Fiji

Damage to South Ridge communications tower on Viti Levu
Source: Chris Wensley/ADB
wireless networks cover approximately 95 percent of the population. Due to improved network coverage and competitive
pricing, mobile phone subscriptions have increased by 7.9 percent annually from 2007 to 2015, with the total number of
subscribers reaching 965,950 by the end of the period. Landline usage has fallen in recent years as mobile phone usage
has grown, and fixed telephone subscriptions per 100 people fell from 14.6 in 2007 to 8.4 in 2014. Household penetration
of Internet broadband increased from 7.1 percent in 2007 to 30.7 percent in 2014, while the percent of individuals with
Internet access rose from 10.9 percent to 41.8 percent over the same period, with 36.7 percent of households owning
computers. Household expenditures on communications have risen steadily over the last decade. The proportion of
household nonfood expenditure on communications rose from 4.3 percent in 2002/2003 to 5.4 percent in 2008/2009,
reflecting the rapid rise in the number of mobile subscribers and the increasing importance of communications in the lives
of all Fijians. 109
Fiji’s communications sector comprises a mix of public and private corporations, including: Telecom Fiji Limited (TFL),
which is the sole provider of local and long-distance fixed-line telephone services; Fiji International Telecommunications;
two mobile service operators, Vodafone and Digicel (which also offer mobile Internet services); two broadband service
providers (Connect and Unwired); and a number of information and communication technology (ICT) support services.
Private broadcasters include Communications Fiji Ltd., MaiTV and Fiji TV, with Fiji Broadcasting Corporation Ltd., the
sole state-owned broadcaster. Government direct investment in the sector includes the establishment of 26 Government
Community Telecentres that enable remote communities to access educational resources, information, public services,
and business products and services on the Internet. Post Fiji Ltd., a state-owned enterprise, provides national letter and
parcel services, and several national and international companies provide courier services.
The domestic ICT infrastructure includes extensive copper and fibre-optic cable networks that cover most urban and rural
areas in Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, although some places remain without telecommunications coverage. Both TFL and
FEA have invested substantially in underground fibre-optic cable networks. Mobile network operators rely largely on radio
communications between cell towers and base stations, and approximately 1,399 base stations are located throughout
Fiji. Table 64 shows the pre-disaster asset valuation for the sector.
109
Data are from the Fiji Bureau of Statistics.
92 Tropical Cyclone Winston, February 20, 2016