
Telecom (Fiji) Pte Limited has been honoured with the Infrastructure Initiative of the Year – Fiji award at the Asian Telecom Awards 2026, recognising the successful delivery of the Savusavu–Labasa Fibre Project in Fiji’s Northern Division.
The landmark project established a 102-kilometre underground terrestrial fibre link connecting Savusavu, Seaqaqa, and Labasa—transforming connectivity across Vanua Levu and addressing long-standing service disruptions caused by weather-affected microwave links.
Strengthening Connectivity in the Northern Division
For years, connectivity across Vanua Levu was constrained by environmental vulnerabilities impacting microwave transmission systems. These disruptions affected households, businesses, schools, healthcare facilities, and public services.
The Savusavu–Labasa Fibre Project introduced a permanent, climate-resilient fibre backbone, reducing reliance on weather-exposed infrastructure and creating a stable, high-capacity transmission corridor. At the time of deployment, it represented the first fibre backbone constructed outside Viti Levu at this scale.
Built with underground protection and redundant routing, the network was designed to withstand environmental exposure whilst enabling long-term scalability. The optical system launched at 10Gbps, rapidly scaled to 100Gbps, and includes a defined upgrade path to 400Gbps—supporting national broadband expansion and future-ready services, including 5G readiness in the Northern Division.
Measurable Impact Across Communities and Institutions
Completed ahead of schedule and delivered within the approved FJ$10 million budget, the project delivered immediate performance improvements upon commissioning:
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Interconnection bandwidth increased to 100Gbps
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Latency and service interruptions declined significantly
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Network traffic rose from 7.0Gbps to 12.5Gbps
Within six months of activation:
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Broadband subscriptions doubled across the Northern Division
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Fibre adoption among businesses increased by 88%
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Connectivity uptake among schools and statutory bodies grew by 77%
Healthcare providers reported faster access to clinical and administrative systems. Government agencies improved data exchange during high-demand periods. Financial institutions experienced enhanced transaction processing speeds and reliability. Schools gained more consistent access to digital learning platforms and education management systems.
Driving National Digital Infrastructure Development
The recognition at the Asian Telecom Awards underscores Telecom (Fiji) Pte Limited’s commitment to strengthening Fiji’s digital infrastructure and enabling resilient, high-capacity connectivity beyond major urban centres.
The Asian Telecom Awards, presented by Asian Telecom Magazine, celebrates outstanding achievements in telecommunications across the Asia-Pacific region, recognising innovation, infrastructure development, and industry leadership.