Telecom (Fiji) Pte Limited wins Infrastructure Initiative of the Year at Asian Telecom Awards 2026
The company delivered a climate-resilient fibre backbone that addressed long-standing connectivity challenges in the Northern Division.
Telecom (Fiji) Pte Limited received an accolade in the Infrastructure Initiative of the Year - Fiji category at the Asian Telecom Awards 2026 for the delivery of the Savusavu–Labasa Fibre Project, a major terrestrial fibre deployment in Fiji’s Northern Division. The initiative addressed long-standing service disruptions caused by weather-exposed microwave links and introduced a permanent fibre connection between Savusavu, Seaqaqa, and Labasa through a 102-kilometre underground route.
Long-standing connectivity constraints across Vanua Levu had restricted reliable communications for households, businesses, schools, and public services. Existing microwave links were frequently disrupted by weather conditions, which affected service continuity. The introduction of a terrestrial fibre corridor reduced reliance on these systems and established a stable transmission route across the Northern Division. At this scale, the deployment represented the first fibre backbone constructed outside Viti Levu.
The network was built with underground protection and redundant routing to address environmental exposure. Optical technology was selected for capacity scalability rather than fixed throughput. The system operated initially at ten gigabits per second and expanded to 100 gigabits per second, with a defined upgrade path to 400 gigabits per second. This capability aligned with national network planning and supported preparations for fifth-generation mobile services in the Northern Division.
Construction of the Savusavu–Labasa Fibre Project concluded ahead of schedule and remained within the approved budget of FJ$10.0m. Service performance changed immediately after commissioning. Interconnection bandwidth in the Northern Division increased to one hundred gigabits per second, whilst latency levels and service interruptions declined. Recorded network traffic rose from 7.0 gigabits per second to 12.5 gigabits per second.
Subscriber behaviour shifted within six months, and broadband subscriptions doubled across the region during this period. Businesses increased fibre service adoption by 88%, whilst connectivity amongst schools and statutory bodies grew by 77%. Access to online platforms and operational systems became more consistent as a result.
Operational outcomes were reported across multiple public institutions. Healthcare facilities experienced faster access to clinical and administrative systems. Government agencies improved inter-department data exchange, particularly during periods of high demand. Financial institutions recorded gains in transaction processing speed and service reliability, whilst schools reported quicker access to education management systems and digital learning tools.
The Asian Telecom Awards is a premier awards programme that recognises telecom companies across the Asia Pacific for their contributions to industry advancement, technological innovation, and digital infrastructure development.
The Asian Telecom Awards is presented by Asian Telecom Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2027 awards programme and be acclaimed for delivering cutting-edge, award-winning telco products and services to customers, please contact Julie Anne Nunez - Difuntorum at +(65) 3158 1386 ext. 242. You may also reach out via [email protected].
