Digicel Pacific

PROMOTING ACCESSIBLE COMMUNICATION ACROSS THE SOUTH PACIFIC

DIGICEL PACIFIC TECHNOLOGY

BETTER TOGETHER W

ith over 1,700 employees and around 2.5 million subscribers, Digicel Pacific is the number one telecommunications (telecoms) provider in the South Pacific region.

Serving six key markets in Papua New Guinea (PNG), Fiji, Nauru, Samoa, Vanuatu, and Tonga, the company’s key objective is to enrich the digital lives of those it serves.

From individual users to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large corporations, and government, the company boasts a diverse client base.

Having delivered first-class digital services to its customers for over 16 years, Digicel Pacific’s commitment to innovation and excellence provides it with a distinct advantage.

It is for this reason that the company believes, together with its loyal users, that it can do, experience, learn, laugh, make, share, listen, and play more with an unmatched digital network.

DIVERSE SERVICES Digicel Pacific’s wide suite of offerings include prepaid mobile phone and home entertainment services, alongside various business solutions.

The company’s internet services supply corporate clients, SMEs, and government organisations as well as everyday users, whilst 2 | APAC Outlook Issue 72

Digicel Pacific is on a mission to promote accessible communication across the South Pacific region.

Proudly bringing the future into the present, the company is securing a robust digital network and enriching the lives of its customers Writer: Lily Sawyer Project Manager: Eddie Clinton

its direct-to-home (DTH) premier subscription TV is a premium entertainment option for families.

A burgeoning collection of mobile apps is also on offer, catering to Digicel Pacific’s growing customer base as their needs continue to evolve.

The MyDigicel app enables users to access their mobile accounts, activate plans, send and top up credit, play games, and win prizes online. The company believes that offering a virtual one-stop shop for its customers’ accounts streamlines their experience.

DigicelTV, meanwhile, is a television streaming app for local and international shows, live sports, blockbuster movies, children’s entertainment, and more.

Elsewhere, Loop is Digicel Pacific’s news app that places local, regional, and global news at customers’ fingertips, allowing the business to share the stories that matter.

Alongside its Digicel-exclusive apps, the company has also partnered with ANZ Bank Samoa on MyCash, an app offering Digicel Pacific customers seamless funds transfers from their ANZ accounts directly to their mobile wallet.

A POWERFUL PARTNERSHIP With decades of experience providing international connectivity across the

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DIGICEL PACIFIC TECHNOLOGY

DIGICEL FOUNDATION The Digicel Foundation promotes sustainable development across PNG by investing in three key areas: EDUCATION EDUCATION INFRASTRUCTURE – Providing classrooms powered by solar and equipped with modern amenities and ramp access for children with disabilities. The foundation has built 335 such facilities across PNG to date.

CHILD LITERACY – The Literacy Enrichment and Educational Development (LEED) programme aims to improve child literacy rates in the country.

EDUCATION TV – DigicelTV and the Department of Education have collaborated to provide BeLit, a regular

Pacific region, Australian telecoms giant, Telstra, emerged as the ideal acquisitor for Digicel Pacific in 2022.

Through its stake in the Southern Cross Cable Network (SCCN), Telstra, in partnership with the Australian government, was already established as the largest provider of voice and data services between the South Pacific and the rest of the world at the time of the acquisition.

The Australian government’s ongoing support for private sector infrastructure across the region was undeniable, such as its funding of the Coral Sea Cable System (CS2), connecting PNG and the Solomon Islands with Australia.

As such, in July 2022, Telstra contributed USD$270 million in equity for Digicel Pacific, whilst the government contributed USD$1.33 billion to the USD$1.6 billion purchase price to complete the deal.

Having delivered and operated mobile networks in some of the remotest parts of Australia, from the outback to the Torres Strait Islands, Telstra has so far brought a great deal of experience and support to Digicel Pacific.

Now operating as a separate business within Telstra’s international division, the company has retained its wellknown and loved branding across the South Pacific, whilst its management team has continued the day-to-day running of the business.

