The regulatory jewel of the South Pacific: Samoa’s decade of telecommunications reform

Abstract

During the last decade Samoa significantly reformed its telecommunications sector. It introduced a new competitor-Digicel-into the market, privatised the state-owned company SamoaTel (now Bluesky Samoa) and established an independent regulator. These reforms have had a dramatic impact on mobile usage in Samoa, and now mobile phones and regular Internet access have become an everyday (and affordable) reality for a vast majority of the population. This paper provides a critical account of one of the most mature mobile markets in the Pacific region. Drawing on semistructured key informant interviews with individuals in the Samoan telecommunications sector and the public service (conducted in April 2014), the paper explores the emergence of a Samoan digital culture, a transformation which has only been possible thanks to the widespread take up of mobile phones on 3G networks. We outline how mobiles are being used in Samoa, the ways in which they integrate (or don't) with existing social and cultural norms and discuss the wider infrastructural issues that have emerged in light of this increased usage. We end by reflecting on what the Samoan experience can tell us about telecommunications reform in developing countries more generally.

Creating Consumer-Citizens: Competition, Tradition and the Moral Order of the Mobile Telecommunications Industry in Fiji

“…Whereas Digicel's entry into countries such as Jamaica, Samoa and Papua New Guinea has been transformative, resulting in rapid if not exponential rates of adoption (Horst and Miller 2006;Meese and Mow 2016;Watson and Duffield 2016), the uptake of the Digicel network and services in Fiji was less effective. This was largely due to a series of actions taken by Fiji's first mobile company, Vodafone Fiji.…”

“…As we see in the early advertisements by Digicel that stressed the rural and remote regions of Fiji's population, the company reframed the Telecom Authority of Fiji's requirement to develop networks in rural and remote regions as an opportunity to bring people living in these regions into the fold as mobile consumers. Like other Pacific and Caribbean markets (Horst and Miller 2006;Meese and Mow 2016), Digicel also focused on prepaid options that appealed to lower-income consumers who were unable to qualify for or maintain postpaid plans.…”

Telecommunications Reform in Samoa The Introduction of Competition Law

“…Given the small sample from our preliminary findings thus far, it is important to note that this data is representative of the portion of the sector responsible for driving competition and telecommunications laws in Samoa [10]. Delays in information requests also highlights the longstanding issues of data collection in Samoa and the lack of legislative infrastructure such as an Official Information law or Freedom of Information law to ensure adequate governance in the exchange of information between public organisations, the public and researchers.…”

“…[4], [7], [6], [3], [13], [14]. Arguably, Digicel faced no real competition following the privatisation of SamoaTel in March 2011, claiming a significant share of the customer base through the efficient installation of cell towers [10]. Less than two years after the introduction of competition there was a marked increase across the sector.…”

Smallholder Farmer Perceptions of Postharvest Loss and Its Determinants in Fijian Tomato Value Chains

“…There is also a perception that smallholder farmers are often disconnected from the market and consumers, and as a result are poorly informed as to the extent and causes of loss [15]. However, horticultural value chains in the South Pacific tend to be associated with very short transport distances (commonly less than 50 km) [9], involve small volumes of supply [6], with farmer access to good telecommunications services [16,17], and value chains that are often linked to a large network of road-side vendors and regional fruit and vegetable markets [6]. While underlying postharvest practice may be poor, this fast-to-market and possibly rapid market throughput, has the potential to lessen postharvest loss vulnerability.…”