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NEWS AND SPEECHES

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"Can Island States Be Ambitious?"

Elenoa Amanaki General Manager Tonga Broadcasting Commission

BACKGROUND:

Tonga consists of more than 150 islands spread over approximately 360,000 sqm or 140,000 sq mile of the Pacific Ocean.

The five main groups of islands that constitute the Kingdom are Tongatapu, Vava’u, Ha’apai, ‘Eua and Niua lie approximately between 173° 40? and 177 15' West longitude and 15° 23' and 23° 30' South latitude. About 40 of the islands are inhabited. With inland waters and several outlying islands, the country has a total land area of about 750sq km with a population density of 15 persons per sq km or a total population of over 100,000. The eastern islands including Tongatapu are of coral formations while islands of volcanic origin lie in the west. The highest point in Tonga is Mt. Kao (3,380 ft). Several islands have active volcanoes. The country facts are summarized below:

Full Country Name : Kingdom of Tonga Area : 688 sq m Capital City : Nuku’alofa Population : 100,000 Religion : Protestant, Catholic, Mormon etc. People : Polynesia Government : Hereditary Constitutional Monarchy GDP : US$ over 228 million GDP/head : US$ 2,200 Inflation : 1.4% Major Industries : Agriculture, Fishing and Tourism Major Trading Partners : Japan, Australia and New Zealand

Most Tongans are warm and welcoming but it’s difficult to see how we could be otherwise when our home is a series of lush Pacific islands, surrounded by unbelievable white beaches and coral reefs, basking under a tropical sun. Environmental plans intend to preserve most of these features. Island states in the Pacific Ocean are characterized by the following:


PRESENT ENVIRONMENT

With the above limitation, can island states still be ambitious? The answer is yes.

CYBERNETICS is also reaching the Pacific Islands. The media industry and the new information and communication technologies (ICTs) are transforming the lifestyles of people in the islands of the Pacific.

These islands have their own identities and together they make a conglomerate of colourful cultures, heritage, and biodiversity. Each island has its own social, cultural and economic pattern. As the islanders become more educated and travel more, their tastes and living standards become more demanding and link with the outside world for trade etc. becomes a necessity. The islands are, therefore, no longer isolated but part of the globalisation process.

Islands – either through the private sector or through government - must create and distribute enormous volume of educational, entertainment and information programmes over television, radio and newspaper. The impact of these ICT developments in the Kingdom of Tonga is changing concepts of identity and the social bonds within groups or communities, often at the cost of local cultural expression. Values have changed as the result of ICT development. The Prime Minister of Tonga has rightly reported this in WSIS in Geneva this year and I am quoting his speech as reported by Johnson Honimae.

“Development of such a vision for ICT services and applications must be driven not only by local market parameters, but by recognition that the global nature of the information economy transcends national borders and interests. He added that any related policy framework should be designed to deliver a step-function improvement in the provision of services and applications. It should be centered on the need to give every citizen access to ICT tools so that all individuals can share the benefits of the technology.

The Tonga Prime Minister told the international gathering that his country had adopted the same set of principles driven by an understanding that expanded connectivity, will stimulate domestic growth and greater participation in the global economy. He said this had resulted in the recent liberalization of the market and the introduction of competition in Tonga. Within a year of implementing these policy decisions, tariff for almost all services dropped significantly by more than 20 percent. Teledensity - the number of mobile subscribers and Internet users have both doubled. Tonga’s Prime Minister revealed that his country is currently designing a Universal Access System to ensure that any citizen who requires communications access, can obtain it.

This also includes emergency access communication from uninhabited islands. Indeed, ICT has offered a historic and unprecedented opportunity not only to bridging the digital divide but also to place its potential at the service of humanity to make our world a better place”.

Tonga is unique in every way. Its telecommunications have been developed by the private sector and the Government. In most islands, telecommunication is controlled by Governments. Tonga’s electricity is controlled by a private company.

The opening up of telecommunications to the private sector has created healthy communication between the two companies, and the end result is cheaper telephone charge to the public. Mobile telephones are easier to get, cheaper to buy and communication is faster. As in all business, the company that gives the best yet cheap service to the public will survive the test. The move towards mobile telephones has caused the two companies to upgrade their infrastructures that will be used for communications and broadcasting.

The targets laid out by these two companies are also impressive. Some of the targets are:


As islands are scattered, through these 2 companies Tonga has set up infrastructures that will allow island groups to get the same services provided for people in the main islands. The Internet is available in Vava’u and, in future, will be available to our people in the outlying islands. This was created to speed the transfer of information to the public and foster increase in market growth.

The Tonga Broadcasting Commission, the first Broadcasting Station in the Kingdom, began operating in 1961. The governing legislation is the Tonga Broadcasting Act 1961 Cap 100. The Commission is solely owned by the Government of Tonga. TBC provides commercial and non-commercial services. A Board of Directors, comprising of seven directors, oversees the policy management. A General Manager is appointed, who is responsible for recommending and implementing strategies and policies and the day to day management.

The Tonga Broadcasting Commission operates the only AM Station in the islands. It also operates a FM station and one television station. Tonga Broadcasting Commission is a “free to air” public television and radio station. The AM station provides broadcasting services to all islands in the Tongan group with the objective to inform, educate and entertain the people of Tonga.

It must be noted however that telephones, e-mail etc. will not feed the people and computers will not replace textbooks. But rather ICTs can be used effectively as part of the toolbox for addressing social and economic problems eg. markets for our agricultural and fisheries products.

The government has also opened the market for another private company to be involved in communications development. The opening of the market allows the private sector to put up infrastructures that would be too expensive for Government. The company adopted the latest technology cable satellites and adopted complete digitilisation right from its establishment. This company was involved in mobile telephones which were distributed to all islands in Tonga. The remotest island in the sun can be now contacted by mobile. The company has a fully digitalised TV infrastructure with five channels.

The Tonga Telecommunications Corporation operates a fully digitalised telephone system. It provides Internet services, mobile and telephone system to all islands in the Tonga group.

Tonga Broadcasting Commission operates analogue radio and television “on air programmes”. Broadcasting digitalization has been promoted in many countries as a means to upgrade the quality and functionality of broadcasting. Although TBC is still analogue we have to digitalise by year 2016 and plans will be drawn up for this.

STEPS TAKEN:

So, Tonga has achieved the following:


It is now laying fibre optic cables to improve and expand its internet service. All this company needs is to have the necessary equipment to upload TV images into satellites. The liberalization of the market has created healthy competition.

Tonga Satellite Company, a private company, owns several satellite slots that contribute to Tonga’s advance in communication technologies. With this, Tonga will be able to avoid shortage of frequencies due mainly to the explosive growth of mobile communication. There will be a high demand for spectrum in relation to expanding use of radio waves as well as the rapid development of wireless communication technology. TBC will join the other 3 television stations to complete digitalisation by 2016. This will contribute to upgrading services that utilise radio waves, allowing all people of Tonga to access radio and television. Tonga has not only been ambitious but has also been keeping in line with WSIS Plan of Action/Targets by 2015.

WSIS PLAN OF ACTION:


CONCLUSION

Can an island state be ambitious? Schumaker said that, “small is beautiful”. Islands can be ambitious as long as they have the will and the capacity to embark on high technology projects. Tonga’s important resources are its people and particularly those fully qualified as ICTS experts. In addition to this, the Government’s will to liberalise the market and introduce competition has resulted in tariff reduction by 20% and doubling of the number of mobile subscribers and internet users.