Walesi signs multi‑year, multi‑transponder agreement with Eutelsat Communications

The government’s Digital Television infrastructure management company, Walesi has now signed a multi‑year, multi‑transponder agreement with Eutelsat Communications that will for the first time expand free‑to‑air television throughout all of Fiji.

The new satellite service will cover the areas where the people cannot get free to air TV service using the terrestrial networks or the current antennas.

A government statement says the agreement covers C‑band capacity on the EUTELSAT 172B satellite to complement terrestrial coverage of the Walesi digital television platform.

Eutelsat’s new, all‑electric satellite, now in full commercial service, will allow Walesi to provide digital free‑to‑air television via a Direct‑to‑Home platform that will serve even the most remote deep rural and maritime areas of Fiji beyond range of terrestrial networks.

The Direct-to-Home platform will initially provide access to six digital free‑to‑air channels with capacity for the channel offering to further expand, that will be accessible via a Set‑Top Box.

Walesi will announce details regarding the Direct-to-Home rollout and Government‑subsidised Set‑Top Boxes in the coming weeks.

Attorney General and Minister for Communications, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says this universal satellite coverage will be transformational for Fiji in three ways: it will provide better access to information to all Fijians, especially those in remote deep rural and maritime communities; it will further Fiji’s standing as an international telecommunications hub for the entire Pacific region; and it will fortify the climate resilience of our infrastructure.

Walesi is installing over 17 major communications and broadcast sites around Fiji which will be managed on a neutral host model. 

These major sites will be complimented by microsites in remote and maritime regions that will be supported by bidirectional satellite capacity to expand data, video, and voice connectivity to previously unserved communities.

$8 million has been allocated in the 2017/2018 National Budget to continue with the Digital Television Rollout.