Bringing uncapped internet to remote Pacific islands is the aim of Kuk i Net, a start-up in the Cook Islands.
With a satellite now beaming high-speed internet to remote parts of the Pacific, a company in the Cook Islands has the dishes to connect outer islands to the worldwide web.
Penrhyn in the Cook Islands Photo: Ewan Smith
Kuk i Net is in the process of being licensed as an internet service provider, which would break the monopoly held by Vodafone in the Cooks.
It plans to sell the dishes, or VSAT units, for about $US1134 along with unlimited broadband packages for multiple users.
Kuk i Net director William Framhein said one VSAT unit could get an entire village online.
"That can happen by setting up a wifi system... very much so for the Pa Enua (outer islands). We just have to be careful about how we get it out there. We need to go through the proper channels and talk to the island governments," Framhein said.
Photo: 123rf
Pa enua like remote Penrhyn could be serviced by two VSAT units, he said.
"In Penrhyn there's two villages, Omoka and Te Tautua, so they would need a dish each. The same situation would happen on the island of Manihiki because there are two villages."
Kuk i Net is offering uncapped data packages for 60 users at $3593 per month, with free VSAT unit installation. But could pa enua villagers afford it?
Framhein said government departments had shown an interest in using Kuk i Net to bring e-government services to pa enua, and perhaps villagers could piggyback on their signal.
"We're trying to get Health involved in the product, because they're going to need decent bandwidth for health workers. Each government agency - Internal Affairs is another one, the ministry of Justice - could share.
"Then we could put a plan in that's affordable for those that have the devices to hook in wifi."
