government departments (particularly

the post office for letters, packages and telegrams), and announcements

of unique individual concern are the most common. Typically, service

messagesare broadcast for fifteen to thirty minutes in the evening. In

a;

Fiji, people are said to tailor their time to be free to listen to these

' messages which are usually broadcast in the language most easily understood

's

by the person who is to be reached.

a

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-46-

In the Solomon Islands, 30Z of the messages are from the

government. The provincial headquarters of Auki, Malaita, alone spends

$400.00 per month on such messages which are sent by letter or by telegram

to Honiara, the capital to be broadcast. Officials reported that the

popularity of sivvfce messages at a given time is an apt indicator of

the state of the economy,and, more precisely, of the copra market, which

is often the primary source of cash income for members of rural communities.

In Tonga, personal messages, along with advertising and profit from broadcasting's small retail radio shop "keep radio afloat."

Other Uses

In Tonga, every church is allotted one-half hour per week

for a religious program. During the team's January visit to Niue, the

Government was about to undertake a census using Radio Sunshine in conjunction with an Apple II computer. In the Cook Islands the station

manager reported that the station is not shut down during a hurricane

warning, and he recalled a time when the station operated continuously

for four weeks. In some countries 30 second radio spots on important

issues in health, agriculture and education have been developed on the

model of a Western commercial.

Status

In some countries, such as Western Samoa and Vanuatu, the broadcast

radio facilities make up a government department; in others, such as

Fiji and the Solomon Islands, they are statutory bodies wholly owned by

4 ,

s'

d*A
_47_

the government, Some are funded solely by the government; others are

funded by the government and by advertising, and still others (as in the

case of Tonga) receive government funds 4Erjy through paid government use

of time on the air.

Agriculture

The difficulties of coordinating the transporting of produce and

other commodities to the appropriate market are discussed in section 4.3.

In Tonga, the Agriculture Department uses broadcast radio for transmitting

messages and notices to farmers. As a result, the farmers know the optimal

date and time to bring certain crops to the marketing site which has the

greatest demand for those crops. The Agriculture Department also produces

15 minute programs in its own studios for airing four times a week. Some

provincial governments in Papua New Guinea rely on broadcasting for pricing

and market analysis.

Health

In most countries health departments use broadcast radio to inform

rural communities of particular, acute health hazards, to tell them of

the schedule of visiting health teams, and to provide basic information

on nutrition, maternal child health, family planning (the degree of emphasis

depends on the country), and general preventative medicine.
U

-48-

&I

Education

Many national education departments produce fifteen minute

programs to be aired for teachers during their morning tea recess.

Some education officials reported that the primary benefit of these

broadcasts to the schools is to decrease the sense of isolation among

teachers in rural communities, especially in cases (which are common)

where the teachers are posted far from their own home communities. In

some countries there are also educational broadcasts to the schools

for students. English enrichment lessons' by native English speakers

are a particularly common program. In Papua New Guinea, school broadcasts

are aimed at teachers. The fact that they are produced by broadcasting

personnel, rater than education specialists, results in some difficulties

with accuracy. The Federated States of Micronesia stressed their interest

in developing broadcast radio programs to the schools, but they recognized

that such a program would require additional, trained staff at both the

broadcasting station and the Education Department.

Broadcast's Role in Transportation

Broadcasting assists w'th the announcement of both ships and air

traffic. A ship with cargo to deliver at a remote provincial center in

the Solomons, for instance, will contact the marine radio operator, who

will in turn call SIBC, and SIBC will announce on the air that there

is a shipment ready for off-loading. Likewise, points of origin, destinations, and arri-il and departure times of all international and most

domestic flights are announced on broadcast radio in most countries.

4

3
-49-

Problems

American Samoa's experience with broadcasting creates a unique

dilemma. For cultural applicability and local adaptation it is important,

education officials reported, to produce programs in Sam-- and in Samoan.

Yet, American Samoa must also try to expose and ready young ;jeople for

what they will encounter on the U.S. mainland where a great majority

of them go to further their education and some, to settle.

Another difficulty was expressed by officials in Fiji where the

Fiji Broadcasting Commission provides programming in Fijian, Hindustani

(over 50% of Fiji's population is Indian) and English. The FBC can draw

from India for programs for the Ind 4 ,n segment of the population, and it

can utilize programs from Australia and other Commonwealth countries for

English-speaking broadcasts, but no model exists for developing indigenous,

Fijian and Rotuman (a Polynesian-speaking outer island) programming. Without

committing resources to the responsible development of interesting, authentic

Fijian programs and to the training of Fijian personnel in production skills,

Fijian programming will fall far short of that which is available to the

other language groups. This example depicts the situation in a number of

countries.

Citing another kind of problem, officials in the Republic of Belau

indicated that broadcasting, which is the sole available means of making

public announcements, is limited to a ten-mile range from the capital of

Koror. In some countries there are interior communities that do not receive

the signal of broadcast radio. Where rural reception is not a problem,

communities are faced with the problem that programming is geared toward

L4)
r

-50-

the urban community and its interests. In many countries plans are

underway for the broadcasting of local "breakaways", local events and

local commercials.

Television

Television has reached Guam, parts of Micronesia and American Samoa.

(60% of Western Samoa can receive American Sawoan television signals.)

A foundation-supported feasibility study has been produced by a team

that visited Fiji in 1980; the results are under consideration. It is

not unlikely that such developments may follow elsewhere; but governments

are leary; officials realize that the impact of television is unrelenting

and irreversible. Both commercial and public stations operate on Guam;

private commercial stations operate in parts of the Trust Territory;

and in American Samoa there is a government station supervised by the

Department of Education which boasted the "world's largest educational

television broadcasting system in the mid-60's."IlToday, television plays

a minor supplementary role in instruction, especially in English, in

American Samoa.

On Ponape, tapes of network broadcasts from Los Angeles, including '

advertising, are aired. Residents reported that "at least it keeps kids

home." Education personnel reported a marked increase in English

comprehension. Local news has not been successfully produced because,

TV station personnel said, "it is hard to find someone willing to be 'on'

all the time."

!/Broadcasting in Asia and the Pacific, edited by Jonn A. Lent, Temple

University Press, Philadelphia, Pacific Islands by Ralph Barney, 1978,

page 299.
ra

Conclusion

Broadcast radio is an extremely effective, though in some cases

expensive, tool for development. Electricity costs in the Solomon Islands,

for instance, will have tripled in four years by 1981 due to fuel prices

and the use of larger transmitters. Virtually every sector of government

has made use of broadcast radio through messages and programs that will

provide information to citizens of the nation.

Broadcast radio is very popular; it decreases a sense of isolation and

help to fend off boredom. People will listen to it because radio is entertaining. Radio personnel know well that in order to create a sense of national

unity, national awareness, to educate and to inform, messages must be clear,

3 ^

relevant and enjoyable. While real efforts at upgrading will be required in

Micronesia, there is evidence throughout the island nations of the South

Pacific, that broadcast radio is successfully reaching the people in both

the urban and rural communities it sets out to serve.

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i

* 4.1.4 APPROPRIATE DEVELOPMENT: TECHNOLOGY,

HISTORY AND THE APPROPRIATENESS OF

SCALE

"We will use any technology that works

that can help to make things better."

Western Samoa

Is "new" necessarily "complicated"?

i

In the Pacific islands, as in other areas in the developing world,

a perspective on technology prevails in some sectors that says that if

a technology is advanced, then it must be risky; the concomitant fears

t

are that if it is advanced, it must be complicated; and a small place with

k limited personnel and funds will not have the resources to maintain it.

Developments in solid state equipment have minimized these sorts of risks.

' Indeed, advances in technology can lead to more simplified equipment.

r'+

Linear Development

Another difficulty is the prevailing notion that generations of

technology must not be jumped. If a new cost-effective, reliable and

easily-maintained technology is made available, resistance to skipping

generations of the technology is usually considerable.

Is it necessary to walk through every generation of technology? i

This is the issue of "linear development." Is it necessary to take intermediate steps when an appropriate technological solution to a need may be

found in an advanced step that is also proven to be cost-effective? The

needs of a particular community at a particular time are unique; and it

should not be necessary for the colonial history or the linear development

^f another area to be repeated if it is not appropriate to the particular

situation at hand.
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In Papua New Guinea airstrips predated roads in many mountainous areas.

For many people, airplanes are far more familiar than automobiles. Air transportation has been more appropriate for development than road transportation.

Vanuatu provides an example of breaking from the strictures of linear development. There, the recognition of traditional medical practices has become

government policy. Although western medical practices are well-entrenched, a

hop back to practical traditional medicine has been deemed appropriate and

potentially beneficial by national policy-makers.

It is entirely possible--and appropriate--to go back and forth without

reference to time or to the history of technological development. One of the

few luxuries available to island leaders is an array of choices made available

from the experience of those before them. It is often expatriates who obscure

the possibility of such choices, particularly since their continued presence

in a country depends on that nation's continued reliance on antiquated, difficult-to-maintain systems. For an expatriate to advise replacing such a system

would be to risk early termination because of the resulting adequacy of the

new system.

Thus, the development of satellite technology does not depend on the

completion of complex, expensive land-line systems. When engineers indicate

that they have all they can do to handle the development and maintenance of HF

systems which are increasingly expensive because of diminished demand, they

reflect a commitment to linear development without realistic appraisal of what

is economical or practical. Is it necessary to have a fully developed

terrestrial system before turning to satellite systems? Such thinking may not

be in the best interest of a particular island nation.

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The Role of Scale

Along with consideration of what is appropriate in terms of

choosing from all that history has to offer, technology and development

must also be appropriate in magnitude, in scale. Despite the visual incongruity such a scene may present, there is nothing basically incompatible

about a small, easily-maintained satellite earth terminal in an isolated

rural island setting, regardless of what level other aspects of development in the area have achieved. Indeed, the access to urban and other rural

communities brought about by advancements in telecommunications,will allow

for the more rapid developments in the rest of the infrzstructure and (as

described in Sections 4.3.1., 4.3.3., and 4.3.4. on the Management of Economic

Resources) increased opportunities for economic and social development.

Inappropriateness of Scale

Throughout the Pacific examples of inappropriate scale in development

abound. In Vanuatu, long administered in tandem as a condominium by

Britain and France, the entire bureaucracy ran in cumbersome duplicate.

On Mangaia in the Cooks enthusiasm for the immediate development of a pineapple scheme resulted in the cultivating of too many hilltop fields without

concomitant planning and development of an adequate road structure, harbor

facility or shipping system for the transporting of the crop to Rarotonga

for processing and export. In several countries ships were described as

too big and too expensive to service and maintain, running half full to

ports with tiny shipments which are insufficient in quantity for the use

of such ships to be cost-effective.

Appropriateness of Scale

In the Solomons, sewing machines have been made available to villages

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for handicraft industry development. Cattle have been introduced there;

and because these beasts were unfamiliar, they were introduced singly

with carts so that the people could become familiar with the animal

while simultaneously benefiting from them as a beast of burden. The

hope was that later cash income benefits of large scale cattle

raising would be seen. Likewise, in communications,not every village

needs an exchange, not every home needs a phone. A scheme with a centrally

located phone at a school ., or, as in Western Samoa, a health center, or a

telex at the Post Office, may be entirely adequate and serves the purpose

of introducing new technology at an appropriate level. Once a community

is familiar with the use and benefits of such technology, increased use

will create greater demand and additions to the system will be made when

they become economically self-sufficient.

Conclusion

There is nothing inconsistent about technologically advanced

equipment that is easily maintained and cost-effective in a setting that

is otherwise not yet highly advanced in its development. Nor is there

any immutable requirement that a community utilize technological developments

in the order in which they were invented. A developing nation has the

choice to use that which is available and economically feasible as long

as it will be of benefit and fits congruently into the nation's developmental goals. And finally, it is the responsibility of government policymakers and their planners to ensure that the scale of that which they

plan is appropriate to the anticipated needs of a nation, its urban and

rural communities.

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4.1.5

THE IMPORTANCE OF REGIONAL LINKS

"I am sure that satellite communication

would bring the Pacific Islands closer together."

Kingdom of Tonga

Regional links must be of benefit to the national development of

each individual Pacific island country; otherwise there would be little

reason for countries to cooperate.

Several regional organizations such as the Pacific Forum (the

Prime Ministers of the independent South Pacific nations), its executing

arm, the South Pacific Bureau of Economic Cooperation, the South Pacific

Commission, and various United Nations secretariats and agencies are

described elsewhere in this report. In order for there to be real improvements, new cooperative efforts in regional development must be implemented within the rubric of the existing international system. One interviewee described the Pacific as having too many agencies which adulterate

resources that are scarce to begin with. For nearly a decade the South

Pacific Bureau for Economic Cooperation (SPEC) has acted as the coordinating

agency, seeking to ensure that the plans of South Pacific governments in

telecommunications have been executed in a manner compatible with regional

interest. Although the main thrust of such efforts has been directed to

the improvement of regional (international) links, parallel improvements in

national telecommunications, particularly in the rural section have lately

been emphasized. SPEC also fosters improvements in other sectors of regional

development such as energy, shipping trade and some agriculture.

One major difficulty with regional efforts in development has been

that the smallest nations of the Pacific, some with populations as small as

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3,000 feel that they are not consulted on the directions of much of

the region's multilateral aid. These countries are reluctant to

express enthusiasm for cooperating on projects from which they will

not benefit. They point out that while their votes are of the same size

as those of the larger Pacific nations, the benefits they reap are all

too often negligible.

The Pacific Forum Line, for instance, reaches the tiniest of island

nations very infrequently, and while they do not receive the service they

sorely need, these smaller countries still have to pay costs toward maintaining the line. The costs and benefits are not shared equitably,

a

Another difficulty with regional cooperation is the similarity of

crops and other commodities for export. Each nation wants its exports

accepted by the other nations of the region, and by nations on the outside

without tariff, but they do not want to have to accept the crops of their

neighbors on the same basis.

Existing shipping routes operate to the disadvantage of the very

islands they are meant to serve. The Solomon Islands could send 200 tons

of rice per month to Vanuatu, its nearest neighbor to the east, but the

rice would have to be sent via an extended triangulated route through

New Zealand, nearly two thousand miles to the south, because the quantities

of cargo are not large enough to justify the dispatching of the large ships

between the Solomons and Vanuatu. Vanuatu, in turn, is self-sufficient in

a very fine quality of beef and has ample quantities to export to other

riations of the region. Nearly every country of the region has fruits

or vegetables that some of the others lack. Tonga wants throw-away

quality wood from Vanuatu for banana packing crates. The predominant problem

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is that a lack of adequate communications prevents the countries from knowing

one another's demands, and the lack of shipping routes with appropriate sized

ships prevent the development of regional cooperation in such areas as

trade.

Potential Regional Marketing Links

Other examples of marketing exchanges whose development would be

assisted by the development of improved communications are plentiful.

(See also Sections 4.3.1. and 4.3.3.). American Samoa sees itself as

the conduit of United States goods to the Pacific. In the Cooks officials

expressed an interest in U,S, diesel fuel which could be purchased in

bulk from Pago Pago rather than the more costly purchase of New Zealand

diesel in which they currently engage. Tonga exports albacore to the

Pago Pago cannery; and American Samoa has made it clear that it will

purchase whatever fish Tonga lands. The Cook Islands are looking into

small freezing units for the transshipping of fish from the Northern Group

(nearer to Pago Pago than to their own capital of Rarotonga) to American

Samoa. And a tourism ship this year boarded passengers at Rarotonga,

carried them through the islands northward for disembarkation at Pago Pago,

boarded a new party there, plied south and off loaded that group back in

Rarotonga, stopping at islands in both nations along the way.

A French lesson on the blackboard at a government office in Rarotonga

suggested a marketing interest in their nearest neighbors (and closest cousins)

in Tahiti. Despite traditional relationships, modern trading routes have

not yet been developed.

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Regional Cooperation in Telecommunication s,

Historically, there is a precedent for international cooperation in

the development of"telecommunica ti dn t systems. Areas of the world that have

had far less in common are looking to regional cooperation for the development

of improved national systems. In the Pacific tow cost, reliable national

systems are possible using combined regional resources. None of these

nations has sufficient resources to create such far-reaching systems on

its own. With such a system of improved , commuMeationi each nation would

know better what the others in the region had to offer it and the rest of

the world would have a better idea of what resources are available from

the Pacific. The outside world would also have a more realistic idea of

the needs of the area.

Such cooperation would provide a system from which each nation could

benefit individually. As a 1980 ITU document on telecommunication needs in

the Pacific points out: "Certainly good telecommunication assists good j

government; assists economic development; assists social stability and in a

compounding way makes it possible for the people, as a whole, to both have

and look forward to a better way of life. [A] breakthrough in today's

inflationary world [is possible] i f the countries of the region piol their

requirements and cooperate with larger countries in the application of

satellite technologies for the solution of their national telecommunication requirements. "!/

To date, 12 island nations of the Pacific participate in the INTELSAT

system. While the use of INTELSAT has improved regional and international links

dramatically, the smal l er nat i ons, where the construction of a Standard B earth

1f'Satellites and the Telecommunication needs of South Pacific Countries."

ITU.Suva, March, 1980.

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station has not transpired because of the inability to rationalize such

costly hardware given so little traffic demand,(or potential) are left

at a terrible disadvantage. Kiribati, Tuvalu, Niue (and as of now the

Federated States, Belau and the Marshalls) are not connected with

INTELSAT. While upgrading of their HF systems has increased traffic

considerably, the construction of Standard B earth stations for these

islands states may be prohibitively expensive at present, considering

the limited potential revenue that could be expected from such tiny

countries.

While on the surface it is reasonable to assume that an upgraded

HF system is for the time being adequate for places with such limited

demands, it is important to consider the linkage required for such a system

to operate successfully. Although the larger island nations to which such

HF-dependent countries are linked do profit from revenue from such traffic,

these larger countries have less incentive to properly maintain an HF system

than to pursue their primary focus: the maintenance of their own satellite

link, their international carrier, that carrier's relationship with the

national telecommunication authority and the nations' participation in

INTELSAT.

Despite the low volume of traffic, it is imperative that the smaller

countries have improved access to international links. It is likely, given

the increased ava'.abll'ty of high quality international communication in

the last five yeas ,

" she Pacific, that such access will, after this

current period of transition, be developed and become available. The small

countries should be able to participate in satellite linkage among themselves using small antennas. Such linkage would be accompanied by their

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being connected with internat'onal clsrynuniu, itlo sr..: cable and

INTELSAT facilities. Whatevor the c^olution,, lip&,.t e r ell` rt toward

the equalization of service is 3esirable to enable the smallest nations

of the Pacific--and, indeed, of the world--to pirtliApate more fully in

regional activities from which they might. benefit.

Conclusion

Along with regional cooperation in the creation of improved telecommurication for national benefit, the Regional Tel Training

Center in Fiji will help regionalize the vision of tomorrow's leaders in

telecommunications. The University of the South Pacific will do the same

(section 4.2.8.). Likewise, if the Pacific Forum Line can create an appropriately scaled (see section 4.1.4.) and regular, shipping schedule for the

region, nations will benefit from regional cooperation. Air routes to

promote the development of regional links for the benefit of the countries

themselves, riot for the economic or social convenience of the companies

of their former colonial guardians, must also be fostered.

The continued development of improved regional links through

shipping, air routes and telecommunications will provide the Pacific region

with a regional infrastructure from which individualized development for

national benefit can flourish.

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4.2 TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND THE MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES

4.2.1 TIME AND ISOLATION

"The best thing about the HF system ir, the agricultural

extension officers feel they are a part of a team. Even in

the Northern group, they don't feel 'like forgotten people."

Cook Islands

Time

In the context of developed nations, isolation is most often

thought of as a physical seperation that is readily overcome onca there

is a reason to bring isolation to an end. But in the context of developing island countries, isolation is inextricably bound with time and

magnified by the barriers of distance. People living on isolated atolls,

separated from sources of supply, medical assistance and news of events,

and having no reliable or rapid means of crossing vast zean distances,

suffer the dual burden of time and isolation. Without adequate means of

communication, the best they can do is to measure their isolation in terms

of time -- in terms of hours, or more often the days it would take them to

reach people who can supply them with needed assistance.

The Effects of Isolation

Perhaps the most debilitating effect of a lack of reliable communications systems for remote island dwellers is the sense of complete

isolation that pervades every aspect of life. Children may be sent away

to school and parents have no way of knowing or finding out if they are

well or if they remain in school. Food supplies sometimes dwindle. When

they are dangerously low, islands cannot easily order supplies or ascertain

when the next supply ship will arrive. A typhoon may hit without warning

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and there is no means available to inform the outside world of damage, nor

any means of calling for emergency aid.

It is this sense of total isolation that is perhaps the most difficult

for persons in developed countries to grasp: we simply cannot conceive of

the powerlessness--of what it would feel like to be so completely helpless,

so cut off from assistance when it is needed. And it is this sense of isolation,

according to one interviewee, which so debilitates people in remote locations

that they come to believe that they are not entitled to the kinds of services

town dwellers take for granted. This point is discussed in the section on

health, but it is well worth underscoring here as well: people dwelling in

remote areas with no means of communication come to accept death as the inevitable consequence of major illness or injury,, even when they recognize that

the same consequence does not exist for urban dwellers.

In recognition of the paralyzing effects of such isolation, the Jesuit

mission in the United States Trust Territory began a system of radio links

between mission locations during the early 1960s. According to mission priests,

the system was developed, in part, as a means of increasing the efficiency of

the missions, enabling each outpost to convey its needs immediately so that

there would be improved utilization of the limited ship visits between the

islands. But the major reason for the system, mission priests insist, was

that it helped dissolve a sense of isolation that had paralyzed many

mission activities. Even when the system was not in use, it provided

a sense of security that did not exist before. People simply felt better

knowing t h at, if the need arose, they could utilize the radio system to call

for assistance, seek medical advice, or merely to chat about mutual problems

or to exchange bits of news. The sense of isolation, according to mission

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fathers, was more than just lack of person to person contact. It was

not necessary to provide frequent travel for people in isolated locations

to keep their sense of involvement in an ongoing group activity alive.

While travel was of course useful, it was not nearly so important as the

provision of instant communication and the sense of security and involvement

that communication made possible.

The mission system is still functioning nearly 20 years later in the

Trust Territory. It now consists of a total of 16 radios: three in Belau;

three in Yap, six in Truk, including one located on a mission boat;

two in Ponape, and two in the Marshalls. The system occasionally is

able to work directly from Belau to the Marshalls. However, it is much more

common for it to function by means of island to island hops. Thus, if it is

necessary for a Belau station to contact the Marshalls, the message would

have to be relayed through Yap, Truk and Ponape with the spin-off positive

result of those intermediate islands remaining in contact with one another.

The system works currently as a backup for government-run systems in the

Trust Territory. Since the mission stations are mission—serviced and are

powered by mission run and serviced generators, they are not subject to

the frequent fluctuations in power that damage government systems. Experience

thus far has shown the system to be far more reliable than that operated by

the government.

Communication's Role in Diminishing Isolation

There is a general recognition on the part of most interviewees of

the importance of communicationsin overcoming the debilitating effects of

isolation in remote locations. Indeed, for those interviewees who have

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experience in remote areas, the point was driven home most graphically:

without communications,both personal and professional life becomes at

least partially paralyzed in remote areas. In the Solomon Islands, the

drop-out rate for people in remote areas enrolled in university extension

courses is enormous: people simply give up because they do not have any

contact or encouragement in their work. Program officials in women's programs in the Solomons stated that the worst problem they had to cope with

while doing field work was the sense of isolation from their families and

from co-workers. Their work would be easier, they said, if they could

contact headquarters or home. In Papua New Guinea, education workers

stated that people working outside the capital and the provincial centers

generally feel no one cares about their efforts or their problems. They

are unable to communicate with town centers, and no one is able to communicate with them. The result, said one education worker, is that "when you

go out, they pour their hearts out to you." They have found it all too easy

to believe that their work and their personal needs were going completely

unnoticed.

On Ponape, the importance of human communication was well illustrated

when the road between Kolonia and the Ponape Agriculture and Trade School,

some twenty miles away, was recently completed. Radio telephone links along

the route are almost nonexistent and until the road went through, communication was limited to infrequent trips into town by boat. With the road a

new phenomenon developed. As one interviewee put it, "The road grows bananas

and stores." The stores are mostly tiny and uneconomical to run. Yet an

effort by the Federation of Cooperatives on Ponape to provide wholesale merchandise to the store at low cost was largely a failure: the running of a

store, it seems is in part an excuse for taking frequent trips into town--

trips that are as much for the purpose of making human contact, hearing

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gossip and exchanging small talk as they are for picking up merchandise.

Indeed, on Ponape, one interviewee provided an example of the rejection

of a radio telephone link in favor of time-consuming and expensive trips

to town. He explained that while he had used a radio telephone for some

time he had recently turned it in: all his needs could be met during his

weekly trips into town, he said. The example was certainly unusual: however,

it could have been merely an example of the failure of inadequate and unreliable telecommunication systems. On the whole, more interviewees insisted

that reliable communications systems would reduce the need for time-consuming

trips to town, the gas for which averages 65 dollars round trip.

Outside World

While the most paralyzing aspect of the lack of telecommunications is

the sense of insecurity and isolation experienced by people in remote

areas, another important aspect of the problem is isolation from the outside world that can affect development. One aspect of this problem is

the effect on marketing of the lack of adequate information concerning world

tra.de and commodities. This problem is discussed in detail in Section 4.3.1.

bel^,,, Isolation from adequate outside world communications also affects

0o c-,,tion. In American Samoa, for example, the lack of adequate up to date

news feeds severely affects social studies programs in the school system.

'I In American affiliated entities, the problem of the lack of sufficient

t

j input from the outside world had another important result. In the Federated

rj States of Micronesia, for example, interviewees noted that the government

often lost out on available federal funds because communications systems

were inadequate and federal program deadlines had been pa'ss'ed.
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In general, isolation from the world's growing bank of information

is considered to be a serious problem by many of the government officials

interviewed. The information gap between the Pacific and the rest of the

f

r world is growing and lack of access to information is rapidly increasing

that gap. The uses made of information are certainly matters of national

choice, but access to that information is considered by many officials to

be vital if the Pacific nations are ever to be able to lessen the gap

between the information available to them and that which is available

to the rest of the world.

