In the face of unprecedented disruption in the Pacific telecom sector, companies are gearing up to weather the storm. With challenges looming large, the mantra “when the going gets tough, the tough get going” resonates deeply.

Key stakeholders recognize the imperative to modernize and expand networks while bolstering resilience against escalating climate issues. However, this imperative must be balanced with the need to monetize investments for a sustainable future.

At the PITA 28 AGM business conference, members of the Pacific Islands Telecommunications Association (PITA) heard that a number of countries are adopting policies to address this delicate balance, with the trend expected to spread to more countries. Among these measures is the introduction of utilization rates for big techs to ensure fairness and equity of the costs  associated with their high level usage of network services, analogous to the higher fees imposed on heavily laden trucks for road usage.

Pacific telecom’s strongly anticipate similar measures and emphasize the pivotal role of governments in enacting similar policies in the Pacific to bring more balance to this equation without unduly burdening citizens.