TSKL  Brie*ing  Report  

Mr.  Teannaki  Tongaua  Chief  Executive  Of*icer  

Content  0 Kiribati  Geography  0 TSKL  in  Brief  0 Existing  Services  and  Customers  0 Existing  Services  and  Issues  0 ICT  Reform  Project  

Kiribati  Geography  0  100k  people  with  32    islands  scattered  around  

 0  3  Groups  of  islands:  Gilbert,  Phoenix,  Line    0 Main  island  of  Tarawa  about  50k    0  2nd  largest  island  Kiritimati  about10k    0  20  other  inhabited  islands  with              population  range  from  500  -­‐    6k    0  Islands:  Low  lying  islands      

TSKL  in  Brief  0  Established  as  Joint  Venture  Agreement  between  Telstra  &  Kiribati  Government  –  1990  to  2001  

 0  2001  –  Completely  owned  by  Kiribati  Government    0  Permanent  Employees            10%  decrease  in  staff  number  every  year        2008  –  177  staff        2014  -­‐    83  staff    0  TSKL  Management          Board  consist  of  5  Directors  nominated  by  the  Minister          Senior  Management  Team  (  CEO  and  3  GM’s)    

Existing  services  and  Customers  Service   Customer   Target  customers   Island  Covered   Year    

PSTN   4753   All   Main  Island   1980s  

2G  mobiles   10456   All   Main  Island  &  5  Outer  Islands  

2004  

Wimax  internet   851   All   Main  Island   2006  

RICS   19   Outer  Islands  Local  Gov’t  Of*ice,  Churches,  Schools,  

etc  

Outer  Islands   2009  

ADSL  internet   141   Gov’t  Ministries,  Private  Business,  Churches,  

Schools  

Main  Island   2010  

3G  mobile  &  internet  

5840   All   Main  Island  &    Kiritimati  

2013  

LTE   Nil   Gov’t  Ministries  and  Private  Business  in  

Bairiki  

Main  Island   2013  

3G  Monthly  revenue  • Data  revenue  now  higher  than  voice  • SMS  revenue  only  minor  •   average  10%  revenue  growth  per  month  

Existing  services  &  Issues  Service   Issues  PSTN   End  of  Life  (obsolete),  copper  cable  over  30  years  2G  mobiles   End  of  Life,  not  supported,  subscriber  limited  capacity  -­‐  

20k,  slow  data  access,  link  consume  satellite  bandwidth,  expensive  to  upgrade  and  roll  out  

Wimax  internet   Limited  support,  equipment  End  of  Life,  expensive  modems  RICS   High  cost  of  equipment,  license  cost  annually  ADSL  internet   Capacity  limited,  copper  cable  issues  3G  mobile  &  internet   Commissioned  2013,  initially  handset  compatibility  and  

handover  issues  –  required  upgrade  to  resolve  issues  LTE   No  customer  at  the  moment  

0  the  new  Communications  Act  passed  in  2013;            0  the  project  to  reform  incumbent  TSKL    though  sale  to  a  strategic  investor  now  well  under  way;    

0  capacity  building  in  CCK  and  the  Ministry  progressing;      0  a  company  being  sought  to  assist  CCK  with  *inding  and  licencing  a  signi*icant  competitor  to  TSKL;  and  

 0 World  Bank  agreement  to  now  seek  additional  funding  required  for  the  Outer  Island  project.    Construction  could  commence  in  the  *irst  half  of  2015.    -­‐    World  Bank  no  longer  interested  

0  Government  of  Kiribati  is  now  left  to  look  for  funding  

ICT  Reform  Project  –  World  Bank  

Challenges  0 Satellite  cost  

0 Obsolete  GSM  

0 Old  TDM  Switch  

0 Solar  Power  for  Outer  Island  system  

0 Coverage  for  3G  on  remote  islands    

Way  forward  

0 The  New  Owner  of  TSKL  will  comment  on  that.