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4.2.2 HEALTH CARE DELIVERY

"Once a week I go to a community 15 miles away from

here where there is a nurse with no communication.

She's lucky she has a road."

--A rural physician

Providing adequate health service is among the basic national

goals of the nations of the Pacific. Health care delivery is hampered

in virtually all of these countries by inadequate communication facilities

leaving rural population with insufficient preventive and curative medical

services. Island peoples' attitudes toward the availabilit y of medicine

have changed. Whereas, in previous generations people had uniform expectations of a certain level of health care from traditional healers, Western

medicine has introduced practices that compete (if not conflict) with these

traditional methods. Worse, the development of hospital facilities

has been limited to urban centers largely because of the inadequacy

of infrastructure--especially of power supply--in rural areas to support

Western-style clinics and because of the inadequate number of trained

personnel for rural service.

As a result, a two-tiered system of expectations from health

services has evolved: people in urban areas anticipate and receive

relatively consistent, effective health care, whereas in rural communities people have come to accept death as an inevitable result of major

injury or illness. Doctors and nurses are unavailable to intercede with

emergency procedures, drugs and supplies are not readily obtained and
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referral from isolated remote communities to centers or on metropolitan

hospitals are complicated by the 'limitations of communications and

transportation.

Lack of Communications

Descriptions of rural health care from the 1950's from one of' the

larger nations illustrate the isolation and professional difficulties

caused by the lack of transportation and communications. There were no

roads, no airstrips, and few radio telephones. Messages were run on

foot or sent bobbing downstream in bamboo sections to be snatched out

of the river by any random person who might be able to read and who

might be able to track down the medical officer who spent 75 per cent of

his time making rounds on horseback.

While medical services have grown in size and sophistication in

urban centers, rural health assistants are still largely unsupported

by adequate communications and transportation. If an assistant needs

medicines, letters must be sent by boat and he or she must await a bureaucratic decision and delivery. In an emergency, it is in most countries

impossible to contact the hospital for advice because of poor or unreliable

communications, so the health assistant usually puts the victim in a

canoe or open boat and ferries to town for treatment.

People walk three or four hours to reach an assistant with a tenth

grade education who has inadequate supplies and severe restrictions on

means of communications with better trained health personnel. In one

state of the Federated States of Micronesia there is only one medic per

two dispensaries on the main island and one on each of the atolls

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4 accessible by field trip ship. When the health aides are away

from these posts, entire populations are left without even the

y'.

tt most rudimentary health care. In the case of the atolls, a health

7. assistant fetching supplies in town is dependent on the random

a erhadnlP of the field er.rin chin and ma y hP fnrrPd to 1PavP an island

community unattended for well over a month.

s In Micronesia, inadequate radio communications on an outer island

led to the death of one man and permanent blindness of several others

i

Y who had consumed wood alcohol. Immediate medical advice by voice or

data may have spared this death and possible reduced the severity of

N

c

r. injury. Likewise, a lack of communications hampers health education

E'

oprograms. One-half the children in a large Melanesian province suffer

from eye infection because of a parasite in the water. Information on

,r

r` prevention would spare some of these injuries and adequate communications

facilities would facilitate implementation of such a program.

In another Melanesian nation a medical officer who tours remote

villages every three weeks reports that the quality of treatment by

health aides and the health of the people are definitely affected by

bad morale. Such feelings are caused by a lack of proper means to

communicate with urban or even rural health centers.

C

Efforts to Overcome the Inadequacies

F?++

In the rural interior of one Melanesian country a doctor travels

once a week to a community fifteen miles away from his tiny health center.

The nurse at this station is without any form of communication, and agreed

with the doctor that she was lucky that she had a road. The doctor in

5M";
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turn reported that it was easier for him to travel to the base hospital

that is his back up than to phone.

"What kinds of communications improvements would assist me?" he

mused. "PerhAps if they would straighten the road."

Brotac;cast radio is used widely for health education and for

announcements about traveling health teams with prophylactic injections,

mobile X-ray units, dental facilities or maternal and child health care

teams. In one of the entities of the Trust Territory of the Pacific

islands, physical screening of small children is available by visiting

pediatricians through the Headstart program. But radio announcements

are not always heard by the parents of the target population and

letters sent ahead to village leaders do not always arrive. All too

often very few children are gathered for examination by specialists

this program provides.

Besides the limited relief broadcast radio provides, in Fiji

there is a twice a day schedule of special frequency radio contact

from sub-district health personnel to small widely scattered islands.

Another effort in which some countries are engaged is the promotion

of medical training as a preferred career for young people. In Tonga

four of the twenty-seven medical officers are about to retire. There

are twenty-four young Tongans in medical schools overseas and an ample

number of student nurses who plan to join the force of nearly two

hundred and fifty nursing sisters.

Reco gnition of the Importance of Communications

In all of these countries radio breaks for medical emergencies

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are the top priority ano the objective is to ensure that health

care reaches all people. Only in one visit with an expatriate nonmedical administrator in a health department was there reluctance

expressed to support a health network or dedicated circuit for health

needs. In all other nations such facilities were seen as essential

for adequate health care delivery.

A young M.D. on an isolated island in the Cooks said he has to

treat fractures "by guesswork" because of the lack of equipment and power.

Because of these limitations he would value consultation with other

physicians in town. Although his needs are top priority on the Premier's

radio system, there is tremendous pressure to wait his turn and there is

always the problem of the availability of those to consult at the urban

center.

Many doctors indicated that they would benefit greatly from data

links. In Vanuatu a doctor explained that such links would provide a means

of simple record keeping and could replace the tedious narrative reporting

on maternal and child health care, immunization, health education, family

planning, nutrition and epidemiology that outer island health assistants

are now forced to record, and send by boat. Doctors in Fiji anticipate

that such a system would be of exceptional organizational support and

would save time for nurses in the remote interior and on outer islands.

It would, of course, be of untold benefit for health planning and analysis

of current health care difficulties. Health workers in Micronesia note

that the ordering and inventorying of drugs and supplies would be simplified and speeded by a data system. They also point out that consultation

with remote specialists would be made possible by a facsimile slowscan

L! system.

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Amer , an Territories

Efforts in the U.S. territories to interface with the U.S.

system disintegrate because of inadequate communications. One

administrator said lie conducted a hundred thousand dollars worth

of business per month with Tripler Hospital in Honolulu, but that

because of limited access to direct communications, "Tripler never

knows we are coming." He is unable to obtain important Veteran's

Administration data and requires a link with San Francisco to do so.

This doctor described health as a consumer of economic resources. The

system, he says, wastes a good amount of money and the supply should

not be a bigger problem than the real needs. Because of faulty storage,

aging supplies and inadequate date preserving techniques, Medicare

threatens to cut their funds. Meanwhile, however, an inadequate communicationt prevents this hospital from learning of, let alone collecting

a Medicaide check which awaits them on the mainland.

Conclusions

There is general recognition throughout the Pacific region, of

a need for better communications systems if there is ever to be a

reasonable possibility of providing basic medical services in remote 1

and rural locations. Indeed, health leaders in many Pacific coup-

.

;

tries are beginning to realize that the lack of such communications

facilities is undermining existing efforts to upgrade service. Many

3 countries are currently engaged in efforts to promote medical training

` as a preferred career for young people. There are, however, twenty-four

young Tongans in medical schools overseas and an ample number of student

i

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f
-7Anurses who plan to Join the force of nearly two hundred fifty

nursing sisters. Additionally, a number of people pointed out

that the usual island medical education, which takes place at the

Fiji School of Medicine or at the University of Papua New Guinea,

is now often supplemented by sending medical students for advanced

training in western metropolitan centers. Trainees are exposed to

the best and most modern equipment and have at their disposal the

most sophisticated of back up communications systems. When they

return to their Pacific countries they become dissatisfied and frustrated with the level of medical service they are able to provide

without such back system: often they either leave the practice of

medicine or leave their countries to practice in developed countries

that can provide them with the level of support services they believe

they need.

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4.2.3 PUBLIC SAFETY: DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND RELIEF,

SURVEILLANCE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT

"If you think in terms of live:. lost, then it is not

too expensive to provide services.

Republic of Belau

Providing public safety services--disaster warning systems,

emergency relief, law enforcement--is considered by officials in most

Pacific countries a vital, basic service required of governments. Yet,

even these most basic of services are beyond the reach of many Pacific

governments because the telecommunications systems required to ensure

the functioning of such services are not currently in place.

Natural Disasters

In an area of the world where seismic activity is common and

frequent and typhoons are regular occurrences, it may seem strange that

there is no comprehensive, reliable communications system for disaster

alerts. Yet, for the most part, this is the case in the Pacific. Given

the limitations and costs of existing ground technology, Pacific island

nations simply have not been able to install adequate systems. Fiji, for

example, frequently suffers the effects of seismic activity: disturbances

in the Lau island group cause local emergency problems and produce wave

action that can endanger other islands in the Fiji group. Yet there is no

early warning system that informs officials on Viti Levu when a quake has

occurred and there are no tsunami *measuring stations along the route of

tidal wave

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possible seismic waves. Public safety officials in the Kingdom of Tonga

report that the country currently has no hurricane warning system: indeed, a

there is virtually no reliable communication even between the government

centers of the Ha'apai and Vava'u island groups and the nation's capital

on the island of Tongatapu. The Solomon Islands are frequentl y hit by i

cyclones. Yet provincial centers often have no advanced warning and have

no means of conveying warnings to outlying areas. Nor do they have any

means of asce-taining damage once it has occurred. These problems are

typical throughout much of the Pacific.

The consequences of a lack of adequate communications for natural

disaster warning are enormous: not only are officials unable to provide

sufficient advanced warning to minimize loss of life, food stores and

valuables, but also relief efforts are hampered and reduced in their effectiveness once the disaster has struck. In the Solomon Islands, for example,

a 1980 cyclone touched the Sikiana area on the southern tip of Malaita

island. Officials at Auki, the provincial capital, were out of touch with

the area for ten days. There are no roads to the area, wave action was

too high to send boats, and there had been no radio contact whatever from the

villages. Officials chartered a plane, but could only discover that people

remained alive: the extent of the damage to the area was impossible to

measure from the air. Nor could they tell if the people had food, water,

were injured, or had other acute needs. When weather permitted, police from a

nearby sub-district center walked to the area--a three-day trek. They found

that it had been devastated by three waves. Five villages had been affected:

their food supply had rotted, as had crops in the fields innundated by the salt

water. Moreover, villagers had lost most of their cooking pots, bush knives
tr

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and clothing.

Organization of relief for the area was also hampered by the lack

a

of adequate communications. Supplies and boats to carry them had to be

ordered and coordinated on the provinces l inadequate and frequently inoperative

radio telephone system and, once organized, had to be transfered to the

devastated area where there was no operative communications system to allow

officials to monitor fair and equitable distribution of relief goods or

to supervise the replanting of subsistence crops.

Similar problems with the provision of immediate disaster warning

and relief were reported in a number of other Pacific countries. In Papua

New Guinea, for example, officials reported that the provision of emergency

food supplies following natural disasters was extremely difficult: information about such disasters was slow in reaching officials and the organization

of relief was hampered by a lack of adequate communications system. Only

two months before the Papua New Guinea site visit, officials stated, 1800

people were starving in the mountainous Oksapmin region following crop damage

caused by severe frosts. Relief activities had been extremely slow and

ineffective.

Medical Emergencies

The same communication-limited ability to respond affects medical *

emergencies through most of the Pacific. In Palau, officials told of untrained visitors to Anguar who were forced to perform emergency surgery

without benefit of any medical advice and because of the lack of either

communications or transportation to a proper medical facility. In the

* See also section 4.2.2.
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Federated states of Micronesia interviewees pointed out that even basic

diagnosis was often more than two days away because of the lack of

adequate communication systems: patients must be brought in fo; such

diagnosis since there is no means of describing symptoms to uistant medical

personnel. But in many cases, officials point out, even the medical

evacuating of patients depends on the chancy availability of both communication and transportation: "If the radio works and if a plane or ship is

available, then maybe we can med-evac a patient, "said one official. Moreover,

even when all systems are functioning, which is rarely the case, there are

remote atolls that require a day or more to reach. Their remoteness makes

the provision of emergency medical consultation via telecommunications all

the more critical for saving lives.

Even within the confines of some Pacific urban centers, communication

systems are often inadequate for emergency purposes. In one such center,

hospital officials noted that it was not possible for them to have telephones

or warning signals installed in their homes. Though them were hardly any

doctors available in the area, even those who were on call could not be

reached except by sending someone by car or truck to bring them in to the

hospital. In another center, hospital authorities pointed out that there

was no communication between the hospital and the airport, which provides

the island country with its only international air connections. "We'd have

to wait for the big boom," to knuw if there were an airport emergency, they

stated.

Law Enforcement

In many of the entities visited, law enforcement authcrities are

officially responsible for emergency support during natural disasters.

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Yet enforcement authorities complain of inadequate police radio networks,

lack of funds for the purchase of communications equipment,and poor

cooperation from telephone authorities in the assignment of secure police

frequencies.

In one large Pacific nation, the official in charge of police communications noted that his budget "does not even cover maintenance" of

existing equipment, even though that equipment is barely adequate to

reach only a small percent of the nation's district centers. Mobile telecommunications equipment is simply unavailable, he complained,

+ i

In a small Pacific country, authorities noted that the national

disaster relief plan called for police to handle emergency support on a

24-hour a day basis. But national police have no equipment and must depend j

upon the equipment at provincial level communications centers and that

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equipment is often broken and inoperative. In another country, civil defense

personnel depend upon communication equipment available at local airports

since they have no equipment of their own and believe that the airfield

communications system, while not adequate, is the best they can do during

emergencies.

In one country that does have its own police radio system, officials

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complain that the system is inadequate, insecure and unwieldy. Police radio t

operates on single side band on frequencies assigned by the government telecommunication authorities. One set of frequencies is used to communicate

between provincial centers and the capital. A second set is used to patch

through calls from one provincial center to another. Communication, officials

complain, is at best frustratingly poor in quality. 1

i

The lack of adequate police communication systems, moreover, hampers

efforts at apprehending criminals, as well as efforts to coordinate disaster

(j releif and public safety during national emergencies. One common complaint, where

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single sideband radio serves as the majo r means of police communications, is

that th,a lack of security on police frequencies frustrates efforts at d

capturing suspected criminals. Another is that inadequate village communication networks produce enormous time delays between a crime and 'the reporting

of that crime to the police. In one country, police noted that the only means

of reporting crimes in one vast area was a system of three widely spaced

radio telephones that did not always function properly. And in another

country, where recant efforts to install more radio telephones for police

use were just completed, officials complained that lack of sufficient

budget had made it impossible to purchase proper air conditioning units for

one particularly hot and humid location. As a result, the equipment was soon

ruined: when the room in which it was housed was closed, parts of the equipment

melted. Operators then opened the room and found that the equipment soon

began to rust. In most of the entities visited police complain of the lack

of any mobile radio. One of the few countries to have any mobile units at

all used vintage World War II mobile landpack sets.

The result of these inadequate systems is that criminals all too

often remain unapprehended. In one country, for example, officials told of

a recent murder that was not reported for three days--the time it took for

a villager to wp lk to the nearest phone. By the time police arrived at the

scene the body had disintegrated and clues had vanished. The pattern was

similar in other countries.

Drug control is another big problem confronting many Pacific entities.

A number of private yachts trafficking in druy n- between Asia and the West use

remote Pacific island for refueling and taking on supplies. Even in cases where

smugglers have neen identified, the lack of adequate communications systems

between Pacific island nations makes apprehension virtually impossible.
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Authorities told of one instance, for example, where a yacht listed on FBI

computers as engaged in drug smuggling was in local waters for two weeks

before police were informed of its location. By the time police authorities

could respond, the vessel had disappeared. Other officials noted that

cannibus is often planted on remote islands by visiting yachts which

return months later to harvest it. Yet police have no means of tracking

the yachts.

Surveillance

Clearly some surveillance capability would be most useful to law

enforcement officials, both in the control of drug trafficking and

in the control of illegal fishing operations. Virtually every Pacific

nation has declared a 200-mile fishing limit and is currently licensing

fishing vessels that wish to operate within that limit. (Tonga is perhaps

one of the few exceptions: it has declared its intent to announce a

200-mile limit but has not yet set up a licensing system). The licensing

system represents considerable revenues for nations that otherwise have

limited sources of cash income: generally, licensed fishing vessels are

required to pay royalties or the equivalent of a percentage of the catch

to the country claiming the waters in which the fish were caught. But

without proper surveillance the system has become almost meaningless.

Lack of surveillance poses problemsin relation to both unlicensed

and licensed fishing craft. Unlicensed craft can poach with little difficulty--

the only threat they face is that licensed craft may inform authorities. But

this is hardly a significant threat since when this occurs they are able to

leave the area before police can organize to catch them. In the few instances
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where such craft have been caught, there has been significant benefit

to the island nation that caught them, both through fines and through the

confiscation of the offending fishing vessel itself. Moreover, if such

vessels could be discouraged, the fish catch for licensed vessels would

be likely to improve and the island nation would thus benefit from

increased royalties.

Without surveillance, even licensed vessels become a problem for

their host nations. It has become common practice for fishing vessels to

report their locations outside the waters of their host nations and thereby

reduce the amount of royalty owed. A fishing boat, for example, may report

to Belau that it is fishing far south of that country's waters. The same

boat may report to Papua New Guinea that it is fishing far the north.

Without surveillance, neither country can benefit from royalties and neither

can inform its neighbors of suspected irregularities.

Lack of surveillance capability also has implications for the

safety of ships at sea, including those vessels that are engaged in illegal

fishing or drug operations and would prefer that their location remain

unknown. Tales of wrecked vessels and marooned crews are surprisingly

common in many of the entities visited. In addition to the needless loss

of lives, lack surveillance complicated by lack of adequate communications

systems on remote atolls has in recent years produced a number of incidents

Officials in one country told of a fishing crew of 19 marooned recently on

a remote atoll. Atoll dwellers shared food supplies with the crew until

supplies became dangerously low. They had no means of informing central

authorities of their dilemma since their radio telephone had long been out

of service. They could only wait for the arrival of a supply ship that
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serviced the atoll at irregular intervals. By the time that ship arrived,

however, the island residents and the marooned crew were facing near

starvation. Additionally, hostility had broken out between the two

groups and there were a number of incidents of violence. Similar

Incidents were reported by authorities of several countries. All of

these incidents were recent, and all could have been prevented or

ameliorated had there been adequate surveillance systems for ships

at sea and adequate communication systems for remote atolls.

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4.2.4 EDUCATION

"We have pushed education to the limit and

that limit is communication."

Polynesian outer island

Introduction

This section and the three which immediately follow address the

issue of how a new nation prepares itself for participation in the

economic and social mainstream of a world on the verge of a new

millenium while preserving the unique characteristics that set that

nation's island population apart from the rest of the world.

The history of education for Pacific islanders has varied depending

on which colonial power has controlled an island group during the past 100

years. In nearly every case education for children, especially through

the secondary level, has come relatively recently. While missionaries

were quick to devise orthographies for rapid translation of the Bible

into the vernacular and equally quick to train considerable numbers of

the adult population to read those translations, such ideas as universal

or free education are recent and, in many newly independent island states,

have not been actualized. The following sections on human resources and

particularly on training reflect some of the reasons that such notions

are still considered luxuries, and, indeed, in some cases, are viewed

as incompatible with the national development goals of some countries

for the foreseeable future.

Communication's Role in the Development of Education

Education is essential in order for development to proceed at the

pace and to the level .policy makers and the communities they represent

$1,
realize they require. Education is a basic requirement in order

for students to be basically and appropriately prepared for training,

in the special skills that support their nations' development.

Education is severely crippled by a lack of adequate communication

between communities, schools,,curriculum planners and government

administrations.

Basic communication is essential to the efficient running of a

school. National broadcasting has long been an invaluable tool.

Communication with parents who send their children to town to board

with relatives or in dormitories, is only possible through broadcast

radio messages and letters which sit sometimes for 5 to 12 weeks

awaiting a field trip ship. Central education departments broadcast

mos5ages to principals, telling them to come in to town for supplies

or for information too complicated, lengthy or confidential to be

broadcast by the local station. Otherwise, central education officials

are forced to send messages by boat or by road; such use of transportation as communication is expensive and time-consuming. Often, the

response to such messages requires that principals leave their posts for

an equally costly trip to town. In most countries, distances and access

to most schools are too great for such double roundtrips to be a

reasonable means of communication.

Principals with relatively easy access to town reported that they

had to make the trip three to five times a week for the normal course

of business, and more frequently for emergencies or specific problems.

One principal indicated that such frequent trips were required simply

to gain permission from the Education Department for community use

of the school facilities for meetings, etc. The school is usually
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the center of a community. Typically, th r school building's roof is

the central water catchment for a remote village, and people congregate

at the water tank for discourse and information. Atoll principals

are required to wait for sufficient radio contact with the center to

get permission for credit at the sole local retail cooperative store.

If conferencing capability were available on a two-way radio, countless

hours and financial resources could be saved.

In several U.S.-administered territories, HEADSTART enrichment

programs for pre-schoolers, provide just that--an excellent headstart

for children before entering school. Nutrition and medical screening

)re among the particularly beneficial aspects of this popular federallyfunded program as is the cultural component which brings children into

contact with traditional leaders in their communities who teach them

chants and other cultural information unique to their village. Headstart programs visited in Belau have two-way CB radios which cut in

half the running back and forth to town, It is of utmost importance

for people in rural areas to know when the supply boat is due so that

appropriate crews of people can be available to unload it before the

tide changes.

One high school principal detailed the ordering of books. While

replies from vendors take from four to six weeks, elapsed time between

that reply and the actual delivery of the books is from six months to

two years. This same Micronesian principal indicated that while the

moving of the capital (and red tape) from Saipan to Ponape, a thousand

miles closer, has shortened the distance, and, he had thought, the

hassle of administrative tasks, it has not yet seemed to shorten the

wait for supplies.

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When officials in the Federated States of Micronesia were a

asked what kind of icommunications they had, they explained that they

can reach schcols by boat or by road. No mention was made--and this

happened in discussions with many other departments too--of telecommunications facilities because they simply are not sufficiently reliable

(when they do exist at all) to be considered a functional aspect of

the infrastructure.

In the Federated States, 60% of high school graduates go on

to college. This has been possible largely because of the federal

Basic Education Opportunity Grant program which, some say, offers a

great deal more benefit to the institution than to the student. Improved

communications would allow more constant and efficient monitoring of such

programs. Only 5 per cent of these students graduate from college. And

few are trained for the tasks integral to national development.

In one Polynesian country officials described the collection of

salaries. It is far too expensive for the education department to hire

a boat, so teachers catch rides to the capital or other centers and then

charge the education department for expenses. Electronic data links

would alleviate this problem, as would simple voice links which might

make other arrangements easy to accomplish and then to explain.

On one Polynesian outer 'island which takes pride in an education

system that includes a fine secondary school, communication is so difficult and transportation so further complicating, that two years ago

someone was actually sent to New Zealand to fetch and hand-carry back the

exams so important to the future of those students about to complete

their high school education.

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Another example of the com,ili;ations arising from poor or

non-existent telecommunications links was described at the Ponape

Agriculture acid Trade School which sends out over 10,000 letters

per year soliciting donations to sustain the school. Much of this

paper work, officials, felt, could be eliminated if adequate telecommunications were available.

Conclusion

The effects of telecommunications on education and of education

on telecommunications are cyclical. Myriad descriptions of the limitation to education that are caused by inadequate communications are

presented here.

Some of the students these educational systems endeavor to

prepare for careers will enter technical fields. There is (as described

in Section 4.2.3) very little in their experience or in their primary and

secondary education, that leads them to pursue any innate penchant they

may have for careers in technical fields, including telecommunications.

Students entering such fields must be able to rely on a sturdy basic

education in order to participate in improving the system which will

provide a means for further developments in upgrading the education

system. But, because of the limits of communications, the growth of both

systems has been severely hampered.

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4.2.5 TRAINING FOR DEVELOPMENT

"Development plans need to suit the place, the temperament

and the resr • irces - then relate to the budget."

Cook Islands

Introduction

The development of an adequate communications infrastructure

within and between the Pacific nations is dependent upon the retention

of a sufficient number of trained technicians to maintain and operate

such a system. The issue of training--especially technical training--

was raised repeatedly during country visits. Most of the new nations in

the area require the services of expatriates with certain professional

and technical skills. The manner in which such foreign nationals conduct

their work and relate to host country nationals was also widely discussed.

Lack of Technicall y Trained Pacific Islanders

Pacific Island entities face a crucial problem of insufficient

numbers of trained, competent technicians to handle the growing volume

of technological equipment in use. According to figures gathered by the

International Telecommunication Union, in the entire Pacific, outside

Guam, Hawaii and the French territories, there are only fourteen local

persons trained as engineers. They are all located in Papua New Guinea

and Fiji.

Communications technology is rapidly becoming easier i:i maintain

and service. The maintenance required is less complex than in previous

generations of technology: solid state devices are more reliable and

maintenance-free than the older, mechanical types of communications

equipment. But in order to maintain a communications system within a

country or a region, personnel must be trained to understand that

system and its component parts.
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Acquiring Technical Personnel

The solution must be either to import a parade of trained

expatriates or to train and employ people in the required technologies.

The first alternative--the importation of expatriates--is at best a

temporary solution (although it is the solution in practice at present

in most Pacific countries.) The second, apparently sensible in the long

run, is not now evident in most entities: local people are not being

trained in technological areas in large enough numbers to meet the current

demand. Moreover, because of the scarcity of technologically trained

nationals, there is a pattern of moving trained nationals into management

positions. While it may be politically essential to do so, the pattern

has the disadvantage of removing the few technologically trained individuals from professional work into administrative tasks. A vacuum is then

created in mid-level management and engineering posts. That vacuum, in

some countries, is filled by expatriates.

Expatriate Employment

Cable and Wireless, the United Kingdom company that, in partnership

with some island governments, handles much of the communications service

for the Pacific areas that were once affiliated with Great Britain as

colonies or remain affiliated as members of the Commonwealth, prides

itself on its ratio of local employees to expatriates: there are only

three expatriates employed at the new Cook Islands Cable and Wireless

office. They are, however in top management positions.

In Papua New Guinea, expatriates complain of a different problem.

