02/09/2026
Government launches National Universal Service Programme as connectivity reaches 116 sites in six provinces
The Coalition Government today launched Fiji’s National Universal Service Programme at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva, under the theme Beyond Connected, formally recognising a network that is already live and carrying traffic in some of the most remote parts of the country.
The Programme has delivered 116 operational sites across Kadavu, Tailevu, Lau, Lomaiviti, Namosi and Navosa. More than 2,600 households have been brought online and over 11,400 Fijians now have a direct pathway to the digital world. In July alone these newly connected communities consumed approximately 57 terabytes of data while the network maintained an availability rate of 96 percent.
The Prime Minister and Minister for Civil Service, and Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics, the Honourable Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, officially launched the Programme.
“Yet, as Prime Minister, I have always believed that the true measure of a nation’s success is not found in the luxury of its cities or towns. It is tested by how we treat our most isolated communities,” the Prime Minister said.
He said Universal Service provisions had existed in Fiji’s Telecommunications Act since 2008, but for more than a decade turning that statutory objective into practical delivery remained an unfulfilled promise. The Government, he said, refused to accept that geography should dictate a Fijian’s destiny or limit their access to opportunity.
“Today, we are not launching a theoretical idea. We are recognising connectivity that is already live, operating, and transforming lives across six provinces,” he said.
The Prime Minister credited the leadership of the Minister for Policing and Communications, the Honourable Ioane Naivalurua, who has built on foundational work by Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica, and the work of the first substantive Telecommunications Authority of Fiji Board. Pairing public policy with Low Earth Orbit satellite technology and Universal Service funding unlocked a delivery model capable of reaching locations where conventional towers could never be justified commercially.
He described what the change means in practice. A student in Lomaiviti can now access online learning materials without relocating to an urban centre. A farmer in Tailevu can negotiate directly with buyers. A fisherman in Lau can check marine weather forecasts before setting out to sea. A woman running a business in Kadavu can accept digital payments and reach customers well beyond her village. For many families, an administrative errand in Suva once meant a boat ride, bus fares, overnight lodging and time away from home.
“What makes Fiji’s deployment model truly unique is that we did not build this network from an office in Suva. We built it hand in hand with the Vanua,” the Prime Minister said, extending his gratitude to the Turaga ni Vanua, Provincial Councils, village leaders and local administrations who made deployment on community land possible.
Delivering the welcome address, the Chairperson of the Telecommunications Authority of Fiji Board said Universal Service exists because telecommunications markets do not always reach every community on commercially sustainable terms, and that Fiji’s geography makes that challenge particularly pronounced.
“Where a person lives should not unnecessarily determine whether they have reasonable access to telecommunications services,” the Chairperson said.
The Chairperson said what was being recognised was not the sudden discovery of Universal Service, but the point at which policy, technology, funding and economics aligned sufficiently to turn a long standing statutory objective into practical delivery.
More accessible satellite connectivity provided a workable backhaul option, and improved commercial arrangements changed the recurring cost structure that had previously made the model difficult to sustain. Combined with Universal Service funding and competitive delivery through Fiji’s telecommunications providers, the model could finally be implemented at scale.
The Programme has also built capability inside the communities themselves. Service providers have trained local villagers to carry out basic maintenance and troubleshooting so technical knowledge stays in the village. Through local leadership, including the Soqosoqo Vakamarama and village youth groups, communities are managing WiFi voucher sales and earning commissions that are reinvested into community projects.
Work on the ground is continuing. The tender process for a further 104 unserved sites under Phase 2 has recently closed, and a further 311 communities are in the process of being gazetted and assessed for future Universal Service coverage. The Ministry is also progressing the Telecommunications Act Review, work with the Authority on Quality of Service across the sector, and implementation of the National 5G Roadmap alongside the upgrading of rural and maritime sites to 4G.
Both speakers noted that expanded access brings shared responsibility. Reliable communications are vital during natural disasters for early warning and response coordination, while online scams, cyberbullying and misinformation make digital literacy essential for children and families coming online for the first time.
“The Government has constructed the road. Our local industry maintains it. The Vanua has welcomed it into our communities. But ultimately, it is our people who must drive down that road toward knowledge, enterprise, and opportunity,” the Prime Minister said.
The Telecommunications Authority of Fiji falls under the Ministry of Policing and Communications.
ENDS
