Ciena Announces Second Year of Broadband Project in Rural Fiji

May 28, 2024 – Software and network services company Ciena on Tuesday highlighted the continuation of a year-old partnership with Digicel Fiji and Southern Cross to connect school students on remote islands of Fiji to high-speed internet connectivity.

This initiative is expected to connect more than 2,000 students and teachers to internet speeds of at least 10 Megabits per second (Mbps) download and upload.

The "initiative will enable us to be connected to the world, assisting us in the daily teaching and learning process. It will enable teachers to access the latest teaching methods. Students too will be at an advantage with a greater access to a variety of resources which can help them prepare well for any assessment or examination,” said Waisale Tavatuilagi, head of Basden Anglican College, one of the three additional schools that will be connected to high-speed internet due to the project. 

Regional Managing Director of Ciena Asia Pacific Philip Rolle said that “e-learning and teleworking are considered essential to full social and economic inclusion, making internet connectivity a necessity regardless of where you’re based.”

“We continue to believe in the critical role broadband connectivity plays in socio-economic development, in particular learning, education, and communication,” said Southern Cross CEO Laurie Miller. “By collaborating with Ciena and Digicel Fiji, we see this commitment come to fruition.”