Papua New Guinea citizens with only a few years of technical training

and experience are rapidly moved to top positions. A local citizen
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with perhaps four, years of engineering experience beyond his tertiary p

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training will be found in a high level management post in telecommunication while Australians with ten or more years experience are required

to work for that individual.

The situation in telecommunications is, in one form or another,

duplicated in much of tha Pacific. There are insufficient numbers of

trained persons to meet the demands of expanding systems and the gap

is filled by the employment of exr,e,triates. In some countries, particularly those where foreign companies (ofter working cooperation

with Pacific national governments) provide telecommunications services,

the expatriates sometimes form the top and the middle levels of management

and hold the top technical posts. Thus at many of the organizations that

provide international satellite telecommunications connections, all but

the lower level technical posts and menial posts are often filled by

expatriates. f

Reasons for Lack of Trained Personnel

The reasons offered for the lack of a sufficient flow of technically

trained individuals into the workforce vary with the individuals interviewed. The most officious and illogical reason--usually propounded by

expatriates with tremendous vested interest in remaining in the host

country--is that Pacific islanders are simply incapable of grasping technology and cannot by trained to become competent technicians and engineers.

In general, the older the colonial power associated with an island entity,

the more often this sentiment was expressed by resident expatriates from

that colonial power.
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Thoughtful persons--frequently in these same island entities--point

out that, while there is a great deal of talent and ability, there is, in

fact, a tendency for Pacific islanders to go into such fields of study as

teaching, management and the humanities rather than mathematics, science

and technology.

Why is this so? One Vanuatu interviewee pointed to the lack of

teachers trained in math and science: it is unlikely that many students

enthusiastic about advanced training in technology will be produced by a school

system with inadequate and reluctant teaching of these subjects. In other

countries people pointed out an additional problem: expatriates themselves

often fail to accept training as an appropriate part of their role. Where

expatriates do take training seriously there is ample evidence of technology

transfer. For example, the Director of Radio Vanuatu is a ni-Vanuatu (indigenous

personnel) trained on the job within broadcasting. Likewise, in the Solomon

Islands the expatriate manager of the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation

trained his counterpart during his three-year contract and has effected a transfer of his duties to a Solomon Islander who now serves as a system manager.

In Papua New Guinea the Posts and Telecommunications authority which

depends heavily upon expatriate technicians recently upgraded its system

for selecting and training telephone technicians, and is increasing its

output of locally trained workers.

The key problem almost everywhere in the Pacific, however, seems to

be an inadequate flow of young people interested in pursuing advanced

training in technological fields. The number of training institutions

available within the region has grown: technical courses are offered

at trade level in Kiribati, the Solomon Islands, Fiji and Guam. Basic

technical training is offered in the Cooks, Tonga and Western Samoa.

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More advanced telecommunications training is available at the Papua New

Guinea Telecommunication Training Center in Lae and at the Telecommunication Training Center in Suva, Fiji. The University of Lae,

as well as the University of Hawaii, offers tertiary degrees in engineering.

The problem, then, is not the availability of training institutions. ;11

It is, rather, the availability of students to

some extent there is also a problem in finding

technically trained Pacific islanders to serve

institutions. Since Pacific countries have so

departments are understandably reluctant to re

instructors, despite the long term benefit.)

enter those schools. (To

sufficient numbers of

as instructors in these

few trained technicians,

lease them for service as

Recognition of Training Needs

The important role of expatriates in telecommunications is

particularly noticeable, and the need to train local replacements,. is well

understood. Indeed, ..here is a general agreement among national authorities

that the situation is the same for every level that requires specialized

expertise. Real needs exist for more training in a number of areas from

telecommunications to tourism.

In Fiji, which is attempting to develop a stable, efficient and

profitable visitor industry, tourism officials point to the need for worker

training. Such training, they say, would assure the travel industry

of a supply of workers who could perform "hard and consistently" to

service visitors. Moreover, officials insist it is considered vital that

all Fijian citizens be, in a sense,sensitized to the value of tourism as

a source of national income so that they will treat visitors considerately.

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OF POOR QUALITY

The training of managers and finance officers is recognized as

crucial by authorities in the countries that make up the United States

Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Such training is of special i^

importance in regard to the use of grant and contract funds for U.S. federal

Iy

programs. A staggering number of these programs are, according to officials,

currently inauditable because of inadequate accounting procedures.

Leaders in both health education and women's concerns in the Solomon

Islands point out that their most immediate need is advanced and specialized

w

training of their own staff members--to "train them to be trainers".

In many of the nations visited, the training of managers and finance

,p+

officers is recognized as essential for the development of marketing coo peratives. {

In Fiji, the Ministry of Cooperatives recently placed two mobile units in g !

service to bring training fil,is to villages beginning new cooperatives. =' 1

The Shortage of Local People

In the Solomon Islands one local educator speculated on the reasons

for the lack of sufficient numbers of trained Solomon Islanders. The British,

he explained were slow to identify needs and even slower to train Solomon

Islanders to fill those needs. The first secondary school in the country

was opened only in the mid 1950s. Before that time, the few Solomon Islanders

who received secondary school training were sent out of the country. It was

in the early 1960s that girls were first allowed to attend secondary schools.

It was not until 1957 that the first Sclomon Islander received a university

degree.

The attitude of the British, according to the educator, was, "you are

not ready yet." Only in th e 1950's did the British colonial government take
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enough interest to begin a public school system at any level. Until

that time the authorities had left education to the churches, which

were "more interested in converting than in educating."

He pointed, as well, to another problem--one that has carried

over into independence: the country depends upon a number of expatriates

who retain a traditional colonial attitude and are more interested in

staying on in Solomon Islands than in training local workers as their

replacements.

In Vanuatu, tole ial authorities, both French and British, did

not commence building an educational system until the late 1960s. Thus

there is, understandably, a critical shortage of ni-Vanuatu with advanced

training in any field.

In the entities that make up the Trust Territory of the Pacific

islands, more attention was paid to the education of island residents,

probably because the United States has a well established tradition of

compulsory schooling for all children. While there is ample room to

debate the suitability of the particular schooling offered within

the island entities, the fact remains that the basic skills were more

readily available to children in the Trust Territory than in other

colonial areas of the Pacific. Nonetheless, there remains a significant

problem of lack of specialized training, particularly in technical areas.

It would seem clear that throughout the Pacific the idea of

training in the skills required to achieve independence from an expatriate

work force came relatively late in the history of colonial management. It

i7 not surprising then, that training is a primary need in many Pacific

nations. The role of expatriates in providing that training, however,

has been uneven.

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Lack of Technological Environment

The best insight into this problem presented so far by

interviewees seems to be that children growing up in the Pacific

island village environments do not have daily experience of technology.

Most spend their formative years without access to telephones, radios,

alarm clocks, electric toasters, typewriters, automobile engines,

television sets, etc. They have no exposure to "hands on" technological experience.

Children growing up in technologically developed countries are

surrounded from birth with an array of gadgetry: they learn to handle

machinery. They have frequent opportunities to watch others dismantle

mechanical devices and repair them. They can take things apart and

know the occasional satisfaction of getting them back together again.

They are familiar, as well, with the language of technology. They

watch rocket launches and moon landings on television as they are

actually hapenning. They read maps and use telephones routinely.

Island children, exposed to an entirely different array of experiences,

assimilate knowledge that is not available to children in technologically developed countries. But they may lack the easy familiarity

with technology that would enable them to feel comfortable in selecting

careers in technical fields. Number concept too, differ considerably

for Pacific Islanders. Some Pacific cultures have numerous counting

systems unknown to the Western world. Clearly, if teachers are drawn

from a population of individuals who are not comfortable with Western

math technology, then the problem is compounded rather than alleviated

through the process of formal schooling.

Parallel Problem for Women in Deveioped Countries

An interesting parallel problem within technologically developed

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countries may add some valuable insights. In countries such as the

United States, the invention, design, installation and maintenance

of technical equipment has, until very recently, been considered the

exclusive province of males. Just as insensitive expatriates in the

Pacific today insist that islanders are not capable of acquiring the

technical skills to manage a modern infrastructure for themselves, so

for decades women in developed countries were told they did not have

the natural ability to excel in math or science or to acquire mechanical

or technical skills. Indeed, it should be pointed out that in a large

part of the technologically developed world this notion is still quite

dominant.

The idea operates as a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy. Young

Western boys, for example, are expected to help their fathers in carpentry

chores that require the acquisition of basic mathematical concepts. They

are allowed to assist in the dismantling of automobile engines and radio j

sets. They are given toy airplanes, chemistry sets and mechanical design

sets. Until quite recently, on the other hand, girls were steered away

from "masculine" technologically oriented pursuits. (In 18th and 19th

century England it was considered physically damaging to the female brain j

to pursue such subjects as mathematics.) Indeed, the majority of girls j

did turn away from technological careers. It was inevitable since their

entire upbringing and schooling was designed, with good intention, to convince

them that they were naturally lacking in aptitude in these areas.

The Pacific island experience has been similar. Young people are

often told technical training would be inappropriate for them:

they are neither encouraged nor anxious to seek it.
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Syo ecial Programs

In recent years there has been a recognition that a nation, whether

large or small, can ill afford to waste one-half of its human resources

by subtly steering young girls and women away from technology even

though they might have the natural potential for technological work.

There has been a marked, conscious effort to change both the attitude

of school teachers and the curricular mt(terials available so that girls

now entering school will be encouraged to develop their potential in

math and science. Special programs have been developed to cope with

math anxiety that has been engendered in girls who are already of high

school age and in young women entering college. These programs are remedial in nature and are intended to supply the base of technologically

oriented skills that in most nations has long been built into the upbringing

of boys.

One American engineering university has proven this by taking young

women who intended to study there and giving them the opportunity to spend

a summer in "hands on" technical work: they took such courses as automobile mechanics and basic electricity, and they were given actual experience

in taking engines apart, dismantling and assembling radios, television sets,

etc. The normally high attrition rate for women dropped significantly after

the program was introduced: young women began to perform as well in their

engineering classes as the young men enrolled in the university.

Such programs prove that when "hands on" training is made available

immediately before the beginning of tertiary training, it can enable young

people--men and women alike-- who are brought up outside technological

societies to develop sufficient skills to excell in technological careers.

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In the Pacific context, the lessons may ie twofold: first, that

attention to training is the key to the achievement of an adequate communications infrastructure, and second, that training must take into account

the fact that not all islanders grow up in technological environment.

For those island citizens who have not had this total emersion during their

formative years, successful training must begin with the provision of adequate

experience in technology,

Examples of Successful Training

There are ample illustrations of expatriates who have successfully

transferred special skills to Pacific island counterparts. It is possible,

then, to state: 1) training of local people can be accomplished successfully where there is a desire to do so, and 2) there are foreign nationals

who view it as an appropriate part of their role to engage in such training,

even in instances vhere it will, if successful, cause them to work their

way out of their own jobs.

On Ponape, in the Federated States of Micronesia, the Ponape Agriculture

and Trade School (PATS) provides one of the oldest examples of the successful

transfer of technical skills to islanders. The school, which operates on

the secondary level and serves students throughout the Trust Territory, ,;+as

begun in the 1940s by a Je::uit priest for the purpose of training Micronesians in mechanical, agricultural and technical skills. PATS has won international recognition and support for its work.

The school has reached the point in its development where it employs

a large number of its own Micronesian graduates as instructors. Indeed,

its principal is a graduate of a dozen years ago. Its reputation for

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producing skilled graduates is excellent. PATS recently launched

a new program for young women and is currently training them in the

same technical 'Areas as its male students.

On a more modest level, also on Ponape, there is a hotel run by

American expatriates who have trained a local staff to offer consistently

high quality visitor services--something that has not been available on

that island. Similar private training by former New Zealand expatriates

has produced excellent tourist services at a small hotel on Vanua Levu in

Fiji.

Two examples from radio broadcasting are presented in section 4.1.3

of this report. One involves the long neglected Solomon Island Broadcasting Corporat i on which recently received considerable support in the

form of Australian aid and personnel seconded from the Australian Broadcasting Commission. The upgrading of equipment for SIBC has wisely been

accompanied by expatriate staff whose vested interest is In improving the

delivery of broadcast services and therefore in training their Solomon

Island replacements. The second program, in Vanuatu, is even further along,

and the new and excellent broadcast facility in Port Vila is now managed

by a ni-Vanuatu who received his training on the job in that country.

Exampleb of Lack of Attention to Training

.I Unfortunately, there are in the Pacific a number of examples, at a

number of levels, of expatriate workers who neither train local replacements nor seem willing to leave their host countries or their jobs. This

pattern seems to be particularly prevalent in Melanesia. In one Melanesian

country, several expatriates who were interviewed contradicted each other

concerning which of them had been in the country for the longest time:
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each seemed to Want that honor. All had been in the country a minimum of

18 years and all served in top level civil service positions (but on salary

scales comparable to their fellow nationals at home rather than to the

nationals of their host country.)

One of these expatriates frankly pointed out that in his own country

he did not have the qualifications or training for anything but a relatively

low level position while as an expatriate he was able, without competition,

to hold down a high level position with considerable authority. His fellow

long-term expatriates each ran major departments in their host country. They

would be unlikely to have similar opportunities at home.

Deleterious Expatriate riate Attitudes

Is the problem that local people are untrainable? Have expatriates

tried to train and failed?

There is, of course, evidence that training is not easy and there are

valid, understandable reasons for the difficulties. But, there is absolutely

no acceptable evidence that local people are untrainable. There

indeed evidence, however, that the failures, where they do exist, are related

to ei.ler self-interest on the part of expatriates who wish to retain their

positions, or, to chauvinistic attitudes that would seem embarrassing in

the twentieth century, particularly among those who depend for their

livelihood upon host countries whose nationals they disparage.

At least a few of the expatriates who harbored these attitudes were

surprisirjly candid about them. In the Federated States of Micronesia,

for example, one highly placed expatriate, discussing the servicing of
-102-

communication equipment, argued "Who's going to service it? If you

say a native, I'll throw you out that door".

In Vanuatu, another expatriate involved in the provision of telecommunications insisted that whenever an expatriate left the country and

a ni-Vanuatu took over "the situation deteriorates". Expatriates must

be called back in, he said, and the systems are then built up again.

Ni-Vanuatu may have the technical competence to maintain the system, he

said, but "they don't have the desire to do it". They do not have the

common sense, he argued to approach problems logically. p erhaps with

more experience than his two months in Vanuatu he will realize his need

for additional training in order to do appropriate training.

Conclusion

In order to meet the demands of national development, especially in

the area of communication, a greater number of island citizens--men and women

alike--must be trained in technical fields in the coming years. Ideally,

such training will begin with earlier exposure to basic technology while

students are still in school, well before they choose a particular field.

The continued presence of expatriates who denigrate the professional

potential of their local colleagues must be rethought by host country

officials whose responsibility it is to ensure that only those expatriates

are employed who are able not only to provide the skill for which they were

hired but also to impart skills and to foster a sense of professional competence among their local counterparts.

Otherwise, the long term price will be unceasing dependency on outside

assistance even after the dollars to pay for that assistance are no longer

forthcoming.

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4.2.6

WOMEN AS A RESOURCE FOR DEVELOPMENT

"The problem is not in having girls here. The problem

is what happens when they graduate. How acceptable will

they be--a girl mechanic, for instance."

Federated States of Micronesia

The Role of Women

As described in the preceding two sections, officials recognize

that the lack of trained human resources hinders development and the

planning of suitable national infrastructures in the Pacific. In telecommunications the expertise even to maintain existing systems at a

minimal level is lacking and the possibility of designing and creating

future, more appropriate systems is severely hampered,

Given this reality, the utilization of all available human

resources is all the more critical to developing Pacific nations. The

failure to recognize the potential contribution of women--one-half of

the Pacific population--to development can be particularly counterproductive.

The role of Pacific women, though varied from culture to culture,

was of c-nsiderable importance while island societies were based on

subsistence rather than money economies. As these societies have moved

away from subsistence, the roles of both men and women have become less

clearly defined and adjustments have not been easy. On balance, however,

it can be said that the transition has been more difficult for women than

for men and that the traditional roles women have played have been gradually

eroding while no new roles have taken their place.
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At the same time, there is general recognition on the part of

men in positions of authority of the need to bring women into the economic

mainstream in order to maximize national development. For example, in

the Federated States of Micronesia and in Belau, women are beginning to

enter the police force. In the Kingdom of Tonga women have become a part

of several branches of the police and defense forces. FSM now has three

policewomen (and 62 men). In Vanuatu, the agriculture department I!)

beginning to train women as agricultural extension officers. And Papua

New Guinea is currently training its first women as telecommunications

technicians. Interestingly; the five women currently undergoing training

are among the top ten students in a class of 47. They entered the telecommunications training program of their own accord as members of the first

class selected on an examination and merit basis. Earlier classes had

been selected at random from among persons already employed by the telecommunications authorities.

The Lack of Women in Government

One of the most striking and noticeable features of the country

visits was the virtual absence of women in government leadership roles.

As the project team traveled from country to country and from government

office to government office, interviews took place with dozens of men but

the opportunity to discuss with women leaders their own view of the role of

women in development within their nations was limited. The fact is that

there are hardly any women among the national leaders of the Pacific countries.

In one entity, for example, where there is a greater proportion of women

than men graduating from public schools, and where officials stated that

there is a strong leadership role on the part of women in family affairs,

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government leaders have expressed as policy the belief that women should

not to be included in politics and therefore should not interfere with

any non-family business. a

In another country, even the opportunity for leadership was

foreclosed until relatively recently. The first secondary school for

i

girls was not opened until the mid 1960's, a decade after similar schools

were opened for boys. Any parent who wished to educate a daughter had

to send her outside the country. The result of this lack of women leaders

is that most of the countries, while recognizing the need for a stronger

role for women in.development, are doing little if anything to bring

about that stronger role. In most nations, the numbers of girls and

i

young women attending schools were considerably lower than boys and young

men, Where special programs to improve the lives of village women did

exist, they were generally underfunded and understaffed. In one Melanesian country, for example, there is an active government-funded women's

interest program, with seven staff members, housed in an out of the way

bungalow where little daily contact with on-going government happenings

could be maintained. The workers are responsible for traveling through

rural areas to do nutrition, child care and hygiene training and to

establish small programs that will help village women achieve some

measure of economic self-sufficiency. The number of workers was clearly

minuscule compared to the size of the task and the workers themselves

complained of feeling isolated, unsupported and in need of more training

of their own in order to begin accomplishing their government set goals.

The need for their effort was underscored on a site visit to the island

of Malaita, where it was stated that one of the gravest economic problems
-106-

in the rural areas is that men leave the villages to seek employment

and do not return any cash income to their families. The women, who

remain in the villages, have no economic resources and no mean$ of

achieving membership in the developing cash economies of their countries.

Similar economic problems occur for women in other Pacific

countries. In Belau, for examp le, family structure has broken down to the

point where large numbers of women remain without the economic support of

men. Five years ago, five of thirty children born in Belau were born

to unwed mothers. Today, while the birth rate remains stable, twenty

of every thirty children are born to unwed mothers.

Among the recent efforts to bring women in the economic mainstream

is an experimental program begun recently at the Ponape Agriculture and

Trade School (See Section 4.2.5.). Several years ago the institution

accepted its first female students, offering them an identical course

of study to male students. The first four female students graduated

in 1981. The school trustees are examining the experiment in order to

determine the directions they should take in the future. The problem is

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not whether to continue accepting girls. It is, rather whether special

courses of study along more traditional female lines, should be introduced.

While such a step may seem backward to western trained minds, it F

is being considered (but not yet taken) into recognition that traditional

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community values may not yet be ripe for the challenge of women trained

for employment in technical fields. Officials are frankly worried as to

whether or not female graduates will be able to obtain jobs in the community, even where their skills are sorely needed.
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The same concerns were expressed in Papua New Guinea in relation

to sending trained female telephone technicians into the field. And, in

Vanuatu, even though women are beginning to receive training in agricultural work, officials expressed some doubt that they would be able to

use women in the field as agriculture extension workers. While these

graduates may be useful in training women in the villages in such areas

as first aid, nutrition and home economics, it was generally felt they

could not be used in training male villagers.

Steps Toward Change

While such concerns may be legitimate, women in many of the Pacific

entities visited are beginning to express the belief that acquiescing to

such concerns may deny women entry into training programs. This result

will not resolve either the problem of vocational training needed by

women or the problem of n.tional needs for trained technicians.

In recent years women's concerns group have sprung up in a

number of Pacific countries, many of them with the encouragement of

the United Nations, which set the model for such activities with its

1975 through 1985 Decade for Women.

In the Solomon Islands, for example, a women's meeting held in

1977 as a follow up to the UN sponsored International Women's Meeting

in Mexico City, came up with a platform on women's needs that recognized

the importance of the traditional family role of women in Melanesian

society but that also urged: "It is incumbent on them as women to look

beyond the immediate environment of the home; not to abandon the home,

but to become more knowledgeable and concerned about those factors which
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also influence it from the outside." The platform included such items

as encouraging women to stand for public office, establishment of programs

for unmarried mothers and unemployed women, and establishments of improved

information networks specifically on women's issues. The Fiji women's

United Nations mid-decade plan of action expressed similar concerns,

pointing out the need for more active involvement in the professional

and political life of the country, the need for more programs that address

specific problems of unmarried or unemployed women, and the need for a

women's resource center and a more adequate communications network on

women's issues.

Both the Solomon Island plan and the Fiji plan underscored, as

did many individual interviewees, the belief that it is absolutely essential

for women's groups to work through existing government mechanisms in

order to bring women into the economic mainstream. Indeed, most items

in the women's programs that have been articulated are specific programs

requests directed at specific government ministries which the women's I

groups believe need attention.

At the 1980 subregional meeting for Pacific Women, sponsored

by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and

attended by women from it Pacific Island nations, key issues included:

"women's unequal access to employment opportunities and to educational

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and training facilities, the lack of management training opportunities

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for women and the relatively insignificant role of women in decision

making and leadership positions. The position of rural women remained

a major concern, as did the existence of unsanitary living conditions j

and the lack of adequate water supply. The difficulties of solving

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these problems were exacerbated by the absence of adequate statistical

data on the condition of women."

The recommendations adopted by the meeting mirrored the

recommendations adopted by individual nations' women's meetings. They

underscored the need to work through existing governmental bodies and

the need for women to be brought into the business of gove;r,aent throughout the Pacific both as participants and as recipients of government

programs. In training, they specifically noted the importance of making

available "training in new technologies and skills" on an equal basis

to both men and women.

Conclusion

In response to the meeting recommendations, the United Nations

Development Program in the Pacific has proposed a specific project aimed

at helping Pacific governments establish prugrams that will be "supportive

of the interests of women in national development within the Pacific

Region" and will increase the ability of Pacific governments to bring

women into the economic mainstream. It goes trithout saying that increased

access to telecommunications facilities would provide more far-reaching

opportunities for rural women's needs and interests to be heard and for

rural women and urban women to band together to ensure that their potential

as a stabilizing economic and social resource be recognized both nationally

and regionally.

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4.2.7

PERSONNEL: THE SINGLF LAYER PROBLEM

"Trained people have no replacements."

--a Conference participant

The Resource Pool

In the Pacific islands the number of people appropriately trained

to organize and maintain the infrastructures of these new nation is

sorely inadequate. The population base in each of these entities is

tiny, and only with careful planning will the pool of citizens be sufficient to provide the various sectors of government and private business

with appropriately trained personnel for nation-building. (See section

4.2.5. on Training for Development). It is important for the planners

in these nations to project the number and kinds of trained personnel

necessary for various fields; such decisions depend on the national

development goals of each of the countries and on whether the basic

population pool is 3,000, 14,000 or two million people.

Defining thehe Singlle Layer Problem

Trained local personnel rarely have replacements when their work

is interrupted because of illness, training courses, regional meetings or

even for well deserved holidays. Such a situation is characterized as the

"single layer" problem. In one Polynesian example, the radio operator

and a garage manager do not work on Saturdays for religious reasons; and

they have no replacements; so, wireless is not available on Saturdays

and no one is available to repair machines. It was reported that the

latter charged double the following day because he was forced to work on

Sunday! When the single radio operator is not working for whatever reason,

there is no one else available to handle communication between police,

firemen, harbor authorities and the government administration. In some

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cases, national safety is at stake. American Samoa's recent commitment

to haul water to Canton Island could not be met because the tug and

the personnel had to be kept in the harbor for cannery saps. At the

same time there was a hurricane watch; the possibility of ensuing

emergencies raquired that the Canton-bound ship and its personnel remain in port. j

Moving Into Management

Another difficulty is that trained local personnel are drawn up

Into the ranks of management without expertise in management skills or

anyone willing (expatriates) or with the time (other local managers) to

train them. When people are forced into managerial positions, they are

themselves unable to train others because they have not had sufficient time

on the job in their original positions to have developed in-depth professional

skills prior to their upward posting. Thus, managers are unskilled at both

managing and at training and their expertise--or potential expertise--is

lost at the working level. The result is that new young recruits have no j

one to serve as professional models. Interviews in one Melanesian nation

revealed that often those who have had to move up are less skilled than

those they supervise (often expatriates) and will never have the opportunity

I

to gain the experience necessary to make them the models that the young

workers beneath them deserve and sorely need in their psychological and t

professional development. A sense of professional insecurity prevails.

People are not trained in appropriate skills. In many cases officials

lamented their inability to take advantage of the offers of many international agencies to provide project funds and materials simply because

the host governments did not have the funds or appropriately trained

personnel to implement and manage the projects.
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Even the June Users' Meeting (see Appendix B.) was an example of

the single layer problem. There was no backup for some of the individuals

invited to represent their governments. Several were unable to attend

or to send someone else in their own field to represent them, simply

because there was either no backup person in the home office or there

was no appropriate replacement with similar skills and experience to

send to the meeting.

Good managers are switched from ministry to ministry because the

government sees them as mediators between the ministry and the minister;

they are not viewed as the primary, senior professional in that particular field. As a result, a medical doctor may direct the telecommunications and transportation efforts of a government (which is an actual

example), or an engineer appointed to run a department may lack the skills

for doing an adequate Job while his sorely needed skills and experience

are lost to those who are struggling in his own field.

Thus, there is heavy dependence on expatriate assistance in some

vital fields in order for trained persons to be spared for advanced

training abroad or for them to train younger newer workers in their

field.

