PacInet Report for Pacific Islands Partnership (PIP)
Prepared by
Tuloa Aniseko Ioane
26 October 2005
Introduction
PacInet is an annual ICT conference of the Pacific Island Chapter Internet Society (PICISOC). This year's Conference is the 4th, held in Tarawa, Kiribati from 22nd - 27th August.
The Theme was "Rural Technologies: Connecting & Advancing Remote Communities through ICT".
The Conference Contents & Presentations
I am sure the Theme was deliberately selected as this is one of the greatest needs and challenges for most of Pacific Islands, for communications and connectivity especially to the rural communities/areas. Pacific islands such as Kiribati with so many small islands, I believe there is a need to connect the islands for better and affordable communications if possible. With natural disasters like the Asia tsunami early this year, we the pacific islands need better communications to rural areas.
Most of presentations and contents were around the theme and the NearlyNet presentations by CityLink, provides ways of building cheap networks and then incrementally improve them as funds and needs arises. The example presented was the recent work at Tokelau using Ethernet MANs (Metropolitan Area Networks) including wired, wireless and DSL with practical application of VoIP and video streaming technologies.
Tuvalu and Niue Wireless Network shows practical ways of connecting the homes and offices and connecting to the Internet.
Both the USPNet and the Solomon Islands Distance Learning Projects (DLCP) are now implementing upgrading projects with or continuing with VSAT technologies. Both are for Distance Learning Education with USPNet between the centres in the Pacific and DLCP between the Solomon Islands "Solomon Island SchoolNet". The DLCP project is also looking ahead of not only for education but for multipurpose telecentres in partnership with communities.
This then brings us to the 'Telecentre Movement in the Pacific' presentation, which is now in consultation stages in Samoa, spearheaded by the National ICT Committee.
There was a presentation of a case study in a very remote Maori community in New Zealand deploying cheap broadband access connecting schools and communities.
With telecentres and various projects for rural communications and to the internet, there is a need for local contents, and one presentation was focusing on "local content". There is now a UNESCO project here in Samoa for Samoa Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) to put some of their programs online.
Map Server presentations as well as training seems like a regular for PacInet Conference.
These are now 14 pacific islands with online servers with maps for pacific islands.
These map servers can also be classifies as local contents. Furthermore there was a presentation on GIS image data for these map servers and recommendations for a single standard in GIS software for Pacific Island Countries.
With the Internet coming to the rural communities, there is a need for content filtering especially for school. There was a presentation on a commercial product 'Contentkeeper' for these filtering. A contentkeeper appliance was presented to the Telecom Ministry.
Security is also a main concern with these networks especially in the Wireless Network.
A paper was presented on how to secure wireless network from hackers as well as looking at latest wireless security technologies.
With these networks and communications to rural areas and with limited budgets, a presentation on Free Open Source Software (FOSS) is a necessity.
A paper was presented with results of a survey of structured interviews on knowledge, awareness, perception, usage, contribution and potential of Free and Open Source Software were conducted in Pacific island countries. The results show the need for the Pacific to pick up on FOSS. FOSS represents an opportunity for developing countries to adopt affordable software and solutions toward bridging the digital divide.
There is a Linux "Training the Trainers" 2 week training course in Suva next month November 2005, I believe organised and funded by UNDP-APDIP.
The opening presentation "Pacific Plan & The Pacific Digital Stragety", I am sure summarized the whole conference with its theme. This Plan will be discussed at the next Pacific Forum in Papua New Guinea, and looking at The Pacific Digital Strategy as a vehicle to recognize and exploit the potential of ICT to promote and support the Pacific Plan.
Sharing the Conference Info, Knowledge and Experiences
As the current President of the Samoa IT Society (SITS), I have had the privilege to share the PacInet 2005 initially with the executives. SITS is planning a seminar for its members next month and one of the presentations is mine not only about PacInet2005 but about PICISOC as well.
The President of SITS is also on the Samoa National ICT Committee which gives me the opportunity to do a presentation for the committee.
I have been invited by the Samoa GIS Users Groups to speak about how SITS can work with their group, and will be an opportunity to share PacInet2005.
Within Computer Services Limited (CSL), I have shared the info and knowledge with my technical working counterparts and planning for a presentation to the whole office for the next monthly meeting.
PacInet2006 Samoa and Samoa IT Society (SITS) hosting PacInet2006, makes the Samoans more aware about PICISOC especially in the ICT professional industries. SITS did a press release about winning the bid to host PacInet2006 next year and it was well appreciated by the public especially the ICT communities. Our Prime Minister, who is also the patron for SITS, is well aware about next year's event and he is also updated with PICISOC organization. We are already on preparation mode for next year event and we hope to see the Pacific ICT communities and professionals in Samoa. Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge the generous financial support of the Pacific Internet Partners of UNDP Samoa, UNESCO NZ and InternetNZ. I thank you for providing funds for airfares and allowances to allow me to attend PacInet conference for the second time. I want to say that PIP is one of the few organizations in the pacific, helping to improve the technical IT skills in the Pacific, and I believe it is effective.