Satnews Daily
February 18th, 2019

Speedcast and Newtec Cook Up a Solution ...  Create New Domestic Hub for Cook Islands' Remote Islands 


An ambitious project is underway in the South Pacific. Speedcast International Limited (asx:SDA), provider of remote communication and IT solutions, will replace the Cook Islands' existing international hub termination service with a new domestic hub for data, voice, domestic terrestrial television distribution and cellular backhaul.

The hub replacement will improve connectivity services for residents of the Cook Islands' remote outer islands.  Speedcast will deliver the service with Bluesky, a primary provider of telecommunications services in the Cook Islands.

The Cook Islands is comprised of 15 individual islands spread over approximately 91 square miles in the South Pacific. With a new Newtec Dialog hub solution by Speedcast, Cook Islands residents on the outer islands will have significantly improved capability to connect to friends, family, health services and businesses on the main island, Rarotonga, and to the rest of the world. The new hub will also lay the framework for future network services, such as new and expanded cellular services like 3G and 4G.

Erwan Emilian, EVP Enterprise and Emerging Markets, at Speedcast said that at Speedcast, they specialize in bringing connectivity to the most remote corners of the world—such as the Cook Islands. By adding a new hub to its connectivity network, residents and visitors to even the furthest island in the nation will be able to contact the main island with high-quality service.

Rob McFadzien, Chief Technology Officer, at Bluesky added that Bluesky has a well-established relationship with Speedcast bringing innovative communications solutions to market over many years. The solution offered by Speedcast and Newtec allows them to modernize their domestic satellite network and extend their existing MPLS service to the islands whilst providing excellent space segment efficiencies. With this upgraded network they are laying the foundation for deploying updated services to the islands.