Similar problems exist in education, though this situation is

hardly unique to the Pacific or the developing world in general. In

one Melanesian country, good teachers were drawn up into the ranks of

administration, the level of expertise in the classroom, it would

follow, remained very low.

Telecommunications

In the case of telecommunications, the development of a cadre of

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professionally competent technicians, engineers and managing administrators is crucial for the implementation and management of a reliable

system. The single layer problem is particularly acute in the field

of telecommunications because the small pool from which local personnel

can be selected is further narrowed by the requirement that telecommunications

personnel have technical aptitude to begin with. (4.2.5, contains descriptions and documentation of specific training problems in fields

that require such technical expertise.)

People in jobs can only act in one capacity at a time, no matter

how broad their skills or how far-reaching the demand of their department

or company. In one Polynesian country a technical training program was

set up, but the only trainer was also the chief technician and the only

person who could keep the telecommunication system operating. It was,

therefore, impossible for him to sustain any effort in the area of

training, despite the fact that he desperately needed someone to back

him up in his efforts to function in a variety of professional and highly

technical roles.

Conclusion

Small populations have difficulty producing sufficient numbers of

adequately and appropriately trained personnel for the many varied jobs

that are vital to the building of a nation. Those who are trained locally

or sent abroad take on jobs from which they are plucked before they have

had the time and experience to gain expertise and confidence in their

professional roles. These professionals are catapulted into managerial

positions for which they are ill-prepared; they know well neither the

skills of their former jobs nor the skills of management, and worst of all,
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they are ill-equipped to train those who come up through the workforce

seeking role models and specific training.

This single layer problem brings with it professional isolation.

Employees have no one else to talk to who knows how to do the same thing.

There is no collegial camaraderie; there is no source of a second opinion

and there is no security-engendering support from others like oneself.

Reliance on expatriates perpetuates this cycle from which local professionals

cannot break out. Careful planning is required on the part of the central

administration, planning departments and the management of each government

department as well as the private sector in order for sufficient numbers

of appropriately trained people to take on the roles required in the pursuit

and achievement of national development.

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4.2.8

ATS-1: THE UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC,

PEACESAT AND DISPNF.T

"We can't encourage outer island students to take degree

courses because they don't have the benefit of the

satellite."

-- a USP Center Directnr

Since 1969 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

has made available for a series of experimental communications projects

its Applications Technology Satellite No.1 (ATS-1), an experimental

geostationary satellite launched in 1966. These experiments are among

the first in the world aimed at determining what educational, social

and medical benefits can be derived from satellite; technology. Three

networks, USPNET, the University of the South Pacific Network; PEACESAT,

the Pan Pacific Education and Communication Experiments by Satellite; and

DISP, the Department of the Interior Satellite Project Network, currently

utilize ATS-1.

The University of the South Pacific is the single major source of

tertiary education in the region. While students in the U.S.-administered

territories have access to the University of Guam, the College of Micronesia, and the Community Colleges of American Samoa and the Northern

Marianas, as well as to colleges and universities in Hawaii and on the

U.S. mainland, USP provides a unique scheme of extension services to

students in the South Pacific who are unable to make their way to metropolitan universities abroad, or even to the Laucala campus of USP in

Suva, Fiji. (There are also two universities in Papua New Guinea).

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Besides the traditional resident tertiary education available at

' the main campus in Suva, in 1974, USP established at NASA's invitation,

its own experiment satellite network to test the effectiveness, of

satellite educational activities for the regional university using

ATS-1. "The 23 hours per week of University broadcast time currently

allocated by NASA are divided between credit courses, tutoring sessions,

adult education courses, conferences and administrative sessions." A

campus specializing in agriculture has been set up in Alafua, Western Samoa. j

It operates an agricultural advisory service which is still in its

formative stages and conducts programs in biological control, marketing

and other aspects of tropical agriculture. Other campuses, or Centers,

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are linked to Suva, and with one anotherm by ATS-1. A small computer

I

c also in the early stages of use among them. The Centers are Ilink i _ located in the following capitals,

COOK ISLANDS Avarua, Rarotonga

KIRIBATI Tarawa j I

NIUE Alofi

SOLOMON ISLANDS Honiara

Y

TONGA Nuku'alofa

TUVALU Funafuti

VANUATU Port Vila

WESTERN SOMOA Apia

' USP officials indicate that they are satisfied with eight years of

service, (which began in conjunction with PEACESAT in 1972) especially

since a grant from USAID has enabled the University to upgrade the

terminals. While a desire for an additional voice channel has been

expressed, there was reluctance to complicate the situation with television,

whose "marginal use" is not central to the educational goals of the University.

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Visual presentations (T.V. cassette tapes) in multi-media for extension

courses and facsimile telecopying capability have proven very successful.

USP Centers

USP Extension services have grown, developing a pattern in which

satellite communication plays a crucial role. The focus of USP extension

would have to be considerably altered if satellite use were unavailable.

One possibility is to package extension sufficiently differently to use

national broadcast radio in each country, or to arrange with national Post

and Telecommunication authorities to use special-rate telephone links to

outer islands for tutorials. Indeed, outer island education personnel

have indicated that initially they had been made to understand that they

would be offered courses and services similar to those available to

extension students in the island capitals. Such services have not materialized.

Instead, outer island residents (usually teachers) who pay for

courses, remained without materials three weeks after the beginning of the

term. In most countries outer island students are not encouraged to follow

degree courses because of their inability to gain access to the satellite

tutorials. Center directors endeavor to bridge the gap by spending a few

minutes weekly on broadcast radio, supplementing materials (should they

arrive) and anticipating issues outer island students might need to have i

F .s

clarified. Center directors face a special problem: the greatest need

.n

is among their outer island communities without benefit of the satellite,

and they are constantly pressured to find ways to augment the non-degree i

i

course materials most such students receive. Meanwhile, the center directors

indicate that the interruption of the satellite link would make the running g

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of the Centers extremely difficult. Therefore, they find it necessary to

program as if there were no satellite, though the satellite is central to

the success of their educational delivery system. In some cases they

utilize pre-recorded audio tapes, sent on to outer islands for weekly

supplemental use. Such use enables agriculture extension students through-

' out the region to ask questions twice a week on the satellite, though this

access is only for those in capitals.

Extension consumes an increasing portion of USP's recurrent annual

budget, but support of an extension student costs only one-tenth of that

of a Suva campus student. Center directors remark on the compatibility of

the satellite medium with the non-confrontive style of Pacific islanders'

i

interaction. Likewise, USP faculty members, initially unimprv ssr-d with

:i

teaching to an absent class and correcting papers to which they could not

attach faces, are showing increased interest in the satellite tutorials.

Through funds from the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation

and other sources, tutors travel through the region, run workshops and meet

with students, increasing their understanding of the tutorial and the role j

f the tutor plays in minimizing educational 9 isolation with which the Center

4 i

director and students must cope.

A European Economic Community pilot project will be underway

soon to demonstrate the use of INTELSAT for University extension courses.

_ The pilot will show costs and provide valuable information on the possible

y usefulness of INTELSAT for regional benefit to the public service sector,

once ATS-1 is no longer available to the University of the South Pacific.

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PEACESAT

The Pan Pacific Education and Communication Experiments by

Satellite (PEACESAT) links institutions in twelve Pacific Basin nations

for information sharing. The project began in 1969, and the experimental

system has operated regularly since April 1971.Y

Local institutions arrange for capital and operating costs of the

terminals which are licenses by local authorities. "In most nations

facilities are shared with USPNET. PEACESAT's organized users include

groups from such areas of interest as: medicine news, education, science p

and community libraries. Projects such as dengue fever control, a "Pacific Roundup" of regional news, conferences on economic development, remote

sensing, coverage of the Micronesian Constitutional Convention, and i

earlier this year a meeting of Pacific heads of government have all

proven extremely useful. f

DISP

Since January, 1977, the Public Satellite Consortium has

operated a radio telephony network interconnecting district centers

throughout the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Micronesia) and

offering telephone patch services for the Federated States of Micronesia

and the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C., utilizing ATS-1.

Administrative communications among various district centers

in the Federated States of Micronesia and with other island groups

take place at varying times in any given day according to weekly

YPEACESAT Project Networks Report #3, Univ. of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii,

November 1975, page 2.
'i

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.

schedules published by NASA.

Because of the unreliability of the current HF system, DISP

has been highly utilized by Political Status Commission personnel in

Micronesia requiring contact with their attorneys and other advisors

in the United States. Personnel in the Marshall Islands have used

the system infrequently, and those in Palau have experienced difficulty

because of Palau's location at the edge of ATS-1's footprint. The

Federated States, however, uses the system frequently and with a

reasonable degree of success (considering the age of the satellite).

The Department of the Interior reports that it uses the system only

for emergencies.

The need for reliable communications coupled with the deterioration in the quality of ATS-1 transmissions, points to the need for

replacing the existing systems as soon as possible.

The recently signed COMSAT agreement to provide reliable

communication to and from Micronesia will lead to the placement of

INTELSAT Standard B earth stations in each district center, by 1984.

After ATS-1?

r Despite its heroic durability, the 15-year old ATS-1 is well beyond its

r

design life and may not be able to continue providing the essentially no-fee

service upon which the public service community in the Pacific has become

dependent. NASA is considering moving ATS-1 at the beginning of 1982 to

162 degrees East longitude.This will mean that coverage will cease to

1

include the U.S. mainland but should leave the satellite operational for

the Pacific islands through at least September, 1983. Although informal i
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negotiations with the international carriers in the countries with

earth stations have begun, USP and the international carriers are

not yet engaged in official negotiations which would lead to the

use of INTELSAT for educational purposes at a reduced, public

service rate. One difficulty with such a plan is that access to USP

transmissions through INTELSAT would require an established Standard

A or Standard B earth station which Tuvalu, Niue and Kiribati do not

have.

The governments of the region have instructed their international

carriers to negotiate with the USP toward providing the University with

a viable system over the public network to take up services that ATS-1

has offered until now. Likewise, the International Telecommunication

Union advises that "commercial public service rates" be initiated.

Such a scheme would mean using surplus capacity on existing systems

at substantially lowered rates than at the existing available commercial

conferencing rates, too expensive for USP use. If engineered properly,

the cost should be little more than two simultaneous phone calls.

ATS-1 has provided the region with services that were previously

and would otherwise be unheard of. Its availability has sensitized entire

national populations to the potential of education by satellite. A major

difficulty is that the anomalous ATS-1, despite its original 18-month

design life, has come to be seen as permanent; users, however, have not

remained entirely aware of the costs of the space segment of such

useful capability. USP has expressed a willingness to pay for satellite

V PSSC Newsletter, Vol. 5, No. 9, September 1981, page 1.
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access, although public service rates are still to be negotiated.

This would be an arrangement from which both USP and the providers

would benefit.

Arrangements for replacing services now provided by the PEACESAT

users will fall to the individual countries and common carriers, as

will the provision of the services of the Department of the Interior

Satellite Project Network (DISPNET). One government, though unenthusiastic about the potential use of satellite for the development of

its own rural communications, was assertively supportive of the use

of satellite for USP and PEACESAT.

Conclusion

When ATS-1 became available for use in the Pacific, both the

reality of communications and the Pacific islanders' notion of communications were radically altered. That was in 1969. Since then, PEACESAT,

the UPSNET and finally DISP has provided thousands of people in different

island groups with a forum for discussing issues of utmost concern

to their basic welfare, to their national development and to the

education of their young people.

The continued use of ATS-1 (essentially a no-fee service) has

become an issue of concern to the international carriers who believe

that present ATS-1 transmissions should be absorbed by commercial

communications systems. There is an immediate need to establish affordable rates for present ATS-1 users in order to facilitate their transition

from the experimental satellite to the commercial international carriers.

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4.3 TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND THE MANAGEMENT OF ECONOMIC RESOURCES

4.3.1

TOWARD SELF-SUFFICIENCY: IMPORT SUBSTITUTION,

PRODUCTION FOR EXPORT AND MARKETING

"The problem is not production, it is distribution. We

must be able to talk to people."

Federated States of Micronesia

Introduction

In interviews leaders of Pacific island government departments

have repeatedly said that economic self-sufficiency is a key ingredient

of national stability. Import substitution, particularly in food, is often

cited as a key national goal. Additionally, some countries have achieved

a sufficient level of production of selected items to add the goal of

developing an export market.

Clearly, an adequate marketing system is a key to the success of

both an import substitution program and an export program. Marketing, in

turn is dependent upon an adequate communication and transportation infrastructure. This is particularly true in the Pacific environment, where

distance and its accompanying problems complicate the development of a

responsive marketing system. The following sections discuss, in turn,

the problems of import substitution, export, and the interrelated problems

of communication and transportation as they affect the development of an

adequate marketing system.

Import Substitution

While import enriches the variety of goods available for the people

of any country, no na"ion, particularly one dependent upon long distance

transport for such importation, can feel comfortable without a degree

of self-sufficiency in food goods.

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Most Pacific isiand entities once had self-sufficiency, although

a

it did not come without problems of distribution or periodic scarcity.

But with the advent of colonial rule and the importation of processed

food goods, the degree of dependency on the the outside world gradually

increased while the production of locally grown or obtained foods decreased.

Indeed, today canned fish is a prestige food throughout the Pacific despite

the fact that on most islands fresh fish is within easy reach. Last year

the Kingdom of Tonga imported $A1.m million Y worth of canned fish. In

r

Micronesia, canned mackerel is a featured item in school lunch programs. i

With independence and with tha coincidental rising cost of fuel,

the achievement of self-sufficiency in food goods through programs of 1

import substitution has become a national goal for almost every Pacific

,

entity. One planner from the FSM pointed out that it is essential that

farmers be encouraged to increase their production of staples, but in order

to sell products the country needs better communications both on islands

with urban centers and on atolls so that the entire population can receive

a steady supply of necessities.

The cooperation of distributors is crucial to the.success of

efforts in import substitution. Distributors on Ponape are beginning to I

support a locally produced soap by agreeing to reduce the importation of

bar soap. In contrast, in one South Pacific country some of the major

importers are employed as government policy makers. The practical result

`s of this possible conflict of interest is that the national goal of import

substitution is undermined.

I/Australian dollars. Dollar amounts in this report will be given in

U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.

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The benefits of import substitution are readily enumerated. First,

the substitution of locally grown fruits and vegetable, locally caught

fish, locally raised chicken, beef and pork, can provide a cash income

for farmers and fishermen. Second, it serves to reduce sharply the

cash flow from a nation. Third, it can, if properly managed, provide

local residents with foods that are more reasonably priced: residents

do not end up subsidizing long distance shipping enterprises. Fourth,

it provides a more nutritionally sound, varied diet.

There is ample illustration throughout the Pacific of the negative

effects of the lack of adequate self-sufficiency in basic food items.

On Nauru, for example, the price of bananas, all imported is $A5 per

kilo. On Guam, coconuts cost $US1 each and papayas sell for $US2.35 each.

To date, the successful examples of import substitution in the

Pacific are relatively few in number. American Samoa for example, is

self-sufficient in breadfruit, taro and bananas but must import all

other categories of foods; Western Samoa has become independent of

bacon and ham imports. Vanuatu produces sufficient beef for local

consumption, and the Solomon Islands, a rice crop that is adequate for

local needs. Import substitution in non-food agricultural areas has

also received attention in some areas. Belau, for example is now producing

feed for pigs and chickens. The feed sells for one-half the price of feeds

imported from the United States mainland, and agricultural experts say

that animals are doing well on them. If the program is successful, it is

possible that farmers will be able to pass along lower pig and poultry prices

to Belau consumers. Ponape is looking to its fishing industry for fertilizer for its gourmet pepper supply.

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Production for Export

A second, more ambitious step, follows the goal of self-sufficiency

through import substitution in a number of Pacific countries. That

step is the export of locally grown food products for market in other

Pacific countries or in the countries of the Pacific rim. This step,

where it is possible, serves to increase cash income for a country and

provides additional employment opportunities in food processing industries

as well as in agriculture.

Intra-regional trade is difficult because of the similarity of

commodities available in the countries of the region. There is, however,

far more room for regional trade than currently exists. Only with improved

communication links--both voice and data--can the countries gain a better grasp

of each other's specific requirements and their own ability to meet their

own ability to meet their neighbor's needs.

Vanuatu has timber appropriate for construction of Tonga's banana

crates. The Solomons produce sufficient rice to export 200 tons per month

to Vanuatu, meeting that nation's entire requirement.

FSM sells Guam considerable quantities of fresh water eels for the

Japanese tourist market. Communication's role in the success of an export

market was illustrated recently when Guam cancelled an order because of a

slack tourist season. Distributors exported 2000 lbs of fresh water

eels because they hadn't received the stop shipment order.

In addition to trade within the region, Pacific countries are

beginning to enter the world market with a number of their products. But

such potential cannot be fully realized without an adequate infrastructure--

especially a viable communication system within each country to facilitate

the reliable delivery of products to the world markets,

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Vanuatu beef currently has disease-free status and can be exported

I

anywhere in the world, At present, 90% of the country's beef is exported.

Ironically, although beef is readily available, protein deficiency exists

in the diet of local people. But an effort is currently under way to introduce beef, which was not a part of the traditional diet, into the diet

of ni-Vanuatu, or local people.

Western Samoa is currently expending a large proportion of its development

dollars in improving agriculture for export. The country now exports $US2 mily

lion in taro to Hawaii and San Francisco. In the Cooks there is an effort to

import varieties of mango and lichee that would produce fruits suitable for

export. Papayas are already exported in quantity from the Cooks, Solomon

Island planners are attempting to develop agricultural exports in cocoa, rice

and cattle. And Papua New Guinea's lucrative coffee industry provides the world

with a highly valued coffee that commands a high price on the world market.

Vanuatu's mixed tropical hard woods are finding markets in Japan and Singapore.

Marketing: Communication and Transportation

r

The goal of developing an agricultural export base for island economies

and the goal of achieving self-sufficiency in food goods through programs of

import substitution are only achievable through the creation of adequate, responsive marketing systems. Attempting to establish a viable marketing system

without functioning communication and transportation is virtually impossible.

i The Pacific is full of examples of frustration in this area. In Vanuatu,

for example, planners point to Arewa--one tiny island that is covered with orange

i

j trees. The current orange crop is sufficient to supply the needs of the entire

i

country. But the island lacks communication facilities. Farmers cannot arrange for

shipping at appropriate times. Their choice is to expend effort to pick

the orange crop and risk its rotting before transportation is available or to let

s the oranges fall to the ground and rot without the effort of picking them.
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Tanna island in Vanuatu has an ideal environment for vegetable

growing. Port Vila and Espirito Santo are areas with a volume of tourist

business and with a need for garden produce. But the people of Tanna have

become discouraged with vegetable farming since they have no proper communication system and shipping services are irregular and inadequate. Given

the perishable nature of vegetable crops, a well-developed system of market

logistics is essential to the farmer as well as the buyer. Villagers are

quite willing to invest in a boat that could be used to transport perishable

goods to market in Port Vila. However, without an adequate communication

system, which they cannot provide for themselves, the investment will not

serve to overcome all marketing problems.

In Belau the lack of adequate communication systems is the major

stumbling block to developing a functioning marketing system. Eight

thousand of Selau's 12,000 citizens live on the island of Koror while the

large island of Babelthuap contains most of the nation's land area. Vegetable producers have no means of communicating with Koror and cannot ascertain

the price of produce or the existing market needs. Nor can they communicate

ahead so that buyers will be present on their arrival. They must simply

take their chances when they decide to harvest and market their crops. On

arrival they may find that five villages have harvested and marketed cucumbers

on the same day while no villages have brought in cabbage. The problea is

compounded in Belau by shallow lagoons and major tidal fluctuations.

Because of tides, villagers may find they must arrive after normal market

hours and since they cannot communicate ahead the time of arrival, they may

find no buyer awaiting them. Thus perishable crops sometimes end up at
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least wilting, usually rotting, even though they are sorely needed by

restaurants, hotels and individual buyers in Koror. Meanwhile the

village has spent, on average, $US60 on gasoline and oil for one round

trip by boat from the village to Koror.

Planners in American Samoa have estimated that a program of

import substitution could save islanders $US50,000 a week. Moreover, the

production of sufficient agricultural products is possible: there is good

land on Manua Island and a population that would remain stable if the island

had some economic base. But poor communication and transportation have

so far prevented the growth of a viable agricultural economy on the island:

the population therefore, has been in continual decline.

On Mangaia in the Cooks, pineapples can be found rotting on the

ground. Again the problem is inadequate communication to arrange schedules

for picking and shipping, combined with the unavailability of adequate

shipping. Incentive for picking, furthermore, is deterred by the Government

decision to subsidize farmers for the fruit they cannot market.

Given these problems, everyone loses. Urban dwellers face uneven

supply and must pay exorbitant prices for food items imported from great

distances. Hotel owners and restaurateurs cannot provide dependably

for their customers. Money that would otherwise circulate within a nation

is drained out, and local diet lacks the variety and nutrition that

freshly grown local products can provide.

Country visits have revealed that there is sufficient land, enterprise and desire within most Pacific nations to develop strong agricultural

economies and to cut significantly into the current dependence on imported

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1

food products. The visits have also revealed a large resie:e of

discouragement: too many agricultural enterprises have begun with 1

enthusiasm and failed because of an inadequate marketing infrastructure.

a

Government Agriculture 0epartments,cash cropping land holders, exporters,

and importers all need telecommunications for ordering, scheduling and

market advice. Adequate communication systems and shipping must be in

place before workable marketing systems can be developed.

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4.3.2 TRANSPORTATION AS COMMUNICATION

"Communication here is a boat with an outboard motor,"

Micronesia

A library search for information on communications in the Pacific

preceded country visits. This effort consistently revealed information

that reinforced the inextricable link between communication and transportation in the Pacific. During country visits, responses to the question,

"What kind of communication do you have outside the major towns?" frequently

included such details as: roads, some trucks, canoes, motor boats, some

air flights. In Pacific islands development plans, descriptions of road

networks characteristically are found under the heading "Communications."

This collapsing of categories is more prevalent in areas of the region

where there is little access to telecommunications than where communications

are better developed. While highly technological societies have come to

separate these two concepts, both transportation and communications connect;

both provide access, networks and the vehicle for interaction. In developing

countries where telecommunications beyond urban areas are minimal, transportation has traditionally been used to bridge the gap. In the Pacific, where

vast expanses of ocean and, in some cases, far-reaching mountain ranges,

have made it more difficult for transportation to serve as communications,

boats and airplanes are all the more often described as a vital part of

the communication system. Other sectors such as health and education which

depend on both transportation and communication do not view them separately

because neither is sufficiently well developed or well integrated to meet

society's needs. It is as if to combine the two might serve to compensate

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for the deficiencies of each, in providing some kind of access to those

who need to communicate.

Roads

Improved roads are certainly a link to access. In the case of

Ponape, the new road has stimulated a greater number of trips to town.

These trips are more accurately seen as efforts at communicating in areas 4

where no reliable far-reaching telecommunications system yet exists. Roads

also stimulate rapid economic growth. One individual on Ponape said, "The

road grows bananas and stores." The primary difficulty with the substituting

of roads for telecommunications systems, even on an interim basis, is that

because of the spiraling cost of fuel in the Pacific, such a scheme is prohibitively costly. Also, the use of transportation as communication requires

round trip and often double roundtrip journeys for obtaining goods and

services.

Planners see the road as the focal point of an island's economic

base. It is impossible to establish a market economy on an island where

villages are separated from the town unless there is a road. Only recently

have such planners begun to view telecommunications improvements as the

next critical aspect of development. Communications systems have not been

considered integral in the planning of new settlement schemes; rather, the

road has traditionally been seen as the mechanism for providing access to

new projects, new communities and between towns.

In Western Samoa, improvements in the roads have brought increasing

numbers of people to Apia, the capital; but because the improvements have

also provided an easier flow,the town is not congested. Improvements in

the telecommunication system will help to stem the transportation problems

that inevitable will crop up.
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In the Federated States of Micronesia it was pointed out that

funds spent on travel would be better used if sufficient tele;.ommunications

systems were in place. Travel for government officials is increased

because of inadequate and sometimes non-existant communications. A Tongan

official estimated that,considering the distances between islands in Tonga's

three groups, 40% to 50% of some workers' time is spent simply getting

places. Telecommunications improvements will minimize the need for such

trips.

One particularly apt illustration of transportation's role in

communication comes from Mangaia, an outer island of the Cooks, where a

delivery boy rides around the island twice weekly delivering telegraph

messages on his bicycle. And finally, in Fiji, one government official

cited the road as "a means for education."

Boats and Planes

Although air and sea transportation costs have reached what one

Pacific public servant described as "fundamental crisis proportions,"

planes and boats provide communications among communities even more remote

than those reached by road transportation systems. In the Republic of

Belau the police send boats out, three or four times a week to serve

papers in person to those whom the police want apprehended. One agency

in Belau described that the annual fuel budget for administration was

depleted within the first two months of the year. Numbers of trips are

increased regularly because there are no improvements in communications

facilities. A trip "practically anywhere" costs an average of sixty dollars.

The double trip problem has been mentioned repeatedly. Whatever the

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basic communication that must be accomplished, a trip is required;

that is coupled with the trip back to the initiating point. Usually,

though, such trips are doubled because the first, for information, must

be accompanied by the second, which is usually for action. Such double

round trips--besides being costly--are time consuming and,in emergencies,

dangerous. Problems with double roundtrip for supplies are exacerbated by

tide problems. Often, a boat can only reach a village on one tide a day,

In Belau, the government sent a landing craft with cement for a new

men's house. There was no communication to that village. The boat arrived

at the wrong tide, at the wrong time, and when there were no villagers

assembled to carry the cement. The landing craft had to dump the cement

and leave the people to spend two weeks rafting it in to shore.

There have been cases when pilots servicing outer islands take

examinations from the hands of examiners and hand carry them to education !.

officials in the capital. In the case of one outer island, although there

are flights every day, the Post Office, rather than pay for frequent air

i

cargo, leaves parcels and letters with airmail postage waiting on the other

island until the bag is full. One Papua New Guinea official explained that

it takes five minutes to fly to a town for which he has responsibility; the i

town can be reached two and one-half hours by road, but it requires a half hour

to reach it by radio. The airfare is approximately 65 dollars, while discussion on an HF link would cost only 15 cents per minute.

There are cases of transportation's role in servicing communication.

