Latest iteration of joint initiative Project Semata will benefit more than 2,000 teachers and students in Suva.
For the second year running, Ciena, Digicel Fiji, and Southern Cross are coming together to provide schools in Fiji with high-speed internet access of at least 10 Mbps via the Digicel Fiji network.
The Assemblies of God High School, Basden Anglican College and Ratu Sukuna Memorial School will enjoy enhanced internet access provided by Project Semata, a joint initiative between the three companies. This current iteration of the project with three new schools will benefit more than 2,000 teachers and students in Suva.
Digicel Fiji CEO, Farid Mohammed, said: “Digicel Fiji is thrilled to partner with Ciena and Southern Cross for the second year of Project Semata. This project is essential for bridging the digital divide in Fiji and ensuring that students and teachers have access to the high-speed internet they need to succeed in today’s digital world. By providing enhanced internet access to these schools in Suva, we are empowering them with the tools and resources they need to learn, grow, and thrive.”
Waisale Tavatuilagi, Head of School, Basden Anglican College, said: “This great initiative will enable us to be connected to the world, assisting us in the daily teaching and learning process. It will enable teachers to access the latest teaching methods. Students too will be at an advantage with a greater access to a variety of resources which can help them prepare well for any assessment or examination. Communication barriers between all school stakeholders will become a thing of the past and the Internet will be a great enabler for monitoring and informing parents about their child’s performance in school.”
Philip Rolle, Regional Managing Director, Subsea, Ciena Asia Pacific, said that with e-learning and teleworking ‘essential’ to full social and economic inclusion, internet connectivity is a necessity regardless of where you’re based.
“Through the Ciena Digital Inclusion programme, it is a privilege to once again be working with Digicel Fiji and Southern Cross on Project Semata to address some of the gaps in rural connectivity,” he said.
Laurie Miller, CEO, Southern Cross, said: “We continue to believe in the critical role broadband connectivity plays in socio-economic development, in particular learning, education and communication. Southern Cross is committed to supporting this development through high-speed and accessible internet in rural areas of the Pacific and by collaborating with Ciena and Digicel Fiji we see this commitment come to fruition. Project Semata has been greatly received in improving accessibility of learning materials and empowering the education of students and teachers and Southern Cross is proud to expand this support into other schools in Fiji.
In 2023, Project Semata supported three schools in Savusavu – a town in the Fijian Province of Cakaudrove, on the south coast of Fiji’s northern island of Vanua Levu – providing around 2,000 teachers and students with reliable and convenient access to high-speed internet to support their learning journey.
Launched jointly by Digicel Fiji, Ciena and Southern Cross, Semata – Connect in Fijian – is an initiative to provide high-speed internet access and online learning resources.
Initially, the service offered dedicated direct 10Mbps internet access to the Digicel Fiji network to all students and teachers at the Kamendra School, Savusavu Secondary School and St. Bedes Secondary School.
Only a small percentage of the students at these schools in Savusavu had access to broadband internet at home. Semata was pitched as giving students and teachers at these schools much-needed learning resources as well as the opportunity to build skills crucial to a digital economy.
Mohammed said: “During the pandemic, Digicel pledged to keep everyone connected. We formed partnerships with the Ministry of Education to give students access to their schools’ virtual learning sites and classes and provided subsidized data plans and zero-rated data access to essential learning sites. With Project Semata, we are keeping our pledge alive, working alongside Ciena and Southern Cross.
Project Semata will support schools in Pacific Island communities for the next two years.
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