Due to similarities between the two company’s values, which ultimately prioritise local communities, the partnership between Digicel Pacific and Telstra is set to remain strong for years to come.

4 | APAC Outlook Issue 72

three-hour educational TV broadcast.

COMPUTER LABS – Increasing digital literacy for students by providing computer labs consisting of up to 30 refurbished computers and high-speed internet.

HEALTH HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE – A solar-powered vaccine fridge programme supports immunisation in rural areas for polio, measles, tetanus, and COVID-19.

HEALTH PARTNERSHIPS – This year, the Digicel Foundation is partnering with St John Ambulance PNG, donating 43 ambulances and offering paramedicine training.

LEADERSHIP MEN OF HONOUR – The Men of Honour (MOH) campaign aims to break cycles of violence by focusing on positive behaviours.

COMMUNITY GRANTS – The Community Grants Programme aims to support local organisations with grants of up to PGK100,000 for community projects. To date, it has provided 91 grants to 71 community-based organisations.

STAFF ENGAGEMENT – Through the Live, Learn, Love (3L) programme, individual staff can sign up for grants of up to PGK5,000, and teams of 10 or more can apply for up to PGK10,000 to support impactful projects in their communities.

DIGICEL PACIFIC TECHNOLOGY

PROGRESSIVE PROJECTS In March 2024, Digicel Pacific announced it had been granted conditional approval from the Government of Samoa to launch 5G cell tower sites on the island.

In partnership with Nokia, the upgrades began in Apia’s central business district (CBD), enabling Digicel Pacific to introduce speedier 5G connectivity for its customers in the area, alongside maintaining its existing 4G network.

To ensure the security and resilience of critical national infrastructure, all new cell tower sites in Samoa have been developed in line with the country’s cyber security standards.

More recently, Digicel Pacific has announced a significant mobile network expansion in PNG to enhance connectivity.

The company’s recent activities across PNG’s 21 provinces and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville have seen it build 115 new mobile towers, upgrading 96 of them to 4G long-term evolution (LTE). This achieved a 20 percent increase in Digicel Pacific’s 4G LTE coverage, confirming its position as the country’s largest 4G network.

Having already brought new coverage to almost a million users, the implementation of new cell towers has been strategically balanced between the Highlands, Momase, Islands, and Southern regions of the country for fair distribution.

Digicel Pacific’s activities in PNG have so far resulted in the network serving more than 80 percent of the population, from rural areas to major urban centres.

The network expansion also encompasses Telstra’s commitment to PNG as part of its 2022 acquisition, reflecting the company’s dedication to supporting sustainable economic growth in the region.

SAFEGUARDING A DIGITAL FUTURE According to the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), the number of 5G connections in the Pacific Islands will reach 1.5 million by 2030, equivalent to 17 percent of total mobile connections.

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As such, Digicel Pacific remains dedicated to continuing to upgrade its cell tower sites and plans to undertake 5G and fibre projects across the regions it operates in.

Elsewhere, as part of the global race to net zero, the company is developing a mechanism to measure carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, alongside investing in solar panels to power some of its cell sites to help reduce reliance on fossil fuels and carbon emissions.

Meanwhile, Digicel Pacific is working with Telstra and other global partners to strengthen its cybersecurity capabilities and reduce the risk of unauthorised access to its network.

Alongside its broader sustainability initiatives, the company seeks to implement various actions to sustain its operational success in the future.

Firstly, it will continue to enhance the customer experience by providing exceptional services and innovative new developments. It will also endeavour to empower and support its staff to do their very best for the business.

Finally, Digicel Pacific’s ongoing commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR), such as the activities carried out by its philanthropic arm, the Digicel Foundation, continues to empower local communities and contribute to improved livelihoods and economic development across the region.

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PROMOTING ACCESSIBLE COMMUNICATION ACROSS THE SOUTH PACIFIC

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