Access to repeater stations in remote places where other aspects of the

infrastructure remain underdeveloped is extremely difficult. In the Solomon

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Islands one official estimated that it would take a week to charter a

ship to get to the site of faulty equipment in order to repair it,

i

Shipping

Attention has been given to the fact that inadequate communication

means either double trips or months or waiting. Field trip ships provide

i

a lifeline for atolls totally dependent on them for medical, educational

supplies, and personnel, spare parts, food, kerec..ene for lamps, fuel for

generators and vehicles, cloth, soap and matches. These atolls are too F

remote to enjoy even the luxury of double trips. The field trip ships

i

may carry, the wrong supplies, the wrong people, because problems have to

be identified before solutions can be carried out by ship. Improved

i

communications would provide an opportunity to transport all the necessary {

equipment and personnel on one trip. In Belau, every field trip ship is

required to have a radio operator, repair person aboard. Sometimes the

schedule of calls are the only means available to outer islands to stay in

touch with the centers.

There are many economically unviable routes that are not serviced

i

by the commercial sector. The government has to provide for these uneconomical

routes. In the Solomons, for instance, the government owns 30 ships for a i

variety of purposes. A baker in Honiara said that an improved telecommunication structure will encourage expansion of his, and other companies to

provincial capitals. In neighboring Vanuatu, a scheme been developed to

make a joint schedule of all boats to service places on rotation. Some

would win profitable routes some time and the less profitable ones at 11

I

others. Boat owners would be jointly responsible to pay a route controller.

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In the Cooks, ships are necessary for the exportation of fruit crops.

The New Zealand market is secure, but trips infrequent; the Cook Islands

Government would prefer a schedule of ships every two weeks in order to open

new markets in Niue and Pago Pago.

Conclusion

Throughout the Pacific, enormous distances between small island

communities have coupled with the vagaries of colonial history to prevent

the development of an adequate communications infrastructure. As a result,

transportation has had to function as communication, and shipping has played

a major role in this use of transportation. The utilization of transportation as communication is expensive and time consuming, but until an adequate

communications system is available to remote areas, the two will not be

able to be separated, Indeed, neither system--transportation nor communication--is sufficiently developed for the growing needs of the region--and

each must augment the other in order to provide even the most basic services

to the portion of the population beyond the urban centers.

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4.3.3

SUPPLY AND PRODUCTION

AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, COOPERATIVES

AND COMMODITIES BOARD; TOURISM AND ENERGY

"Communication is holding the country back. It is absolutely

vital that we have better telecommunications. It is costing

us dearly in terms of economic development." i

Federated States of Micronesia f

Ag ricultural Extension

Agriculture, especially in rural areas of remote provinces, is a

likely source of growing revenue throughout the Pacific. In Vanuatu the

number of agricultural field officers will double shortly to a hundred

in anticipation of agriculture growth. Such developments in supply and

production to support the local economy will require improvements in the

r

existing communications network.

The biggest problem according to agriculturalists in the Solomons

i

is "getting from place to place and having regular access to telecommunication

facilities." A major difficulty is that extension workers who want to communicate with the central office--whether agriculture, forestries, minerals,

management, land cadastre--must leave their field tasks and travel miles--

often hours--to a fixed radio, usually daily to speak on a fixed schedule

to the capital. Fixed scheduling has several inconvenient features besides

the fact that it interrupts one's field efforts. The allotted time

is usually too short to accommodate orders, requests, clarifications and

answers to specific questions. Thus, it is not hard to understand that

people do not finish transmitting in the allotted time and often run over

into another department's slot. A typical 15-minute departmental time

lam/
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allotment may have to accommodate the exchange of information among

several dozen people. At best the system is unwieldy, at worst it is

unworkable and is often viewed by users as worse than no communication

at all.

In countries where there are field radio phones available but

no such scheduling procedures, extension workers are required to book

calls well in advance. They are typically disturbed by the interruption

of their work, by long waits and often find that faulty equipment prohibits

a reasonable discussion or solutions to their problems. Worst of all,

they have no assurance that the official they are calling will be available

when they get through.

Broadcast radio is a means of providing farmers with advisory

service. In Tonga notice of what crops to bring to town are announced

on the radio as are other messages and notices to specific land holders.

In cases where there is no communications, agriculture work is

further complicated. For example, in one Micronesian country officials

discussed that agriculture experts who are sent to outer islands atolls on

field trip ships have no way of anticipating the specific needs of atoll

dwellers. In one instance an expert arrived to find a flea infestation

but had no supplies with which to alleviate the problem. Atoll residents

had to wait until the next field trip (5 to 8 weeks) for relief.

Research is another communications-related problem in agriculture.

Typically one-third of a Pacific nation's agriculture budget is devoted to

research. Virtually every country is engaged in testing fertilizers,

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herbicides, and insecticides, the introduction of new plants

and breeding for better livestock for local farmers. Similar research

is repeated from country to country but agriculture experts have

limited means of communicating with one another and are not accustomed

to comparing or utilizing each other's results. With limited total

resources the result is that more agriculture experts are engaged in

possible redundant research while fewer are available for

essential extension work with farmers.

Fisheries

The development of fisheries is considered essential to the

economic survival by authorities in a number of Pacific countries.

i.

Yet authorities note that improved telecommunications are essential

for the management of fishing, both in terms of licensing and monitoring

of foreign fishing vessels and in terms of tracking migratory species,

inventorying of the catch, processing and marketing. The Federated

States of Micronesia, for example, considers fi.shi.ng a vital primary

industry. One official noted that the current estimated catch from

Japanese fishing vessels in FSM waters is 30 to 60 thousand tons

each year. With the price of oil going up, he believes it will not

be long before it will become desirable to process the catch within

the Federated States of Micronesia, thus reducing travel time and

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expense on the part of the Japanese fishing fleet.

The Federated States of Micronesia is therefore planning for the

establishment of facilities to process fish.

One federal authority noted: "Communication is so critical

because fish is so competitive. To be world class we must have communications."

In Ponape state, the Economic Development Authority is working

toward implementation of a scheme to have a fish-carrier/ice-maker

equipped ship to serve the five atolls. Fisherman on each atoll would

fish with the large vessel for six weeks, the catch frozen and stored

in the mother ship for eventual shipment to market. The scheme, according to EDA authorities, is dependent upon a reliable communication system

that will allow notification of atoll dwellers of ship arrival time and

will enable the ship to remain in contact with headquarters on Ponape

for safety, weather and surveillance information, record keeping and

exchange of market information.

The Tongan government, also aware of the importance of fish to

the economy, has a scheme whereby $10,000 fishing boats are built for villages

or for individual fishermen with a 50% government subsidy. There is no problem marketing fish in Tonga. According to authorities, 15,000 pounds of

fish can be sold in one day in the Nuku'alofa market alone. Tonga does,

however, have serious communication problems with its fishing fleet. Currently, even when there is a shipboard radio, contact from shore or from another

ship must be made through the Telephone and Telegraph authority in Nuku'alofa.
-141-

Information on catch, fishing boat location and marketing could be

conveyed more conveniently and rapidly, according to fisheries personnel,

If they were able to make direct contact with fishing boats. Tonga

fisheries officials have devised a scheme where refrigerated ships call

twice weekly at the Vavau and Hapai island groups to collect fish. Fish

can then be transhiped to Pago Pago in Amer ican Samoa, where^ `he nearest

cannery is located. The scheme, however, is unwieldy in the face of

inadequate ground communication systems on the two island groups and

between the groups and Nuku'alofa. This problem is complicaced by the

inadequate ship to shore communication system that requires telephone

system interconnection.

In American Samoa, fishing is currently considered the primary

economic base and authorities view reliable communication structures as

a necessity for keeping that base strong. Telephone officials in American

Samoa note that fishing fleets are among their best customers and require

direct telephone and data links to Taiwan, Korea, the United States and

Western Samoa.

Tourism

The introduction of tourism in most Pacific island countries is

recent enough for government leaders not to know whether the benefits outweigh the liabilities; but they are certain that the introduction of tourism

is a highly-profitable income generating industry.

Tourism's development--whether large scale or small and selective--

requires a certain minimum level of communication infrastructure to facilitate

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air and hotel booking. People will not travel without the assurance of

confirmed air transportation and lodging. Communications are also required

to assure tourists a reasonable supply of minimal goods and services.

Supply is uneven, Without adequate communications, it is often a chore

just to keep available items promised on a printed menu.

Two contrasting approaches to tourism illustrate the need for

communication, The Waikiki model of large hotels, isolated from the local

population, provided entertainment and recreation designed specifically for

the tourist--includes as a component the goal of providing tourists with

bedside international telephone connection. Large resorts in some Pacific

island countries are being designed to follow this model.

Culture contact in such resorts is minimal, Benefits are from

employment opportunities and the spreading of the communications dnd transportation infrastructure to new areas.

On the other end of the spectrum is the building of small remote

tourism destinations that appeal to the adventuresome tourist. One such

example is Namale Plantation on an outer island of Fiji connected to the

nearby town and to Suva by a single telephone. Telex is available at the

local post office. Tourists at this resort have such specialized interests

as ornithology and archeology. They are motivated by an interest in local

life. Such tourists revealed that they did not want the intrusion of

International or national telephones except for emergency purposes.

In Papua New Guinea tourism has no established place as yet in

the national development strategy although the government seems to prefer to

develop tourism on the second small-scale model. Officials spoke of the

desirability of a number of small tourism developments in several provinces

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rather than one or two primary tourist destinations. A major benefit of

this approach is preservation of unique aspects of local cultures without commercial exploitation of the values of the society while tourists benefit from

performances, sale of handicrafts and accompanied field trips. One such

lodge won an international award for the preservation of culture and heritage.

Hundreds of Miles from the capital and far from any manor town, this facility

Is connected to the outside by VHF radio and a grass airstrip.

39,000 tourists visited Papua New Guinea for an average of 14 days

each in 1980. In Fiji where both models of tourism are found, 188,000

visitors on 9 -day visits generated $108 million revenue.

No matter what kind of tourism these countries choose to develop

a minimum reliable communication system is a requisite for the needs of

the industry.

Cooperative Societies and Commodities Boards

A number of countries visited are using the establishment of

marketing cooperatives as a means of encouraging rural dwellers in cash

crop production and as a means of bringing down t1 drice of goods available

to rural people. Somc cjuperative authorities who were interviewed expressed

frustration in establishing well run cooperatives without the assistance

of a communication infrastructure.

On Ponape, for example, one cooperative official stated that his

organization would be able to save $100,000 by reducing inventory if it

had a means of communicating rapidly with all its member cooperatives. He

also noted that the lack of communications complicates ordering for member
u T,

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organizations. (Atolls are not ordering because they worry they owe too

much alrzady.) In order to buy copra, the cooperatives need to be plugged

into rltorN market prices.

T¢=? Fiji cooperative marketing authority has installed telex at

several large town collection centers to help with the marketing of produce

collected from members farmers and to tie together the cooperative marketing

managers with international buyers and prices. Authorities reported that

the new system had markedly improved the cooperatives' ability to maintain

a balance between prices offered small holders and income from the sale of

their produce.

The weakest links are between cooperatives and farmers and

between mobile buyers and officers. There is an expressed need for trucks

to have two-way radio to be kept informed of market prices and to keep

officers informed of incoming goods to enable the encouragement of the

timely sale of perishable items.

In some countries commodity boards take on some of the functions

of cooperatives acting as middlemen between the farmer and wholesaler or

between farmer and retailer.

In Papua New Guinea the government has established commodities

boards for copra, coffee, cocoa and palm oil. The boards serve as

regulating authorities, setting standards for products, arid also serve

as collecting agencies and marketers. Here, too, authorities pointed to

the difficulties of managing the collection and sale -f products without

adequate communication. The difficulties include the notification of

small landholders or villages concerning collection. Broadcast radio for

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example is often the only means of informing farmers about the arrival

dates of copra collecting vessels. If no one in a village has listened a

at the proper time, or if atmospheric conditions have interfered with

reception, copra boats may arrive to find that copra has not been

readied for shipment. That failure in turn, leaves farmers without the

immediate cash income provided by the copra buyer--who may not return

for many months.

Power

Officials in several countries state unequivocally that power

is the greatest problem that they face. Without a source of reVable

power supply, development is stymied. Rising fuel costs compound the

problem for governments with small budgets and numerous far flung atoll

communities to serve.

On Ponape, for example, officials state that the current

expenditure for fuel is $1.5 million annually and estimate that by 1984

the government will spend $5 million, or one-third the entire state

budget for imported fossil fuel unless alternate energy sources are

dr veloped.

Current power supplies on many islands are unreliable because of

the lack of fuel and generator breakdown.

On a remote Cook island, the hospital generator broke down and

was carried to Rarotonga for the entire following year; the doctor substituded his own personal generator for power in the hospital. When the

repaired generator finally was returned from Rarotonga, the doctor immediately

i

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sent his in for servicing, only to discover that the hospital generator

did not work.

In Micronesia power fluctuations damage electrically-run

equipment and throughout the Pacific power outages are frequent. In

one Polynesian en*ity some residents record the number of outages per

day and the number c minutes (sometimes hours) of each instance. On

the day of one visit the interviewee had recorded seven outages; the

previous week he had recorded over 9 hours without electricity. Yet,

in a neighboring country power outages are not common and are described

as accidental.

Alternatives

k

Many of these countries have sought alternative sources of

power. On Ponape, for example, there is interest in reestablishing a

hydro-electric system successfully operated during the pre-World War II

Japanese mandate. They are exploring the use of bio-mass in place of l

fossil fuels to run generating plant.

Vanuatu is completing a micro-wave spine to provide the islands

with a basic communications system. Each tower will be powered by a

large array of solar panels. Western Samoa is making efforts to utilize

t solar power and wind.

Other countries are also moving toward solar power. Western

Samoa's "country sets", providing a radio link from clinics on the island

A^

of Savaii to Apia, the capita'., on the island of Upolu, are powered by

r,

solar panels which officials report are extremely successful. Palau is

moving toward solar energy for water heating and individuals in many
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countries are doing the same. Tonga is using windmills for pumping

water, in some remote areas.

Not all efforts to employ alternative sources of energy

have been successful. Despite findings of a visiting team of energy

experts, officials in one island country elected to install a diesel

generator on an outer island that the visiting team had determined

ideal for harnessing wind power. Forecasts of the cost of power to

local consumers are estimated at $140.00 per household per month.

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4.3.4

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT FOR LOCAL BENEFIT

"Development plans need to suit the place, the

temperament and the resources - then relate

to the budget."

Cook Islands

Some of the islands in the Pacific--and certainly the sea surrounding

them--are resource rich and are the focus of interest by foreign companies.

Pacific nations are currently engaged in the formulation of policy on

such outside interest; governments are attempting to protect themselves from

the invasion of foreign interest for quick profit, from the depletion of

their natural resources, description of their social systems and outflow of

government funds for an infrastructure that will accommodate outsiders' needs

rather than the nation's own.

At the same time governments recognize that the utilization of local

resources by outsiders can be of benefit to the local community if managed

correctly. A major benefit can be the providing of infrastructure in rural

areas rich in natural resources.

Development for local benefit requires early consideration of a communications system appropriate to meet the needs of a proposed oroJect; it must

keep the project in touch with the local community, national center and it

should anticipate, the project's requirement for international connections.

The development of such a communications system would enable local business

local labor and local service industries to benefit from contract with

the newly-planned venture.

The development of communications and other aspects of the infrastructure to meet the needs of such an enterprise--given proper planning--
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leaves the community with an infrastructure that can be used to continue

economic benefits to the area should the initial project's life span

be limited.

In response to such anticipated developments as the growth of

tourism, and an elaborate proposed pineapple scheme, the Cook Islands

are concentrating on the construction of an outer island airport.

The Government offers and designs heavy equipment and planning expertise, while the local island council supplies free, local labor.

Both tourism and agriculture are labor intensive and their scales are

sufficiently adaptable to meet specific interests of the various

islands of the nation. The scale of outer island tourism is, of

course, relatively skeleton for services from which local people can

benefit is being constructed.

Progress is often slow and local benefits are sometimes obscured

by overriding concerns of those engaged in business; airlines, breweries,

shipping outfitters and importers require vast resources, and infrastructures that support them are expensive. Local benefit seems to

be primarily in the form of jobs and the growth of secondary services

industries.

Extensive employment possibilities do exist if schemes are

monitored for local benefit. Ok Tedi, a huge mining operation in the

remote mountainous area of Papua New Guinea near the West Irian (Indonesia)

border will require services, transport and will provide jobs for hundreds
S

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4 of people. Prices will rise and the problem remains that local

people without benefit from Ok Tedi employment will have to

compete for goods with people in the cash economy.

Projections estimate Ok Tedi will be mined out in 30 years.

Hopefully local people will be sufficiently trained to work elsewhere and the highly developed infrastructure the mine requires will

encourage other auxiliary interests and commerce into the area. The

Government has determined that secondary services and trades such as

bus services, restaurants, laundry, trade stores, trucking, secondary

construction and other services--are reserved local ownership. P & T

points out that because of the scale of Ok Tedi and the need for international

links, they have been required to put in a microwave spine in the area.

Experience in Papua New Guinea has shown that such development of a

communications spine will immediately produce a demand for telephone

services both along the way at the mining site and in the communications

development to support the operation.

If the government does implement its plans for training people

to take over service industries in the area and if it plans for new

sources of economic enterprise when the mine is depleted, then the

benefits to the local community will be permanent and self-sustaining.

Lumber schemes have attracted the interest of provincial

politicians in some heavily forested Melanesian islands. Developers

have promised local employment, the creation of roads and a communications
-151-

system and the emplacement of a permanent saw milling operation, whereas in reality, local employment is minimal z,nd temporary, road construction

is limited to a track or wide path, communications is a removable CB system

and the milling operation is a portable forest mill. Their temporary

employment and the contribution of a flimsy physical support sys,`em

could not make up for the eroded soil and deforestation from which 3

the island is unlikely to recover ever.

Typically, this type of operation does little local milling.

The logs are exported to the international spot market on ships owned

and operated by the timber company. Thus jobs and lumber are not

for local benefit. What remains is a royalty sufficiently large enough

to intrigue customary land holders into cooperating. Claims to such

royalties are disputed, the money is quickly spent, the roads, communication and milling operation disappear, and worst of all, villages 1

have no timber; the land is so eroded it will support neither agriculture nor reforestation.

A 41.
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5. THE TECHNOLOGY: ENGINEERING OPTIONS, STRATEGIES

FOR IMPLEMENTATION, AND COST/BENEFIT RELATIONSHIPS 4

The history of telecommunications in many countries has

involved a step by step progress through what has been historically

available, e.g., moving from telephone systems to adoption of radio,

then television, and so on. Some countries have had the money and

k

,

the luxury of time to plan for and implement many complementary

communications systems that can co-exist and provide a rich array

of services.

In developing countries, and especially in the Pacific Basin,

both time and money are at a premium. Time is a factor because as the

rest of the world increases its telecommunications sophistication, the

island nations may fall further and further behind. The constraint of

money has to do with the relatively small populations in most of the

entities and the relative lack of highly developed business enterprises,

although there are a few exceptions to this generalization.

In what follows, both constraints are kept in mind, and

telecommunications options are proposed that are felt to be uniquely

appropriate for the Pacific Basin region.

One caveat should be kept in mind. As research on new

technologies progresses, there will likely be options not mentioned

here or not seen as feasible at present. Fortunately, the trend will be

i

toward more options at increasingly affordable prices even for the Pacific.
q

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.

5,1 REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ISLAND NATIONS

As indicated in section 1.2, there is a great variation among the

island nations of the Pacific. This variation is not only economic but

extends to needs and capabilities. To some extent, these three elements

are interrelated. During the course of this study, an extensive amount of

telecommunications traffic information was obtained and analyzed. Classical,

North American and European traffic estimating techniques were attempted

using the Pacific data,

Several models of traffic flow were constructed, but for every data

point that supported a model, another denied the model's validity. It may

also be the case that prior attempts by others to establish such models

may have been based on inadequate or incomplete data, thus explaining the

lack of one uniform Pacific model after all these years.

As shown in Figure 5.1.1, the variation, even within an island nation,

is so great as to thwart these classical approaches. Discussions with the

islanders have shown that there is indeed such variation. Because the

state of development of individual telephone exchanges is so diverse and

so ripe for further development, it is hazardous to extrapolate traffic

requirements based on what is presently occurring. The Pacific Basin is both

a grossly underserved area and encompasses wide variations. Each island and

village is unique unto itself.

Other studies were reviewed that use the normal technique of extraiolating from the present traffic on either a linear or exponential growth

)asis. This type of extrapolation does not seem realistic for the area

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because of its substantial underdevelopment from a telecommunications

standpoint. In many respects, it is like trying to estimate the number

of television sets that would be in use in the United States in 1981, based

on information available in 1941.

An alternative approach (and the one taken here) is to define and

describe what each relevant communications technology might provide at

the minimal or most modest level of design. For example, we can project

the capacity and service capabilities of the smallest economical satellite.

The capacity in each case may be in excess of the present and linearly

extrapolated demand. But just as is the case with roadways, telecommunications traffic has a way of filling all of the available capacity in a

remarkably short time, often in defiance of earlier predictions.

The first Atlantic submarine telephone cable was laid in 1956. At

that time, the builders, having full access to all the data available, estimated TAT-1 would be filled in 1966. In fact, several generations of cables

(plus satellites) were needed to meet the demand by that year.

Communication has a broader meaning in the Pacific than in most other

parts of the world. Any form of information exchange or service is considered to be a form of communication. This can mean that island shipping,

agricultural transactions, and air transport are all spoken of as "communicating." Certainly, communication plays an integral role to all of these

functions, and the current lack of adequate communications (as illustrated

in section 4 of this study) presents unique challenges.

The interplay between telecommunications and marine resources is very

important. The island nations are very dependent upon the waters that surround

them. Aeronautical mobile services play an important role in communications.

4,
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Any system must consider the intimate relationship between land, sea

and air users.

Appendix D shows some of the techniques used in this study.

These resulted in a number of candidate forms of telecommunications being

studied (see Appendix E).

The existing resources in the area are indicated in Appendix F.

Based upon the detailed studies made by the field team, it

appears rather unlikely that major improvements in telecommunications,

either domestically or internationally, can be brought about on an

individual nation-by-nation basis. Each nation is either physically

two small or economically too poor to invest in a major terrestrial

system change. Satellites, as explained further on in this section,

offer an opportunity to break the present cycle, but because of the

investment cost and operational characteristics, are best provided on

a regional basis.

Fortunately, the spirit of regional cooperation is already

present in the Pacific, and the mechanisms for bringing about a regional

telecommunications system are substantially in place.

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-156-

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`arJ,

5.2 OPERATIONAL ALTERNATIVES

As indicated in Appendix E, a number of different techniques for

meeting the needs of the Pacific were examined. (See Table 5.2.1). As

noted in section 4, a primary and the most pervasive need is for improved

telephony, followed closely by the need for better message transmission.

The geoeconomics of the Pacific island nations present a particularly

severe challenge to the telecommunications designer. In many instances,

line-of-sight communications are impractical because of the distances

between various islands. Early in the present study, a hypothetical chain

of microwave stations for several isla:.d groups was considered. These

were later compared with the actual in-place routes. The presence of low,

uninhabited islands made many of these routes economically impractical.

This is an example of what can happen when systems are designed based

solely on data from maps and using traditional techniques without benefit

of site visits confirm practicability. This exercise also failed to take

into account the widely varying development of telecommunications within

each nation.

Detailed examination of some of the in-place routes revealed that,

using existing Northern Hemisphere standards, there were links that some

engineers would pronounce theoretically unworkable, yet they were in service.

It is apparent that in some engineering areas, the world can learn much from

operations in the Pacific. Due to the unique rainfall and equatorial propagation conditions, there are some important differences from traditional

higher latitude engineering configurations.

0
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1

Ha Far :4:4, 1^acific island telecommunications for the future are

concet.vpd, cA by ro are several choi :es oval i 4 ^ ' n:

Ito nothiou

Continuv with ;p- tlsent systems (including modest upgrading)

Slowly a,Rcalerate growth of present systems (includin g, addition

of ne,q faaailities)

Establish an Integrated Communications Sy.s em

It was appbrr0 at the users' meeting in Suva, Fiji (June, 1981) that

the first two Wirnz0vos are unacceptable to the island nations represented. There seemed to be considerable impatience with the rate at

which regional telecommunications are being improved. There was an impatience to jump ahead to a more advanced system that would allow catching

up with other parts of the world. And there was widespread interest in

integrating communications satellites into existing and planned systems.

The remainder of this section describes the two primary alternatives:

(1) slowly accelerating the growth of present systems, including 'the

addition of interim satellite capability ces+ond what is presently available; and (2) introducing a regional satellite capacity.

A number of different forms of telecommunications were studio•„ as

possible solutions for the Pacific. There was particular concentration

on approaches other than communications satellites to determine if some

single or combined system short of satellites would be beneficial, Appendix E lists some of these alternatives. A Few represent the addition of

` more HF or wire systems. Others, such as extensive submarine cables, were

discarded becausr- of cost. Still others, such as high altitude balloon

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repeaters, floating reflectors, fiber optic submarine strands, etc.,

while intriguing, had to be dismissed because the technologies are not

far enough advanced to give the assurance that they would operate

reliably or economically in the coming ten to fifteen years.

One common system kept reappearing as feasible, and it involved

some form of satellite relay. This approach is consistent with the

thrust of the Kiribati Forum of Prime Ministers, which resolved that:

"The Forum concluded that it was the wish of its

island member countries to join in a suitable consortium

for national satellite telecommunications and that this

should be made known to the major telecommunications institutions with responsibilities in the satellite area,

and also noted the possibility that the Australian government would take into account this view when finalizing its

own national s:ellite system." (July, 1980)

A further persuasive point with regard to the satellite option

comes to light in reviewing the experience in Indonesia with the

PALAPA system which is being used to serve other countries, e.g., the

Phillipines, Thailand, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea. As Wf, the Pacific

region generally, in Indonesia there was the problem of many Islands

spread over great distances. These islands had differing communicat2ons system prior to the establishment of PALAPA, and although many

were linked by high frequency radio, this service was generally not

available on a 24-hour basis. As was noted in a U.N. study:

The difficulty of communicating with remote areas

was a great obstacle to national development, particularly

since the development of more remove areas has been a

national priority. . . . Extension of conventional links to

new areas would have been a slow and expensive process. Y

1/

_ "Relevance of Space Activities to Econo!^ic and Social Development,"

a background paper for the Second United Nations Conference on the

Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, April, 1981, p. 16.

yi

5

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favorable. The system

of new links, although

the good quality terRather, it was planned

itions systems in the

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-160-

The experience in Indonesia since the introduction of

the first PALAPA satellite in 1976 has been

has permitted relatively rapid introduction

it was deliberately designed not to replace

restrail circuits in areas of high demand.

to be integrated into the existing communic

country.

Thus, it appears that the satellite choice is unique in

that it offers a high quality, distance insensitive solution but

also preserves national options.

Table 5.2.2 lists various service options that might be

provided and describes each one briefly. Just as in the case of a

restaurant, this can be thought of as a menu. Each nation may make

its own selections, independent of other nations in the region. There

are in the Pacific Basin a few countries that will have need of most

of these services in the immediate future. Other entities can move

more slowly toward adoption.

5.2.1 Interim System Incorporating Existing Satellites

The first alternative for meeting Pacific Basin communications

needs, and the most realistic for the next five years, involves the

provision of temporary (gap filling) telecommunications capacity from

existing satellites that cover all or part of the Pacific, The choice

is rather limited if all island nations are to be served, although

an interim system, by definition, may not be We to nerve all who

,could like to have satellite services Given curreiW. optima, several

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frequency bands are possible.

Military satellites operate in the UHF (Fleetsatcom and Leasat)

and 7230 to 8400 MHz bands (DSCS). Because of their missions (national

defense) they are not suited for commercial and government to government

communications (except under certain limited circumstances).

Figure 5.2.1 shows the coverage provided by existing satellites in

the frequency band at 4 and 6 GHz (1 GHz = 1000 MHz). The bulk of this

traffic is provided by INTELSAT satellites that are positioned neal'y

overhead.

The highest frequency to be considered is the frequency pair of 12

and 14 GHz. This band will be available principally from the Australian

National Satellite Communications System (ANSCS), Figure 5,2,2 shows the

coverage existing and planned for cnt these frequencies. Not all Pacific

nations would be covered by the planned first generation ANSCS. The configuration of the second generation system is under study. The ANSCS incorporates some direct broadcasting capabilities and therefrre will be particularly advantageous in the provision of this form of telecommunications.

Figure 5.2.3 shows the coverage of the Maritime satellites (Marisat

and other satellites in the INMARSAT system), '--'uding INTELSAT V's with

the Maritime Communications Subsystem. These satellites operate in the

1.5 to 1.6 GHz band. At present, the INMARSAT system does not allow any

fixed satellite stations. (A fixed satellite station means that the earth

does not move about). It may be possible to approach INMARSAT for the

provision of a temporary fixed-station service for a predetermined period

of time until some other option (perhaps the Integrated Communications

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System) is initiated. INMARSAT, headquartered in London, will need as

much revenue as possible in the early years; it therefore might 6e willing

to accommodate on a temporary basis the needs of the Pacific islands.

The most reasonable option for an interim service would appear

to be the use of the INTELSAT system coupled with low-cost earth

stations. Clearly, not all the locales requiring services in each of

i

the island nations can afford to purchase (or operate) an INTELSAT "A"

or "B" station. While such facilities can be and often are located at

national capitals, the extension of satellite services into very rural

areas is now lacking. However, two factors have come into play in recent

months that may change the picture insofar as the projected accessibility

and affordability of an integrated INTELSAT system.

First, in June 1981, the INTELSAT Board of Governors authorized a

new study that will examine and assess the expected demand for domestic

satellite services, with particular attention to thin-route rural and

island communications. !/ In discussions with INTELSAT staff, 2/ it has

become apparent that there is considerable interest in finding ways to

break through the problems presented by an area such as the Pacific Basin,

namely, low demand (at least at present) over a broad area coupled with

limited ability to pay. One implication of the study seems to be that

INTELSAT might consider establishing some type of regional tariff rather

than attempting to deal with each island nation separately. In this scenario, there would have to be a regional entity that could act as the official

contracting body on behalf of the participating nations.

1/ Press Release, "News-Nouvelles-Noticias," 1NTELSV, 'Nnshington, D.C.,

30 June, 1981.

2/ PSSC Pacific Basin Study Team discussions with Bussress Planning staff,

INTELSAT, Washington, D.C., August 12, 1981.
I TX

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INTELSAT has begun a study of low-cost C-band earth stations

that could transmit and receive voice and data. It hopes to be able

to demonstrate that a 4 to 6-meter, low side lobe antenna can be constructed to work with the current INTELSAT spacecraft global beam.

While it is premature to predict price, INTELSAT hopes that for small

orders (less than 100), the earth station could sell for around

$25,000. For orders approaching 1,000, the price might drop to

approximately $15,000. Assuming that demand would build over the next

ten years to a maximum requirement by 1992 of 3,000 low-cost C-band

earth stations, the capital investment required (in 1981 dollars)

would be between $36 million and $45 million. The cost to any one

government, however, would be relatively modest, and operational costs

are also likely to be low.

Given the fact that INTELSAT is just beginning to look at rural

and thin-route special needs, it may be unwise to predict what type

of new tariff (if any) will be designed. However, in terms of the

operational structure of the system as it might work in the Pacific,

the following assumptions could be made:

1) That the capital in each country (or other entity) would

be likely to have one standard A or B station.

2) That outlying districts, towns, or other population centers

would each have one of the low-cost earth stations.

3) That each A or B station could access a pool of circuits

that could, in turn, be shared with the "slave" (low-cost)

earth stations.

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More will be said in Section 5.4 about management of such a

system.

Should an Integrated Communications System (ICS) satellite

(described below) become operational, there is the problem of transitioning equipment from either the INMARSAT or INTELSAT frequency band

into the (proposed) ICS 2,500 MHz. With proper planning, some of the

elements (antennas and baseband equipment) can be utilized at either

frequency, and, therefore, can be incorporated into the ICS.

There are certain problems associated with an INTELSAT system

solution in the Pacific, and these are detailed in Appendix E. One

limitation is that if the existing satellites in their present locations

are used, this means that the global antenna coverage pattern must be

employed because of the particular antenna beam configuration of the

satellites. Through deliberate design, the hemi and zone beams cover

the rim nations in the Pacific and completely ignore the island nations

in the middle. There is a substantial EIRP reduction when the global

beams are used instead of the hemi or zone beams.

For some time, the various INTELSAT satellite location plans have

i

shown INTELSAT V's going into the Pacific sometime around 1982 or 1983.

Each of these plans seems to vary in timing and as to what satellite goes

where, but there does seem to be a consistencyin the plan to locate some

of these satellites in the Pacific. At C-band, the satellites have the

same difficulties as the older satellites. Their coverage is either

global (low EIRP) or hemi-zone beams aimed at the extreme edges of

coverage. The two spot beams (both at 14/12 GHz) can be moved, but it

n+ a
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does not appear that they can be movdd far enough south to get anywhere

near the island nations of interest. These beams also tend to be relatively small and present conductivity difficulties. In addition, there

is thr question of the use of Ku-band in areas where the rain exceeds

100 inches per year.

Another type of satellite option that presents itself (short of

configuration of a new system) is the overlapping use of existing or

proposed domestic satellites that cover at least some of the countries

In question. The plans for the Australian system have already been noted.

The PALAPA satellites provide service to countries neighboring Indonesia.

(See Figure 5.2.1). In the U.S., at least two carriers may have excess

capacity on new satellites that could be used for some Pacific service, _ p

u,

assuming that problems of INTELSAT agreements and other legalities could

be resolved.

Western Union, with its TDRSS (tracking and data relay satellite

system), expects to have spare capacity at C-band that can be leased

on the satellite positioned furthest west (171 degrees). This satellite,

which will have a footprint that covers a substantial portion of the

Pacific, may not have enough power to operate at its NASA-assigned frequencies simultaneously with C-band, or, if the C-band antenna is used,

there may be insufficient power for it to continue beyond four or five

years. Hdwever, there may be enough time for an interim system to provide

service. There would also be a need to reorient the antenna for coverage

of island nations south of the equator, and that decision would

have to be made in the near future / before manufacturing is completed.

Conversations between PSSC project staff and Ralph Morris, Western

Union Government Systems, June, 1980, and August, 1981.

I 

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Also, NASA may not station-keep TDRSS as precisely as commercial domestic

satellites are kept, so if a Pacific service were offered, it might be

necessary to arrange for additional tracking capability, adding to system

cost. NASA itself would have to approve any special use of the satellite.

Another option has recently surfaced in connection with the sale

by RCA of a complete C-band satellite to Alascom Inc. for service to

the state of Alaska. The satellite will be parked at 143 degrees west,

and while the footprint has not been released (as of this writing), it is

possible that at least a portion of the eastern Pacific Basin may be

covered, although it is likely that the coverage will be far north of

the equator. Thus, to obtain better overall coverage, a second antenna

would need to be added. Alascom has indicated that some excess capacity

may be available for leasing on a preemptible basis, but these conversations have been very preliminary.

The chief advantages of using existing or planned domestic or

regional satellites ure: (1) cost, since the space segment presumably

exists and earth station technology has been developed; (2) availability,

since the systems are or soon will be in operation; (3) reliable frequencies, since most of these systems operate at C-band or Ku-band, although

the latter presents problems with rain attenuation. Chief drawbacks

include: (1) lack of a single, coordinated system for the Pacific; (2)

the need to establish new legal mechanisms (except if the INTELSAT system

were to be used); (3) the possibility that in the future, coordination

between and among these disparate systems and the user nations would

1/ Conversations between PSSC Project Staff and Alascom, August, 1981.

J na _

4 x
_ -- . _. .

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become increasingly difficult and costly,

Plainly for an interim system, increased uses of existing

satellites and improved earth station technology will provide some

of the answers. It may even be that the INTELSAT system, with lower

cost ground stations and increased satellite capacity in the Pacific

can be seen as adequate. What follows in this section suggests an

alternative approach beyond the interim solutions.

5.2.2 The Integrated Communications System

The 2,500 MHz (2.5 GHz) frequency band was allocated at the

World Administrative Radio Conference of 1979 (WARC-79) for Region 3

with the express thought of permitting integrated telecommunications

in the Pacific. Within the frequency range of 2,500 to 2,690 MHz, the

operations of both Fixed Satellite Services (namely those in which the

earth station does not move) and Maritime Mobile Satellite Services are

permitted. Direct Broadcasting is also allowed in this band. Appendix G

shows the WARC-79 Region 3 regulations that pertain to this particular

part of the radio spectrum in the Pacific. It is further observed that,

under the proper regional allocation, the Aeronauti:al Mobile Satellite

Service might be permitted on an exception basis due to the geographical

remoteness of the Pacific islands. Obviously, a formal proposal for

such an exception would have to be made by the appropriate group of

nations or consortium. If land, sea, and air stations can be incorporated within the same frequency band and through a common satellite, then

a truly Integrated Communications System can be achieved.
91

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There is a successful history of S-band satellites, including

ATS-6, INSAT-1, and Arabsat. Currently, antennas for the latter two

are planned at 4 and 6 meters, respectively, but since television will

be transmitted on these systems, it can be assumed that smaller antennas

could be used for voice/data only as may be most appropriate in the

Pacific.

The 2,500 MHz frequency band is less demanding as far as equipment

is concerned. This is particularly true in the case of antennas. In

some configurations, p imple antennas made of chicken wire or mesh

screening may be considered. The local fabrication of these antennas

is within the realm of possibility. In both India and Indonesia this is

already taking place. Unlike many satellite designs that emphasize

extreme communications channel capacity, the Integrated Communications

System satellite would be concerned with making the earth stations inexpensive and easy to use.

The selection of a 2,500 MHz satelIite as the centerpiece of the

Integrated Communications System has operational advantages that will

make maintenance and training easier than other satellite frequency

choices. In many respects it is more forgiving of imperfect installations

and maintenance than higher frequencies. This frequency tends to be relatively independent of rainfall. Higher frequencies, especially at 14/12

GHz, are sensitive to the heavy downpours that are regularly experienced

in the Pacific region (See Figure 5.2.4). There should be little interference with other systems.

Because of difficulties in generating DC power, the use of

low power uplink transmitters is desirable. This would permit the use

of solar power systems, thus circumventing many of the usual power supply

^1
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problems. This would be of particular advantage on the out-islands

where power is unreliable, if available at all. It also eliminates

the need to haul in petroleum and to maintain rotating machinery.

Insofar as necessary, existing terrestrial equipment would be

used to access the Integrated. Communications System earth stations.

Depending on cost of these earth stations and the ability of user

nations to pay, it may be that in some cases a "final mile" terrestrial

link will not be necessary since communications can terminate at the

earth station location.

Because there would be some changes in the routing of telephone

and telex calls, some of the existing equipment would be relocated into

other feeder trunks. It is not the intent of this system to eliminate

existing communications equipment (except where such elimination was both

practical and desirable from the point of view of the user). Rather, the

ICS includes use of each nation's communications infrastructure and, where

desirable, it would relocate some of the present equipment into other

(new)routes, thereby extending service further to the outer population

centers.

Table 5.2.5 indicates the probable costs of an S-band satellite

system in 1980 dollars. Not included are projections of operational

dollars on an annual basis. While it is safe to assume that inflation

may decrease the value of the 1980 dollar, it is also safe to assume that

some costs may be reduced in coming years, so the overall estimate may be

reasonably correct even five years out.

Figure 5.2.5 shows the present day mix of various forms of technologies. It is not to scale. Figure 5.2.6 shows the reconfiguration

f

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at some future time after the Integrated Communications System has been

introduced and deployed, The equipment from 1981 is retained in Figure

5.2.6.

The regional satellite approach may permit the system design to

be flexible enough to grow into other forms of communications as each

island nation's requirements change. In this manner, it can simultaneously accommodate the requirements of the most and least advanced

island nations in the region. This flexibility can be used to enhance

the growth of each nation individually and at a pace chosen by that

nation. The region need not force any nation into areas for which it

is not prepared.

The Integrated Communications System is so called because it

handles both island-to-island traffic (and, in the case of large island,

intrr-island traffic), maritime and aeronautical communications simultaneously. It is envisioned that each station (whether on a ship or on

land) would have its own telephone and it would be equally easy to call

from a ship, home or office.

The Integrated Communications System offers unique features in

several respects. Unlike the Forum Line (where the ships must be used

sequentially), the ICS permits all users to au:ess it simultaneously, no

matter how large or small their needs (within reason). There is no

waiting for service. In addition to being a collection of national

systems, the ICS may also be used on a regional basis for certain

functions where resource sharing may be desired. Examples of these are

weather reports, disaster warnings, air traffic control, and marine

l^ el
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resource management. It may also be used for international commerce

and government-to-government communications.

The time required to design and prepare for launching a new

2500 MHz satellite was investigated. Reputable U.S. spacecraft manufacturers estimate that this phase would require from 30 to 36 months.

It has been assumed in the costing of the system that only one satellite

would be constructed, but if a ground spare were required, the costs as

outlined in Table 5.2.5 would increase by $36 million.

i
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V

Table 5.2.1 - TECHNIQUES CONSIDERED

a

TERRESTRIAL

High Frequency Radio

Very High Frequency Radio

Ultra High Frequency Radio

Microwave Links

Tropo Scatter

Meteor Burst Communications

Underseas Cables

Inter-Island Fiber Optic Cables

Constant Altitude Balloons

Hovering Film Reflectors

SATELLITE

The Global INTELSAT System

A Regional System Using Old Leased INTELSAT Satellites

,y A Regional System Using Overlapping Domestic Satellites of Other Countries

INMARSAT

Amateur Radio Satellites

Military Satellites

.^ A New Regional Satellite System

C-'^

- -- __ -

_ Owl
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Table 5.2.2 - ALTERNATIVE SERVICE REQUIREMENTS AND THE LIKELY

APPLICA'T'IONS OF A COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

fOR THE PACIFIC ISLANDS

1. Basic Telephony

t

2. Telegraphy/Telex

3. Emergency/Disaster Warnings - with Inbound & Outbound Options

r

4. Integrated Services - Mobile & Stationary Land, Maritime and a

Possibly Air Connections

5. Maritime Resource Management

6. Multipoint Voice Conferencing

7. Low Speed Data

8. Radio Relay Feeds - for MF Broadcasting

9. Facsimile

10. Electronic Blackboard

11. Slow-Scan & Freeze-Frame Video i

12. Direct Broadcast Radio

I

13. Television - Relay and Community Reception

14. Electronic Mail

15. Direct Broadcast Television

i
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5.2.2 ALTERNATIVE SERVICE REQUIREMENTS AND THE LIKELY APPLICATIONS

(cont.) OF A COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM FOR THE PACIFIC ISLANDS

1. BASIC TELEPHONY

Telephony is necessary for adequate, reliable and readily available

communications. Telephony is highly desirable to and from schools,

health centers and transportation facilities. Telephony provides

village leaders with access to government and also provides for normal social discourse on family and community matters of concern to

people who are unable to live together because the cash economy

takes the wage earner to town.

In Papua New Guinea officials estimated that a village telephone

for medical emergencies would save three or four lives per province

(19 provinces) per year. A traditional chief said he would call the

national elected leadership to advise the national government. Government departments could communicate more efficiently and regularly with

provincial offices.

TELEGRAPHY/TELEX

As with telephony, telex and telegraphy provide reliable communications

on demand. Such service would be beneficial in connecting offices (at

different locations) of a government department. Currently, provincial

field workers must interrupt activities to participate in scheduled

radio transmissions. Transportation and lost work time are expensive

and wasteful of both human and economic resources. Telex would provide

printed copy which could be collected at any time of day allowing field

workers to maintain their schedules and transmit data at irregular hours,

irrespective of slow or non-existent mail service.

EMERGENCY SIGNALS WITH DISASTER WARNINGS (INBOUND AND OUTBOUND OPTIONS)

Emergency communications are needed to alert outlying villages at the

first sign of a tsunami (tidal wave), earthquake, hurricane or other

disaster. Villages would also then be able to transmit information

on damage assessment back to government centers. Each disaster might

have a different signal identifying the type which might also be used

in conjunction with broadcast radio for disaster assessment and

relief efforts. Such communications would cut the time necessary

for mobilizing disaster relief forces and would also shorten the time

before accurate, up-to-date information can be broadcast by radio.
Y

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4. INTEGRATED SERVICES (MOBILE & STATIONARY LAND, MARITIME AND

POSSIBLY AIR CONNECTIONS)

Integrated communications services are a highly desirable solution for

linking mobile & stationary systems for disaster relief coordination.

Rather than have an interconnection between different services via

manual exchange or message systems, it would be preferable--particularly in emergencies--to have integrated channels for bath fixed and

mobile systems available for telephone and telex.

MARITIME RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Continuous ship to ship and ship to shore communications would facilitate the management of maritime resources. In particular, the need for

surveillance capability has repeatedly been raised. Licensed ships might

have a continuous signal for onstant mapping of ships by satellite.

All licensed ships would ligh^ up, and if an unfamiliar ship were

reported, officials could immediately determine if it were licensed.

Such a signal would also aid in disaster relief: i.e., the cessation

of a signal would indicate a disaster. As surveillance is not easily

provided by communications satellites, it was suggested that DOD provide a telex print out of ships in each country's waters at a

given time.

6. MULTIPOINT VOICE CONFERENCING

Point to multipoint voice conferencing is well known to Pacific islanders

through the USP PEACESAT and DISP networks utilizing ATS-1. Such a service would be very useful for police, education, health, and for service

departments endeavoring to assist in emergency situations. Close coordination is necessary both between departments and between the disaster

relief center and the disaster area. In education, multipoint conferencing would enable principals, specialists, teachers and students, in

a variety of combinations, to conduct conference calls.

LOW SPEED DATA

The use of low speed data would assist in such areas as airlines bookings,

timber operations, land surveys and would provide fisheries departments

with a means of keeping accurate inventory information on catches and

royalties that are due governments from foreign vessels' catches. Universities could have links between their distant campuses or with other

universities; banks could have links with their branches; governments,

which currently must keep funds in provincial offices, could use low

speed data links for the dispersal of pay checks and other funds.
;i

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8. RADIO RELAY FEEDS (FOR MF BROADCASTING)

Many Pacific countries arc so spread out geographically that

they need more than one MF radio station to give satisfactory

coverage to the entire population. Relays from their main studios

would be highly desirable.

In the Solomon Islands, for example, the provincial centers at Gizo

to the west and Santa Cruz to the °5r east are connected by a series

of relay towers. Radio relay would facilitate more direct communication between those disparate points.

FACSIMILE

Facsimile would provide the ability to send copies of printed

pictorial materials between government offices. This method of

sending letters, legal documents and government notices is highly

desirable for rapid transmission between urban and rural centers.

For example, in education, standard examinations could be sent

by facsimile rather than having an official travel around to

various schools. Principals in each high school could than make

additional copies at the local level of the master form transmitted

by facsimile. In addition to the government departments that could

justify having such service available, each post office might have

a facsimile machine for general use. In the future, there may be

a need to send news releases between certain population centers and

government offices.

10. ELECTRONIC BLACKBOARD

The electronic blackboard is an inexpensive technique for transmitting image information. Electronic blackboards could have

important applications for educational use.

Particularly useful in tutorials, the electronic blackboard eliminates the difficulty of answering questions without the aid of

sketches transmitted by some other means (e.g., television). In

health training, a procedure might be sketched. In agriculture, a

formula and techniques might be transmitted. In most areas, it is

conceivable to think of the electronic blackboard as aiding in the

process of training, education and information exchange.

11. SLOW SCAN AND FREEZE FRAME VIDEO

The use of slow scan freeze frame technology offers the possibility

of transmitting visual information. Diagrams could be drawn and

I '1
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replicated. In health, X-rays could be transmitted for consultation

on fractures, splits, etc. Pictures could be transmitted for illustration of points otherwise difficult to make without visual aids.

12. DIRECT BROADCAST RADIO

Direct broadcast radio could feed to village receivers for transmission

of educational programs. Direct broadcast radio increases range because

it eliminates the necessity of going through a radio station before

transmission to distant sites.

13. TELEVISION (RELAY AND COMMUNITY RECEPTION)

In time video distribution service will provide community reception

of educational television programming from capitals to outlying villages

in countries which might choose to utilize such services.

14. ELECTRONIC MAIL

Electronic mail could be provided between all post offices, however,

it is felt that a mixture of normal paper mail and facsimile mail (where

speed is important) will suffice in the foreseeable future. Eventually,

electronic mail may be considered desirable. Presently, it may be useful

between selected centers with high volumes of communications traffic.

15. DIRECT BROADCAST TELEVISION

Direct broadcast television is designed to transit to individual receivers.

Such capability is expensive but may be considered desirable at some stage

of telecommunications development in the Pacific.

}

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Z^3 fY f- F- F- Z W Q cC V O U

>qq

N

C-)

J

=

j NW

¢

J

^

C ^C Cn CD Cn Cn

rl

N

M _" Ln CO I-- 00 (7) C)

N

r

i

vNNQ

C'A

Table 5.2.4 - Downlinks at Frequencies over 10 GHz
240 OE

180W 160 140 120 10OW

180E 200 220

60S

40S

20S

0

20N

40N

60N v

J J\ ^

^J ^A

u- u

s

... l

.J N V

u

OOE 120 140 160

1

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y

-182-

ORIGINAL PAC tU

OF POOR QUALITY

80N

Figure 5.2.3- Pacific Coverage from Inmarsat Satellites

i

q'1
-183-

2

4

4

0

1

OVER 80"

40-80"

10-20"

OVER 80"

.10-2.0"

20-40"

40-80"

ORIM AL PA ". '.1

OF POOR QUA1.11%,

nn..

18OW 160 140 120 100W

Figure 5.2.4 - Annual Rainfall in the Pacific Basin

nRte,/ f1
-184-

I

Table 5,2,5 - 2.5 GHz SATELLITE SYSTEM CAPITAL COST SUMMARY

The following figures represent an average best estimate of

capital costs (excluding recurring costs) for the major equipment and

services required in implementing a new 2,5 GHz satellite system, assuming

that the single satellite required has the equivalent capacity of a 12-transponder C-band satellite (e.g., a WESTAR I class). It is assumed for the

sake of these estimates that the satellite does not operate in a TDMA mode,

although further analysis may suggest that this mode is preferable.

*1 System Design (nonrecurring cost: includes spacecraft,

It

ground segment and user terminal designs) $ 6 M

2,a, Satellite Manufacture (1 Spacecraft) $36 M

(Note: Assumes use of an existing design)

**2.b. Satellite Manufacturer Incentives 12 M

2.c. STS (Shuttle) Launch (1) 18 M

(Assumes Delta class, including PAM D)

2.d. Flight Insurance Policy (1) 8 M

2.e. Launch Services Contract (1) 5 M

Subtotal: Satellite and Launch 79 M

3. n•;eking, Telemetry, and Control 15 M

Total Satellite System Capital Cost: $100 M

Note: This estimate does not include earth station costs.

Assuming the prices of the types of low-cost, low side lobe

C-band earth stations INTELSAT is studying, an estimate of

$25,000 or less per earth station seems reasonable. If TDMA

were used, the earth stations would be considerably more expensive.

* Cost estimates based on prices (in 1980 dollars) quoted by two manufacturers who were given general specifications of the proposed system.

** Although a sum like the one shown here is paid over the life of the

satellite (assuming all transponders continue to work), and as such

could be considered a "recurring cost," it is nevertheless included

here.

.^ 1
2

Satellite

Int'l Cable

W

ave

1 1 Satellite

[nt'l Cable

.. + T

-185-

ORIGINAL Pf+C o'q

OF POOR QUAL17Y

Figure 5.2.5 — Pre—Integrated Communications System

Figure 5.2.5 - Integrated Communications System
audio recorders, "call boxes," and other associated e q uipment. The

-186-

,

A

5.3 MAINTENANCE AND TRAINING

In addition to being selected on a multi-use frequency basis,

the 2.5 GHz frequency band has a number of advantages for system

maintenance and training.

The earth station equipment is similar to the present microwave

point-to-point facilities except that the antennas are larger. (Technologies at 4/6 and 12/14 MHz are progressively less like point-to-point

microwave.) The experience already gained in use of microwave paths can

form a basis for operating and maintaining the 2.5 GHz satellite system.

The existing local technicians and operators will form the cadre of the

Integrated Communications System's operators.

As noted in the previous section on operational alternatives, a

2.5 GHz system is relatively independent of rainfall and is less exacting

with regard to the precision of installation of terrestrial equipment.

Since the system being discussed here is for voice and data only in its

initial stage, it is envisioned that relatively simple, rugged, low-cost

terminals could be manufactured.

Annual costs of maintenance are difficult to estimate without better

knowledge of the precise specifications of the earth stations. Costs will

also vary dependent on the type of power source used. As has been suggested,

solar power might be used. (During the SITE experiment in India with ATS-6,

solar panels were used satisfactorily to recharge batteries for television

sets in two locations -- one that was dry and one that regularly experienced

heavy rainfall. Both installations worked well.) It will be necessary to

plan for an inventory of parts -- probably on the order of 15 to 20 percent --
-187-

amount and type of equipment at each site will affect maintenance costs,

but it is assumed here that the earth stations themselves can be highly

reliable and sturdy.

System operations will require certain trained manpower. General

requirements will include personnel for: (1) management and supervision;

(2) operation and maintenance of the earth stations, transmitters and

addition links (if any); (3) operation and maintenance of associated

equipment at each earth station site; (4) operation and maintenance of

support facilities such as the power system. As explained in one of the

background papers prepared for the second United Nations' conference on

the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space:

The type of background required of personnel depends on

the nature of work. Usually, supervisory staff should have a

degree in engineering while the technicians should have an

engineering diploma. . . . It is necessary in all cases to have

these people trained on the equipment they are to operate and

maintain. One way of doing this is to include training as a

part of the procurement contract. . Some manufacturers also

hold courses for operations and maintenance. J

As has been noted in Section 4.2.5 of this report, finding trained

personnel in the Pacific Island nations presents a problem. Thus, special

attention must be turned to the issue of technical training at an early

stage in the planning of any upgraded communications system.

The planning for a training prograa will involve at least the following

steps. 1(1) a review and preparation of a chart of the positions likely to

be needed, in effect, an organization chart; (2) a review of all the systems

and subsystems in the Integrated Communications System that will require

skilled personnel for operations and maintenance; (3) preparation of specific

job descriptions including detail about the level of performance desired

J "Feasibility and Planning of Instructional Satellite Systems," a background

paper for UNISPACE '82 (Second United Nations Conference on the Exploration

and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space), 13 February 1981, p. 19.

1 This listing is partially based on a recommendation from "Training and

Education of Users of Space Technology," a background paper for UNISPACE '82,

8 March 1981, p. 36. r

^`J 

r

9
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-188-

and training required;, (4) determination of numbers of personnel required

at each type of facility; (5) delineation of a recruitment program that

will result in the most promising candidates being identified; and

(6) determination of the costs and sources of funding to carry out the

required 0ucatiun and training.

Once the necessary training plan has been laid out, decisions can be

made about appropriate training facilities and locations. As has been

M'

mentioned (section 4.2.5), the number of training institutions in the Pacific

Basin region has grown in recent years. Technical courses at the trade level

are offered in Kiribati, the Solomon Islands, Fiji and Guam. Basic technical k

training is offered in the Cooks, Tonga and Western Samoa. More advanced

telecommunications training is available at the Papua New Guinea Telecommunication Training Center in Lae and at the Telecommunication Training

a

Center in Suva, Fiji. The University of Lae, as well as universities in Hawaii,

S

Australia and New Zealand, offer tertiary degrees in engineerinq.

Since it will likely be the case that even in the several years

required to get the Integrated Communications System underway not enough

i

Pacific island nationals can be trained for all jobs at all levels, expatriates will continue to play a vital role. As in the examples of the

broadcasting systems in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu described earlier,

successful transition from expatriate management and operations to local {

control can take place. Another example comes from Upper Volta where in

the 1960's, -the telecommunications system was wholly dependent on expatriates

for the managerial and senior technical jobs. But, because a commitment was

made to training nationals, by 1976, the system was manned exclusively by

Upper Voltans. Y Students were sent away to foreign universities and to

11 Robert J. Saunders, "Financing of Telecommunication Expansion," P.U..

Report No. PUN 48, The World Bank, September, 1979, p. 2.

_ r
Q.:./;

-189-

telecommunications administrations in Europe (and later at African regional

centers). Such models as these need to be studied, especially in light of

the long lead-time that may be needed to give nationals control of the

proposed telecommunications system.

As with the implementation of the technological side of a regional

telecommunications system, cooperation among participating countries can

make training both less difficult and more efficient. If planning for

training 'is done in a cooperative manner, much valuable time can be saved

and personnel from different countries will eventually come to the system with

common skills and knowledge.

As participating countries search for the necessary funds for training,

it should be borne in mind that the United Nations, primarily through its

Development Program (UNDP) has funded training programs that have been under

the direction of the ITU. The assistance generally takes the form of fellowship grants, recruitment of experts from countries willing to share their

expertise, and the procurement of equipment. UNDP assistance is provided

only at the request of developing country governments. Each country is

responsible for preparing its own request for UNDP assistance. When a

telecommunications project is approved, the UNDP contacts the ITU to seek

out technical experts or training programs from the private and public

sectors of countries willing to assist. The total expenditure for ITU

directed technical cooperation activities in 1980 was $US 30 million, most

of which was UNDP financed. Almost two-thirds of the total field expenditure was disbursed for the training of staff to meet the manpower demand in

various sectors of telecommunications in developing countries. J.

.L/ "Training and Education of Users of Space Technology," op. cit., p. 38.

01
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W

-190-

While it may be misleading to begin predicting numbers of

personnel who would be required for a regional telecommunications system,

some estimates can be offered. Assuming that 3000 earth stations will

eventually be in operation (whether in conjunction with INTELSAT or as

part of a 2.5 GHz satellite system), it can be assumed that on the average

three additional persons would be needed for each local operation to

provide service and maintenance. There may, of course, be some sharing

and reassignment of present persdnnel working in telecommunications.

Supervisory personnel would presumably be located at regional

centers, although additional supervisors would be needed with an expanded

system. It is assumed that there would be a commitment to training

nations for these higher level positions.

Thus, something like 10,000 trained personnel (approximately

02 percent of the island nations' population) might be needed toward the

end of the regional system's first ten years of operational life. However,

the number of trained personnel could grow gradually since not all facililities would be built simultaneously.

Until the eventual system is more precisely defined, it is not

prudent to try to estimate the costs of training. Whatever

the estimated cost of training, the investment should

more than pay off if the telecommunications system itself works to solve

the many problems and bring about the social and economic goals delineated

in this and other studies. The very creation of a technological environment -- and one in which nationals work -- may serve to make technical

fields more attractive to young people and to give them more opportunities

for first-hand experience.

Whatever the problems to be encountered in structuring a training

program, it should be possible with careful planning and recruitment to tat

R

r
M- 1 1 I

U;

-191-

advantage of the training facilities in the region and the existing sources

of financial assistance. Certainly in the overall planning for implementation of an upgraded telecommunications system, whether at the level of an

individual nation or at the level of the entire Pacific Basin region,

funding for training must be considered an essential element of the plan.

_ b
-I92-

5.4 MANAGEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION

Telecommunications systems throughout the world have traditionally

been established and managed on a national basis. This is particularly

true in large, well developed, wealthy nations. Each nation establishes

Its own rules and regulations and telecommunications systems. Only at the

borders do the individual national systems meet. The ITU has established

a series of engineering and economic standards that permit the orderly flow

of transborder communications.

In the Pacific Basin, a number of factors -- including geographic

isolation, underdeveloped economies and long distances between islands

(even within a single nation) -- require somewhat different approaches.

a In reality, most Pacific telecommunications (including domestic) are

international in scope. HF and MF radio are two examples. These signals

transcend national boundaries and are limited by mutual interference.

In the Pacific, there are reasons to believe that a regional approach

may be more productive in the provision of additional telecommunications

capacity and in the enhancement of individual national capabilities in such

areas as tourism, education, and general commerce. The shared use of

facilities would result in a lower cost per user because of economies of

scale.

If the assumption is made that improved communications in the Pacific

will be accomplished strictly on a country-by-country basis, the question of

K management becomes irrelevant since each country does already have the

.t(

i

structure to manage internal communications. (See section 3 for a listing

of telecommunications authorities within each nation.) However, if any type

of regional system is to be considered, an additional question must be raised

L about the type of management structure that would be appropriate.

i

t

^m

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-193- 1

A difficulty that immediately presents itself concerns the fact that

Pacific Island nations have varying political status and affiliations. To

try to create a unified approach with countries that range from being

"territories" of another country to "independent states" calls for creative

legal thinking. Nevertheless, if the potential user countries can agree

that some new form of cooperative venture is warranted, there should be no

absolute barrier to creation of the necessary new forum or consortium or

other entity.

Assuming here that some variation of the proposed Integrated Communications System is to be tried, there are four possible management structures

that could be designed to handle the regional administration of the system.

(See Table 5.4.1) It is taken for granted theft those portions of the system

that fall within national boundaries would continue to be administered as at

present.

The first option would require that a single country would arrange for

the regional system and other countries would purchase telecommunications }

capability from this "manager country." For example, if a regional satellite

were to be launched, Country A would be the entity that would make all financial

arrangements with the manufacturer (or carrier) and Country A would, in turn,

lease time on the satellite to other Pacific Basin users. This model could

serve to provide an entity "of record" to lease circuits from INTELSAT with

the express understanding that the circuits are being leased for regional use.

(This also presumes INTELSAT would create an appropriate special tariff for

this circumstance.)

One advantage of this option is that carriers and others have a single

legal entity with which to deal. If the country selected already had

experience in establishing improved communications within its own borders,

then it could also create and to some extent provide some of the training
a r,, /,

-1g4-

necessary for other Pacific Island nationals who would ultimately be

responsible for workipg with the regional system. Another advantage would

be that financial organizations, such as private banks and lenders and the

World Bank would have a single, established entity with which to transact

business. This, of course, places a certain amount of risk on the "manager

country," but this risk could presumably be reduced by the nature of the

contracts and other agreements that would be put in place with "customer"

countries.

A second model would entail the creation of a new, private company

(which could be established as a for-profit or a non-profit) in which the

participating user countries would be partners. In this instance, considerable effort would need to be given to establishing the appropriate form

of corporation, but once in place, it could administer the regional aspects

of the communications system.

As with the first model proposed, this option would give carriers,

investors, and others a single entity with which to deal. Especially in the

case of loans, e.g. from the World Bank, the creation of a single, regional

corporation would alleviate the necessity of individual transactions between

lenders and some twenty or more different governmental bodies. Assuming the

participating countries were limited partners or stock holders, once the

corporation began to show a return on its investment, each participating

country would benefit.

The location of the corporation could be chosen on purely political

grounds, but consideration should be given (as with the single "manager

country" approach) to a location where training would be available to those

from many of the participating countries.

A third option entails the creation of a new consortium that would act
-195-

on behalf of member countries. This body would presumably be set up through

compact agreements ratified at the national level in each country, and its

. a

sole purpose would be the acquisition and administration of a regional

telecommunications capability.

While this model would again have the advantage of presenting carriers,

manufacturers, lenders and others with a single entity of record, it might

well present special problems. First, the ratification procedure itself

i

might be lengthy and cumbersome. Secondly, the consortium would likely have

I

to be administered in such a way that individual governments would have a

participating voice in virtually every decision, even at the most mundane

V

operating level. Thirdly, by its nature, such an entity is less likely to

have borrowing power than would a corporation. On the other hand, if no

other managerial structure were possible, this one could be ;Wade to work. j

Finally, a fourth option would be to have an existing regional body,

d

for example SPEC (The South Pacific Bureau for Economic Cooperation which is

the action arm of the Pacific Forum) become the manager of a regional system.

. Assuming that nations in addition to those that are members of the Forum would

want access to the system, SPEC could arrange a type of affiliate status for

them. This model might be preferable to the creation of a new regional

entity in that it builds on an existing structure and presents a familiar

''

name in the marketplace. It would have some of the disadvantages already

I

mj

noted for the new governmental consortium, but it would offer a track record.

If either the "manager country" or a regional corporation were selected

as the management entity, there would have to be support and endorsement by

existing regional consortia. Thus, a cohesive effort would be the first step. i

The ultimate selection of the appropriate management structure can be made

only after two prior questions are answered: (1) which countries would want

II

1

to participate in using the eventual system; and (2) the nature of the system 4

itself. Obviously, it must also be possible legally for the prospective user

^1
1. Deciding whether to use differing telecommunications systems in

chronological sequence (e.g., starting with INTELSAT then moving to

a regional satellite) or establishing a single system presumed to be

i

-I96- t

countries to be able to enter into the necessary agreements to form the

management structure. It is conceivable that work on system definition and

exploration of the form of the management entity could be carried on more

or less simultaneously and, indeed, this timetable might be desirable.

The question about management can be taken one step further. If

it is assumed that a decision is made either to use existing INTELSAT

capacity in a regional configuration or to seek a new satellite (or both,

perhaps in sequence), the regional manager would handle the lease arrangements for the space segment as far as termination of the circuits at the

INTELSAT station in each country (or at some other designated point if

another satellite were used). Each country would continue to manage its

own internal communications. Assuming an S-band satellite were constructed

so as to be accessible to small terminals throughout all participating

countries, the regional manager would still deal with a single managing

authority in each participating country in terms of lease payments and other

arrangements even though the communications paths might be directly from

individual earth stations to the satellite without any intermediary "master

stations."

Since this study and others currently underway attempt to provide the

of technologies to improve

to be hoped that after the

:an be taken by the potential user

In addition to making decisions

other steps toward implementation

data that will be helpful in the selection

communications in the Pacific Basin, it is

relevant data has been assessed, movement

countries to implement the desired system.

about who will cooperate and in what form,

will need to be taken. They include:
-197-

r

useable over the next fifteen to twenty years.

2. Assessing and making a decision about the most desirable

technology or technologies.

3. Establishing the necessary procedures to ensure creation of an

appropriate management entity.

4. Determining the likely rate of return on investment in each

country where the new telecommunications system will be installed.

5. Conducting preliminary discussions with communications satellite

carriers and equipment manufacturers who can be expected to

r

participate in the establishment of the telecommunications system.

6. Conducting preliminary discussions with funding sources, including i

the private sector, foreign governments, and multilateral development

f

banks (World Bank, Asian Development Bank, etc.). ^.

7. Establishing the management entity. 9

8. Establishing the specifications for the desired telecommunications

system and securing it (via bids, lease arrangements, or whatever is

appropriate to the system selected).

9. Borrowing of capital or other acquisition of funds.

10. Executing all necessary procedures to enable all interested Pacific

Basin countries to have access to the regional system.

Steps 7 through 10 should be carried out simulOneously.

1

These steps are summary in nature and may in practice include many

elements, such as the hiring of consultants and the conduct of studies, that

will need to be carefully plotted in terms of time requirements.

Embedded in the management options and the steps toward implementation are

further questions about costs, benefits, and likely future growth of the system.

While such questions must be addressed, it is a mistake to assume that all

the answers must be revealed before any action can be taken. Even without

.,

Fill

any additional supporting data, it is clear to the potential user nations
u

-198-

that better telecommunications will result in significant improvements in

many areas of life in the Pacific. The history of the implementation of

improved telecommunications in other underdeveloped countries is encouraging.

(This will be discussed in greater detail in section 5.5.) First steps can

be taken without knowing all the outcomes, all the answers.

4

k

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-199-

Table 5.4,1

MANAGEMENT OPTIONS FOR A PACIFIC REGIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

1 "Manager Country" Single Pacific Basin country acts

as administrator and manager of the

regional portion of the telecommunications

system

2. Private Corporation New corporation, established by countries

in the Pacific Basin, acts as purchaser

and central manager of services for all

participating countries

3. New Regional Consortium New entity with membership from all user

countries acts as administrator and

manager

4. Existing Regional Consortium Existing entity (e.g., SPEC) acts as

administrator and manager and obtains

contractual a g reements from non-member

countries desiring to share the system
-200-

^ r

3

5.5 COMPARATIVE COSTS AND BENEFITS

_a

This section responds to three related questions about the costs

of improved communications in the Pacific Basin: (1) How do the various

proposed telecommunications systems compare in cost? (2) How could the

region be expected to pay for improved telecommunications? (3) What

i

would be the benefits of improved communications and how could these be

' determined?

515.1 Costs of Alternative Telecommunications Systems

Whatever decisions are to be made in the Pacific Basin with regard

.j to improved communications, a major consideration will be cost. This

` report suggests that for significant improvement of communications and

1

I

` j

extension of facilities to a greater number of people in the region, f

there are likely to be two generic approaches: underseas cables (including inter-island fiber optic cables) and satellites. Since the feasibility of the inter-island aspects of the first option would seem remote

for the near-term future, attention has been concentrated on the second

option. Within that option, as has b een noted in Section 5.2, there

are several possibilities: using existing satellites (primarily INTELSAT),

assuming the availability of new domestic satellites to provide overlapping coverage, and the establishment of an Integrated Communications

System that includes provision for a 2500 MHz satellite serving the

^i region.

(? At present, there are uncertain cost variables in connection

f

with each of the satellite options, although some assumptions can be

made for purposes of comparison. In what follows, the variables are

f

^ I
-201-

discussed, and tentative conclusions about comparative costs are

offered.

rrA&l

B

I

1.

Y

With regard to ?'NTELSAT, exploration of lower cost earth

stations needs to be completed before we can have an accurate

estimate of cost, although as noted in Section 5.2, an initial

cost of $25,000 per earth station might be reasonable. If 3,000

earth stations were eventually to be installed, and orders were

placed for 100 or more at a time, the cost would be driven down,

even taking inflation into account. Another unanswered question is

the type of tariff INTELSAT might create to provide for use on a

regional (as opposed to a single country) basis.

Similar questions exist with regard to the possible, temporary

use of the INMARSAT capacity, assuming a dispensation would be granted

for the installation of fixed terminals.

If, as has been suggested, the C-band capacity of the MRS

satellite positioned over the Pacific could be used for a domestic/

regional service (and this could only happen if NASA permitted it), a

special tariff would need to be created, and costs of earth stations

for voice and data transmission and reception would have to be low

enough to be affordable.

The estimated nonrecurring costs for a single satellite system

at S-band have already been given in Table 5.2.5.

The unknown cost variables at present make it difficult to

compare fully the options of present satellites versus future satellites

that might serve the Pacific. Enough is known so that it is possible
-202-

r

to say that using an existing system would likely be the least

expensive option in terms of capital expenditures. (No attempt will

be made here to compare operating costs since such factors as

regional tariffs are not known at present.)

However, the least expensive system in absolute dollars does

not necessarily equate with the system that will, in the long run,

be most profitable or beneficial. More will be said about such I

predictions in 5.5.3. j

If it seems reasonable to proceed with a more detailed definition

F

of the satellite alternatives for the Pacific, complete system definitions would need to be drawn up and additional cost data based on those

I

designs would need to be made explicit. This is especially true with

regard to the feasibility of establishing low-cost earth stations for

i

voice and data transmission and reception. Since INTELSAT and others I

are working on the matter, it should be possible to fill in some of

the gaps in existing data with better estimates late in 1982. While

this is being done, the question of fiber optic cables should also be

revisited since work is going on to realize the benefits that optical

fiber submarine systems can bring and cost data should begin to emerge.i/

1/

Osamu Kameda, "Submarine Cable Network in South East Asia and Westerr

Pacific and Technological Advancement in Next Two Decades," Conferenc(

Proceedings of the Telecommunication and Computer Exposition, Los Angeles, California, November. 1980, pp.69-73.

a 9
-203-

5.5.2 Who Will Pay?

Regardless of how improved telecommunications are brought

into being in the Pacific island nations, there will be capital

expenditures and ongoing operational support required. A growing

body of studies tends to suggest that telecommunications systems

can, even in developing countries, generate respectable rates of

return on the initial investmentl/ When one is looking at the

t

Pacific Basin, there is a common assumption that these countries, r

even in the aggregate, are "too poor" to be able to afford better

communications. Until more detailed analyses are performed on a

country by country basis and with a well defined telecommunications

system in mind, it will be impossible to show conclusively that the

system can be "made to,pay." Even when the analysis is performed,

there will be open questions that can only be resolved through

pricing procedures that will either prove to be a successful or

unsuccessful. Fortunately,however, we can find data from projects

in other developing countries and regions that provide at least

some guidance in terms of questions about funding of new systems.

As Saunders summarizes certain recent experience in developing countries:

1/

See, for example: Robert J. Saunders and Jeremy J. Warford, "Telecommunications-Pricing and Investment in Developing Countries," P.U.

Report No. PUN-30, The World Bank, Washington, D.C., June 1977; Robert

J. Saunders, "Financing of Telecommunication Expansion," P.U. Report

No. PUN-48, The World Bank, Washington, D.C., September, 1979; C.P.

Vasudevan, "Financial Resources for Telecommunication Development,"

P.U. Report No.PUN-40, The World Bank, D.C., 1978.

1
-204-

On average, about 46 percent of the construction funds required

for the latest ten telecommunications programs partly financed by

the World Bank will be generated internally; the operating entities

are very conservatively estimated to average 15 percent annual rate

of return on overall net plant in service over the five years following World Bank project appraisal. Furthermore, several telecommunications entities will make very substantial net transfers of funds

to government for investment in other sectors (postal, etc.) less

capable of mobilizing domestic resources.

Internal financial rates of return attributable to the last

ten telecommunications investment projects approved for World

Bank support are expected to range between 13 percent and 35

percent, averaging 18 percent.

Considerable analysis has been done concerning the optimal investment required in developing countries to provide for an adequate communications system. It has been suggested that while the range of investment

in developed countries averages about 0.8 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a minimum in developing countries should be 0.5 percent.2/

In fact., it has tended to average only 0.3 percent. But it may be that an

even higher rate of investment in developing countries will be necessary

to ensure service that is reasonable in cost. As Dickenson has pointed out

1

in reviewing the experiences in several developing countries,". . . an

examination of countries which have achieved high rates of growth and substantially met demand shows that about 70% offer relatively low cost

service. The average annual percentages of GDP invested over five years

for these countries have been about the same as those for developed countries. From this, it would seem that adequate investment is important to

minimize costs. ,3/

1/ Robert J. Saunders, "Financing of Telecommunication Expansion," P.U.,

Report No. PUN-48, The World Bank, Washington, D.C., September, 1979, pp.2-3.

2/ C.R. Dickenson, "Telecommunications in Developing Countries: The Relation

to the Economy and the society," P.U. Report No. PUN-32B, The World Bank,

Washington, D.C., October, 1978, p.3.

3/ Ibid., p. 17.
rAX

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While it is useful to review the broad history of how developing

countries have implemented new or improved telecommunications systems, it

is still not clear that one can do more than treat each country on a caseby-case basis when trying to assess how a system can be funded and what

its benefits will be. In this regard, Dickenson notes:

Our present knowledge of the national significance of telecommunications services and of their importance to other development

and to effective administration appears completely inadequate for

a reliable assessment on which well-founded decisions on sector

priorities, development and tariff policies, etc., can be based.

This is in large part due to the fact that we have not done an

adequate job in establishing what telecommunications contribute

in socio/economic terms. 1/

Realizing that it is necessary to take a microeconomic approach

toward analyzing what telecommunications system may be needed, how it

can generate revenues and how it can be beneficial, one of the first

tasks in a country or region is to study current communications traffic

and behavior. A central portion of the present study was, therefore,

devoted to site visits and the compilation of annecdotal data to supplement and augment economic and demographic information about the countries.

The compilation of descriptions of existing conditions and behavior as

these relate to communications will be a necessary first step in analyzing

i

how to price services, what return on investment to expect, and how to

fund the required system or systems.

i

It is important to note that when developing countries do install

i

new or improved communications facilities, long-held beliefs about how

people will behave sometimes are demolished. For example, one finds in

some of the literature on developing countries (although generally not in

11 Ibid., p.18.

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{ studies dealing specifically with communications), the assumption that

telephones and other communications facilities will, when made available,

chiefly benefit the elite or at least the business community, and that,

in turn, only these sectors will be willing to pay.

Concrete evidence refutes this point. For example, in a study

of rural telecommunications in Costa Rica, it was found that when

public call box telephones were installed in rural villages,". .. the

usage of the telephone was relatively widespread with no one small group

tending to dominate over the others. One particularly interesting result

was that there appeared to be no significant observable income bias among

the callers, i.e. both the higher and lower income villagers partici••

pated on a relatively equal basis in telephone usage." J This study

also found that "calls made for agriculture and business purposes were

also quite clearly correlated with the appropriate economic base and

demographic characteristics of villages. By far the most prominent

reason for which calls were made, however, was personal." ?/

Another study, which compared purposes of calls in three developing

countries, reviewed the pattern of use at a village public call office in an

(unnamed) country in Melanesia. 3/ It was found that 5 percent of the calls

I/ Robert J. Saunders and Jeremy J. Warford, "Telecommunications Pricing and

Investment in Developing Countries," P.U. Report No. dUN-30, The World

Bank, Washington, D.C., June 1977, p.2.

1 Ibid.

3/ Robert J. Saunders and Jeremy J. Warford, "Evaluation of Telephone Projects

in Less Developed Countries," P.U. Report No. PUN-37, The World Bank, July

1978, pp. 11-12.

in+
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U.01 I

were made for emergencies, 20 percent for business purposes (including

agriculture and public administration) and 75 percent to maintain

contact with friends and family. Equally interesting was the fact

that in that country, of those on subscriber waiting lists for telephones, some 42 percent indicated that their priority was business

communications, while 22 percent listed emergencies and health

matters, and 36 listed personal contact.

This study is mentioned because it suggests, again, that there

is an interest in improved communications by a broad spectrum of the

population and for a variety of reasons. This, in turn, would tend to

point to the fact that people will use the facilities and will pay.

An instance of this ability and willingness came to light in the

ite visit team was in Western

public call box placed in a

had paid for itself in eleven

soon as it was installed. This

it is likely that it could not

careful market survey or analysis

course of the present study. When the s

Samoa, officials there reported that one

rural community on the island of Savai'i

days. People stood in line to use it as

rapid return had not been estimated, and

have been entirely predicted even from a

of past communications on that island.

Saunders and Warford go on to suggest that with regard to pricing

policies for telecommunications facilities in developing countries, marginal cost pricing, despite some problems, is desirable. They conclude:

"The use of price to help allocate the limited supply of telecommunications

services has the critical advantage of leaving the decision as to the

importance of telecommunications service relative to other goods and

^,1
^i -208- ,....

services in the hands of the beneficiaries themselves, and it helps

encourage highly valued uses of telecommunications to replace those

that are relatively less valuable to beneficiaries."1/

While it may be safe to assume that a developing country (.or

region) can generate internally some of the funds needed to establish

a new or improved telecommunications system, the order of magnitude

of investment required for, e.g., a new satellite, will clearly extend

beyond the limited resources of the Pacific Basin countries in question.

If as a solution in the Pacific the option of using and extending the use of the INTELSAT system is chosen, this, of course, reduces

the overall costs to the annual tariff, the acquisition and installation

of additional earth stations, and the establishing of associated communications facilities, e.g., public call boxes. In this instance, it might

be assumed that roughly a third of the satellite installations would

generate a high enough rate of return to make money for the countries,

a second third would likely break even and the final third might not be

able to pay for themselves but could be subsidized by the more profitable

installations. This would argue perhaps for some regional sharing of

the revenues from the system if, for example, one country realized a

significant rate of return on all of its facilities and a neighboring

(much smaller) country realized a return on less than half of its

installations. There would need to be considerable further analysis on a

country by country basis to determine where the most and least profi-

^I table installations would be.

1/ Robert , J., Saunders and Jeremy J. Warford, "Evaluation of Telephone

Projects in Less Developed Countries," P.U. Report No. PUN-37, The

World Bank, July 1978, p. 13.

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If some other satellite option is chosen, e.g., using existing or

new satellites that are owned and operated by others (Australia, Japan,

INMARSAT), the economics might be similar to the INTELSAT case, with

the variants being the 'cost of the annual transponder leases and the

initial costs of earth stations.

If a system is chosen such as the Integrated Communications

System described in this study, involving a new satellite and augmentation of existing communications facilities in each of the island nations,

the chief cost barrier will be the approximately $100 million required

to build and launch the satellite. While it might be assumed that capital

from the countries might be generated in sufficient amounts for them to

make, in effect, a downpayment on the system (perhaps some 10 percent of

the cost), clearly other sources of funds will be needed. Among these, as

Saunders suggests, could be: supplier credits, foreign commercial bank

loans, bilateral aid donors multilateral development banks, and the United

Nations Development Program.1/

I

It will likely be in the interest of certain of the developed

countries that have relationships with the Pacific island nations, e.g.

i

Australia, New Zealand, the United States, France and Japan to provide

low-interest, long-term loans for the purpose of capitalizing the satellite

system. These countries not only benefit from the economic relationships

with the Pacific Basin countries but have other interests as well. If

as a rough estimate it can be assumed that these "affiliated", developed

countries would assume 50 to 60 percent of the nonrecurring costs of

1/ Robert J. Saunders, "Financing of Telecommunication Expansion," P.U.

Report No. PUN-48, The World Bank, Washington, D.C., September, 1979, p.3.
,

0

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getting a satellite system in place, then a remaining 30 to 40 percent of

the funding required would have to be sought from other available sources.

Certain entities such as foundations, system suppliers and private

investors may find it in their interests to support Pacific telecommunications projects also. It can probably be assumed that such sources,

whether through gifts and grants, loans, or supplier credits, would

support up to 10 percent of the initial capital costs.

While it is true that the World Bank considers itself the "lender

of last resort," the World Bank has been the principal multilateral source

of financing for telecommunications development in developing countries,

and has financed part of the foreign exchange requirements for urban, local,

long distance, and international telecommunications facilities, with the

average size of a loan for telecommunications being $22.5 million Thus,

it could be anticipated that this source would also be available for a

Pacific regional project, Clearly, the Bank prefers to deal with a

single, established entity and in a situation where a number of countries j

planned to share a satellite, the Bank would be disposed to working with

one representative of the group, whether a single country, an existing

agency, a new agency, or a private corporation representing the users.

In summary, then, the initial capital costs of a new satellite

system for the Pacific might be expected to be borne by: (1) the countries

themselves - 10 percent; (2) developed countries with close Pacific ties -

Robert J. Saunders, "Financing of Telecommunication Expansion," P.U.

Report No. PUN-46, The World Bank, D.C., September, 1979, p.4.
I Mal 51 .^ Li

-21I50 to 60 percent; (3) supplier credits, commercial bank loans - 10 percent;

and (4) the World Bank Group - 20 percent. These estimates are shown in

Table 5.5.1.

It is quite likely that at least in the initial stages of any

improved telecommunications system for the Pacific, whether this involves

an extension of INTELSAT or some other satellite or a new satellite,

capital beyond what can be generated internally in the region will be

needed, e.g., for the purchase of the first 300 earth stations, and the

like. The same sources as those just described could be expected to participate, although the ratios of the contributions would likely change.

The two most important points that can be made about financing

of telecommunications in the Pacific Basin are, first, that given detailed

analyses of present behavior and careful forecasts of likely need and

ability to pay, pricing structures can be put in place that can be expected

to generate enough return to pay for at least a portion of whatever system

is chosen. In time, and after the initially high nonrecurring capital

costs have been financed, the rate of return on the countries' telecommunications facilities should require less and less support from foreign

sources, even to the point where in a majority of the countries in question,

the telecommunications systems will be self-supporting.

The second point is that it may be in the best interests of

certain of the developed countries to continue to share some of the

financing burden to support improved communications in the Pacific if

only because defense, economic and political interests are thus served.

It is very important in this regard to distinguish between high subsidies,

'ae/
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TABLE 5.5.1 - PERCENT OF CAPITAL COSTS OF SATELLITE SYSTEM

DISTRIBUTED AMONG FOUR LIKELY SOURCES

Sources Percent of Costs

1) Pacific Island Entities *

2) Developed Countries with

Pacific Ties

3) Supplier Credits, Commercial Bank

Loans, Investors, Foundations

4) The World Bank and Affiliates **

10

50 to 60

10

20

* Assuming the capital costs of the most expensive option, e.g., a

new 2500 MHz satellite, the estimated total nonrecurring costs

(excluding earth stations) is $100 million. Thus, the island

nations would be expected to bear $10 million of the cost. In

1978, the aggregate Gross Domestic Product of the SPEC nations

alone exceeded $3 billion. If the GDP for the other Pacific

entities is added to this number, it can be shown than an investment of less than .2 percent of the total GDP for all Pacific

entities, using ever 1978 numbers, would be required to aggregate

the requisite $10 million.

** The 20 percent suggested here would equal $20 million in a satellite

system costing $100 million. This amount is close to the average

telecommunications grant made by the World Bank to an individual

country or entity in recent years.
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which are probably not desirable since they tend to allow for the

perpetration of telecommunications systems which may be inefficient,

and modest investments that support ongoing operations of systems

that are both cost-effective and contribute to the welfare of

personnel from the developed countries who are posted in the Pacific.

However the eventual design of a new telecommunications system

for the Pacific turns out, financing should not be considered the

paramount barrier to implementation. Other matters, such as structure

of an entity to implement and manage the system and the need for

trained personnel in the region may, in fact, be more critical issues

in the first stages. (See sections 5.3 and 5.4 for a discussion of

these matters.)

5.5.3 Economic Impact and Benefits of Improved Comrunications

While it is vital to know whether the investment made by a

country or a region in a telecommunications system can generate a

satisfactory rate of return, it is also critical to be able to estimate

whether the telecommunications system can or will provide economic and

social benefits that will justify the expense of establishing it in the

first place. Policy planners and government officials in the country or

countries in question will need to have some sense of why facilities for

telecommunications, whether new or expanded, should take priority in the

allocation of scarce, precious monetary resources.

If there were a single, reliable model (or even several reasonably

reliable models)for conclusively measuring benefits, then collection of
p

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f

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-zladata and insertion of numbers would be all that would be required

to complete the equation for each instance being studied. As

Saunders and Warford have noted:

It is axiomatic that ec=omi41 udcvelopment requires an adequate means of conveying information

rapidly and over long distances. It follows that telecommunications, which is generally defined to include

telephone, telex, telegraph, and data and audio-visual

transmission systems, has an important role to play in

the development process. Unfortunately, establishment

of the link between economic development and the nature,

magnitude and timing of telecommunications investments

has not proceeded far beyond such in tuitively obvious

statements. Development economists have, to date, paid

little attention to telecommunications and many empirical and conceptual issues remain unresolved. J

There have been and continue to be research studies that

attempt to establish links between improved communications and improvements in the economies of given developing countries. In one

study, the effects of improved telecommunications in rural areas of

a developing country were studied intensively, but even with this

study it was concluded that:

The Costa Rica rural telephone research exercise

generated a considerable amount of information on telephone benefits and the recipients of those benefits which

should be of much use to planners when allocating investment both within the telephone sector and among other

sectors . What is still lacking, however, is a

method by which to accurately quantify the variety of

benefits which were identified. ?/

It is possible in specific instances to examine what the

lack of communications facilities or the provision of them has

meant in so far as economic returns. For example, Dickenson describes

the case of a new resort hotel that when first opened in its remote

Robert J. Saunders and Jeremy J. Warford, "Telecommunications Pricing

and Investment in Developing Countries," P.U. Report No. PUN 30, The

World Bank, Washington, D.C., June, 1977, p. 1.
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location lacked telecommunications facilities. He projects the

economic losses that resulted and the probable gains in income from

tourism that adequate telecommunications facilities would provide.

He goes on to compare these gains (favorably) with the nel:,:ssary

investment needed for adequate telecommunications facilities. Even

in this exercise, of course, some assumptions must be made.

When there is an attempt to extrapolate from such concrete

examples to situations involving entire countries or regions, the task

becomes formidable if not impossible. As Dickenson himself reports:

The evaluation of economic benefits which cannot

be easily measured but are based on largely abstract con-

_ siderations, is very difficult. We have made a number of

experimental approaches to this problem . in one case,

an attempt was made to estimate benefits to the national

economy . . . in the form of larger export earnings and

greater income from tourism that could be expected to occur

as a result of the telecommunications development program.

In each case these analyses have shown a very high economic

rate of return but are not altogether convincing in that

(a) the information obtained by interview is open to question . . .; (b) there are no comparable communication

substitutes for telecommunications and (c) there are

possibilities in the broader and more general approach of

double counting. 2/

In another statement of the problem, Saunders and Warford

note: "Even if we could accurately estimate such benefits, however,

this would only solve part of the problem, for particularly in LDC's

the willingness to pay for individual subscribers may not be indicative

of the true economic benefits to society that may result. . . . Even in

IJ C.R. Dickenson, "Telecommunications in Developing Countries: The

Relation to the Economy and the Society," P.U. Report No. PUN 32B,

The World Lank, Washington, D.C., October, 1978, p. 19.

?/ Ibid., p. 14

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G ^^ areas in which one would suppose the impact of investments would be

41 4

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is ^

more dramatic, such as rural electrification, we know of no case in

which multiplier effects have been successfully quantified." 1

What can be said, then,in looking at the Pacific Basin and

estimating cost/benefit relationships as these apply to an Integrated

Communications System involving satellites? From the evidence gathered

in this and other studies, it is clear that certain sectors of economic

activity would benefit substantially. Examples have been noted in

section 4 of the present study regarding the critical need for better

communications in support of most business, industrial and agricultural

activities.

Considering that not all Pacific island entities have similar

economies or natural resources, it is, nevertheless, possible to estimate

that improved communications of the type outlined, e.g., provision of

voice and data exchange services in a significant number of locations not

now served, would confer benefits on the following sectors, listed in

descending order based on the likely magnitude of effect:

-Maritime Industries (including the catching of fish and the

movement of the goads)

-Tourism (especially with regard to opening new areas for travel)

-Agriculture

-Lumbering

-Mining and Refining of Mineral Resources

-Small Business Development

It is understood that exporting comes into play in all of these areas.

1 Robert J. Saunders and Jeremy J. Warford, "Evaluation of Telephone

Projects in Less Developed Countries," P.U. Report No. PUN 37, The World

Bank, Washington, D.C., July, 1978, p. 10.

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In trying to estimate benefits, there is the further complicating factor that might be labelled the "spiral effect." As

better telecommunications impact favorably on the economy of a A

country, industrial, agricultural and exporting activities may increase,

thus generating greater demand for facilities which demand when met

further affects economic activity. However, all the evidence points

to the fact that these are positive relationships in so far as the

impact of telecommunications: more activity and greater productivity

I

do result.

It would require a monumentally greater effort than has been

possible within the scope of the present study to even begin to

estimate the specific impact on GDP for each Pacific Basin entity if

an improved communications system were put in place. Indeed, as the

literature suggests, accurate estimates that quantify benefits may be

impossible to obtain. Nevertheless, anecdotal information, the evidence

of clearly frustrated demand on the part of users, and examples from

other developing countries all lead to the conclusion that we can

identify the sectors that will feel the greatest benefit and we can

gain some idea of the time period in which the benefits will be felt.

Fortunately, that to me period can be defined as almost immediately after

the installation of the telecommunications facilities.

Social benefits must also be considered, and these include the

availability of emergency services, provision of health care, enhancement of education, provision of other government and social services, and

the enhancement of quality of life. Given the evidence previously cited

(section 5.5.2) concerning the percentages of use of telephones for
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differing purposes in certain rural areas of developing countries,

users would seem to place a high value on such benefits as ability to

keep in touch with family and friends.

In trying to relate all the types of effects and benefits that

can come about as a result of improving telecommunications, Bebee and

Gilling have observed that: "The basic requirements of a productive

labour force are nutrition and education."J And they then discuss

how basic telecommunications facilities must be provided to ensure

adequate education and food supplies before other benefits in the

commercial sector can be realized.

As has been stated in one of the background papers for the

Second United Nations Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space:

If economic development is difficult to measure, social

development is even more difficult. While social services such

as education and health care are universally considered desirable, there is no agreement on measures of their quality. . . .

While the per capita GNP may be a useful rough index, it does

not accurately reflect the quality of life or the degree to

which the basic needs of all of the people are met.y

In the Pacific, again relying on historical and anecdotal data,

plus interviews during site visits, it is clear that the provision of

emergency services (including the critical element of warning and prevention notifications) ranks highest in terms of the need for improved

telecommunications facilities. This area is closely followed by health

IC E. L. Bebee and E. J. W. Gilling, "Telecommunications and Economic

Development: A Model for Planning and Policy Making," Telecommunication

Journal, Vol. 43, August, 1976, p. 39.

"Relevance of Space Activities to Economic and Social Development," a

background paper for UNISPACE '82, April, 1981, p. 6.

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care and education.

As one example with regard to education, the success of the

University of the South Pacific is particularly noteworthy. (See

section 4.2.8 for a description of the program.) If a satellite system

could be established that would provide for continuation and expansion

of the USP project, a truly regional higher education program could

result. Other similar projects could be started in other areas of the

Pacific not served by the USP. Again, while it is not possible to

quantify such benefits, at least not in advance of the implementation

of the system, evidence, e.g., from the PALAPA service in Indonesia,

strongly suggests that positive outcomes would result from an upgraded

educational service. Such upgrading in an area like the Pacific Basin

must rely on satellite communications in the near future.

Thus far, we have concentrated on benefits to the Pacific island

nations themselves. It should be added that the developed countries

having relationships with and personnel in the Pacific islands also have

a direct interest in improved communications. U.S. agencies such as the

Agency for International Development, the Department of the Interior,

and the Department of Commerce all have specific responsibilities and

interests in this part of the world. This will be true of government

agencies in France, Australia, New Zealand and Japan as well.

If it becomes necessary in order to persuade policy planners

and others who will be involved in decisions about improving communications in the Pacific Basin that there are specific commercial and

social activities that will benefit from the investment in telecommunications facilities, then Saunders' and Warford's advice should be
i

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heeded:

Any precise scientific allocation of funds between

competing sectors in LDC's is, of course, precluded by

the difficulty of measuring the benefits which stem from

alternative investments. . It appears that there is no

real alternative to a case-by-case microeconomic approach;

in order to address the peculiar problems encountered by

the telecommunications sector in achieving an optimum

rate and mix of expansion, the economic and social benefits of investments in the sector require more detailed

country-specific analysis than is usually given to them.

In conducting the microeconomic analyses, it will be helpful

to keep in mind that the telecommunications system most likely to

bring about significant changes in communications in the region will

of necessity involve a satellite or satellites.

This study has attempted to provide a preliminary analysis of

those communications systems that are already in place in the Pacific

and has suggested where the unmet needs lie and how they might be met

by an approach called an Integrated Communications System. Further

work remains to be accomplished in terms of defining the specifications

and costs of each possible alternative that seems feasible at this

point, e.g., the extension of the INTELSAT gystem, sharing of one or

more other satellite systems, the implementation of an S-band satellite.

However, it would be unfortunate if all decisions to move forward with

planning for improved telecommunications facilities were delayed until

quantifiable data regarding benefits were obtained, for such data may

never be forthcoming. On the other hand, there should be sufficient

cumulat i ve evidence to indicate the efficacy of improved communications

and the need to implement a truly regional system.

Saunders and Warford, "Evaluation of Telephone Projects in Less

Developed Countries," op. cit., p. 3.

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6. FINAL CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The challenge of providing adequate communications is not

unique to the Pacific Basin region. Although problems of distance,

isolation, small populations and historic underdevelopment with

regard to telecommunications may seem more severe here than in other

parts of the world, a closer look reveals both that the needs can be

sufficiently articulated to be dealt with and that communications

solutions can be brought to bear that have a reasonable expectation

of success.

6.1 Summary of Findings

The present study took into consideration the state of

telecommunications and the apparent needs of all the island entities in

the Pacific (Hawaii, developed countries and certain small entities were

excluded). While the site visits were made to selected representative

countries, the findings, especially with regard to system solutions,

can be generalized for the area. What follows is a summary of the

principal findings:

A. A review of the status of telecommunications in the Pacific island

nations has revealed that:

1. While a number of domestic telecommunications systems are in

place and functioning (the dominant system is HF radio), rural

areas are either unserved or lack adequate facilities.

2. Communications between locations within a given country, e.g.,

from island to island or from the coast to the interior, are

°. a
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generally less reliable and, therefore, less frequent than

communications between island nations and developed countries.

3. There is a need to equalize services and facilities between

population centers (often country capitals) and other places

in the country.

4. There is an apparent desire and willingness on the part of

island nations to acquire telecommunications facilities that

will improve domestic and regional communications, and communications satellites are viewed by country representatives as

a most efficient and desirable means of achieving greatly

improved capability. Additionally, a willingness has been

expressed to cooperate on a regional basis.

B. With regard to specific activities in the region that would be

significantly affected by improved communications, it was found that:

1. The provision of basic services such as emergency warnings,

health care delivery, and education are seriously hampered at

present by inadequate communications systems. There is both a

demonstrable need and articulated desire for improvements in

these areas.

2. In many of the countries, growth in commercial activity is

limited by the nature of existing telecommunications facilities

or the lack thereof. Most industrial, agricultural and business

activities could be made more efficient and profitable by the

creation of better communications systems within the countries

themselves and within the region generally. In many cases, new

businesses could be formed with the single important variable

being the need for an adequate communications system.

YS
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3. Services most needed in the region include telephony and

i

telex/telegraphy. While television does exist in some countries

now and could have applications for the future, chiefly in

delivery of education and ,ome forms of medical care, video

per se was not deemed as critical a delivery mode as others ?I,i

that will provide voice and data transmissions.

N

Taking into consideration the characteristics of the region, including

Its present communications systems and apparent economic and social !!

requirements for the coming decade, many of which have been spelled Ii

ii

out in countries' long-range plans, it has been the conclusion of

I

the present study with regard to communications technologies that:

1. A number of different technologies could be employed, but the

two most likely to bring about broad scale improvements in

communications in the region are underseas cable (primarily

^. with fiber optic links between islands) and communications

satellites.

I

2. Since the technology of oceanic fiber optic cables was not

deemed far enough advanced to be counted on as a pervasive

i

solution in the near term, attention was focused on the

satellite options, and these include (and are not mutually

exclusive):

a. Extension of the present INTELSAT system, including provision

of small, low-cost earth stations in remote locations that

would serve to relay local communications, operating in

tandem with the standard A or B stations.

b. Use of existing or proposed domestic (or INMARSAT) satellites

that could provide some degree of Pacific coverage. Satellite

9
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systems reviewed under this option included: ANSCS, INMARSAT,

PALAPA, TDRS, and ALASCOM's future satellite. Other countries,

e.g., Japan and the Latin American countries, may also have

candidate satellites for such a service in the future.

c. Creation of an Integrated Communications System that would

include provision of one 2500 MHz (2.5 GHz) satellite,

3. A system incorporating an S-band satellite was deemed optimal

because it would not only build on existing domestic systems in e

each of the countries and on the INTELSAT installations, but

the 2500 MHz assignment in this region of the world permits

fixed, mobile and direct broadcast satellite operations.

4. Whichever satellite system is selected, approximately 3000 earth

stations will eventually be required to provide service to major

population centers and rural areas. These earth stations should

be low-cost, easy to maintain and capable of transmitting and

receiving voice and data.

D. In examining probable costs and benefits of an improved communications

system that would include the satellite option it was noted that:

1. More work needs to be done with respect to satellite system

definition, especially with regard to the feasibility of manufacturing the desired small antenna earth stations. Fortunately,

developmental work on this front is going forward through the

efforts of INTELSAT and others, and earth stations retailing at

$25,000 or less are likely to be available within the next two

years. This cost should hold for either S-band or C-band stations.

2. Associated facilities, including power sources (perhaps solar

powered batteries), public call boxes, etc., would have to be

priced and these costs added to the system cost for each country,

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depending on its individual requirements.

3. An interim system using INTELSAT or other available satellites

would be less expensive than creation of a new satellite system

but might not, in the long run, be as flexible or allow for

the full range of desired services in the region.

4. While the capital costs of a new regional satellite at S-band

might be on the order of $100 million (in 1981 dollars), this

system would be capable of meeting expansion needs in the region,

and financing might be provided by the countries themselves,

developed countries having responsibilities in the Pacific Basin,

supplier credits, commercial bank loans, private investors,

E

foundations, the United Nations Development Program, and the

World Bank with its affiliates.

5. In addition to nonrecurring capital costs, there will be costs

associated with training, establishing an appropriate regional

management structure, and annual operations. Apart from the

initial training costs, which might be borne in part by loans

and the UNDP, a significant portion of the operating costs should

be able to be paid for by the participating countries.

6. Evidence from the telecommunications experiences of other

developing countries indicates that an appropriately designed

communications system has at least a reasonable expectation of

showing a positive rate of return on investment. In some places,

the rate of return might be sufficient to provide a contribution

to other sectors of the economy.

7. A management structure that allows for a single entity -- whether

a country in the region, an existing regional entity, a new
1

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regional consortium, or a new corporation composed of user

countries -- would be the most efficient means of establishing

and operating a satellite system for the region.

8. Direct benefits to commercial and social accilities because of

the provision of better communications are very difficult to

quantify, but anecdotal evidence, user interviews, and the

examination of the experiences in other developing countries

all suggest that many benefits can be realized and that overall p

productivity and quality of life will be enhanced.

6.2 Recommendations

1. The developmental steps outlined in section 5.4 (Management

t

and Implementation) need to be undertaken as soon as possible

if the region wishes to establish significant new telecommunications facilities and services.

2. The governments of the developed countries with relationships

and responsibilities in the Pacific Basin need to ascertain

their appropriate roles with regard to assisting the island

nations in the implementation of an improved communications

system.

3. Other studies that are currently being conducted that also

touch on telecommunications in the Pacific need to be reviewed

and the findings compared and coordinated so that as much

evidence as is available can be brought to bear to assist the

policy makers, planners, and funders who work in the region.

1
A ^

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4. Developmental work on small, low-cost earth stations -- at

2•

C-band, S - band, and Ku - band -- needs to be fostered. A

abreakthrough in earth station technology for voice and data

could mean a more rapid development of satellite use in the

{ Pacific Basin.

r;

5. Even before all questions relating to services and structure

are answered, work needs t.a ront { r.,,^f± with respect to system

definitions for the satellite options deemed i)raetic6l , If a

more precise estimate of costs can be givan, and ^,i batter

understanding of the legal r»d !a*nagemeni: (Ite.sdMns tt,rrived

'r at, the ground work will have been '106 for the othav planning

r' that is necessary,

r,

The fact that there may be no easy solutions to providing

improved communications in the Pacific does not mean that there are no

solutions. The communications technologies available today and likely to

i

become available over the next ten years are increasingly appropriate for

efficient use in this region of the world. What is neee, .d now is a

concerted effort to plan for and im p lement the most cost effective,

versatile and maintenance simple system that can be designed, It. must

also be a system that can accomddate growth.

ti

saw

it
`tl BIBLIOGRAPHY

I. By Country

..., -228-

r

N

AMERICAN SAMOA

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REPUBLIC OF BELAU

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COOK ISLANDS

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6
OWL as v

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Cook Islands (cont.)

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FIJI

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iii (cont.)

'he Broadcastin Commission Ordinance 1968. As amended by the Fiji

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French Polynesia

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KIRIBATI

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NAURU

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NIUE

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1'I^ 9
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Niue (cont.)

a

Mata la Mua, Government of Niue, Alafi. Niue National Plan, 1980-85.

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Telecommunications Development in Papua New Guinea. October, 1980.

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C
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SOLOMON ISLANDS

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F'

National Development Plan, 1975-1979, Vol. 1. Honiara, April, 1975.

Review of Telecommunications. Paper prepared for Seventh South Pacific

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Solomon Islands, October, 1980.

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TOKELAUS

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KINGDOM OF TONGA

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TUVALU

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Tuvalu Telecommunications Development. 1980.
-233

VANUATU

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1979. Education Printery, Vila. New Herb rides, 1979.

"Konstitusin blong Ripablik blong Vaunatu (Niu Hebredis) 1980."

Ministry of Transport, Communications and Public Works, Department of

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New Hebrides Government of National Unity. Provisional Results of the

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New Hebrides (Vanuatu). South Pacific Dossier. Canberra, 1978.

i

Republic of Vanuatu, Bureau of Statistics, Census Office. Population

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Western Samoa. South Pacific Dossier. Canberra, 1978.

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Western Samoa (cont.)

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Abramson, Norman. Palapa for Data Communications. UNDP Project INS/72/041.

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-236-

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+

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t

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