News & Releases

Telecommunications Radiocommunications and Broadcasting Regulator (TRBR) is running a general survey for telecommunication users or consumers to provide feedback on various questions that target the use of mobile phones and internet.

The overall aim of the Survey is to comprehensively examine and fully understand consumer experiences   in the current telecommunications market, and to examine the impact of these experiences on the behavior of a consumer.

In addition, the survey will assist the TRBR to be better informed when establishing a Regulatory Framework that is fair and beneficial to all stakeholders including users of the services.

On that note TRBR is Kindly inviting you to participant in responding to the questions provided in the survey. The valuable time you have spent on the survey will help impact the development of telecommunications in Vanuatu and assist TRBR on ways to provide an appropriate and fair framework to promote telecommunication services in Vanuatu.

Click to take the survey .

Details

On the 5th of May 2016 TVL and Digicel agreed on an amended schedule of prices for their 2014 interconnection agreement. These rates will be in effect until 2018 when the existing agreement expires and another will be re-negotiated.

Details

Introduction

The Girls in ICT initiative of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is a global effort to raise awareness on empowering and encouraging girls and young women to consider studies and careers in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The initiative is committed to celebrate and commemorate the International Girls in ICT Day on the fourth Thursday of every April as established by the ITU membership.
The 2016 Girls in ICT Day celebrations in Vanuatu was coordinated by Women and Girls in ICT Association is a Charitable Association based in Vanuatu.
The event is celebrated for the first time in Vanuatu this year 2016 and it was celebrated at two locations, one at Eles School in Nguna island and one in Port Vila.

 

Eles School Celebration


The Eles school celebration was coordinated by Shannon Tomlinson a Peace Corp volunteer. Eles is located in a remote village at a Computer Lab and Internet Community Center (CLICC) that was installed under the Universal Access Policy managed by the Telecommunications Radiocommunications and Broadcasting Regulator (TRBR)’s office. 18 mothers and 5 year 8 girls participated in the basic training to create email and Facebook accounts.

Eles participants watching the video speech by Dalsie Baniala, Telecommunications and Radiocommunications Regulator 28 April 2016

They were addressed by Ms. Dalsie Baniala the Telecommunications Radiocommunications and Broadcasting Regulator (TRBR) through a pre-recorded video message that was downloaded from YouTube - Click to view the video message Vanuatu, joining the rest of the world celebrating Women and Girls in ICT

 

Mothers and girls learn to use email and facebook for the first time at Eles School lab

 

Port Vila Celebration

The event started at 9.30am at the SHEFA Education conference room in Port Vila. It was attended by the following women leaders of Vanuatu;

- Dalsie Baniala – Telecommunications Radiocommunications and Broadcasting Regulator (TRBR)
- Dorosday Kenneth Watson – Director of Women’s Affairs
- Leimara Malachi – Deputy Lady Mayor of Port Vila
- Soletia Christie - Deputy Country Director of Peace corps
- Two Port Vila market vendor Presidents
- Representative of the Vanuatu Women’s Center.

The Key Note address was delivered by the Vanuatu Telecommunications Radiocommunications and Broadcasting Regulator (TRBR) Dalsie Baniala that focused on the need for empowering women and girls with ICT tools. The Director of Womens Affairs Department Mrs. Dorosday Kenneth Watson also delivered a speech encouraging women to positively use ICT to promote their daily living including their business operations.

Mr. Joseph Tamata owner of a local Computer Network Services also delivered a short speech encouraging women to make use of technology in a positive way. At the end of his speech, he offered to develop and host the Women and Girls in ICT website for free. Before morning tea break, the Deputy Lady Mayor officially launched the Women and Girls in ICT constitution and those who were present signed the constitution as first members of the Association.

Mothers and girls interacting to learn

 

Doreen Lango who is Chairperson of the Women and Girls in ICT day event, later presented the vision of Women and Girls in ICT followed by the Smart Sistas ICT Girls Camp presentation by Rodney Philemon of Peace Corps.

The SMART Sistas ICT Girls Camp Committee is a strong collaboration between US Peace Corps Volunteers, US Peace Corps Staff, ICT Association Professionals (VITUS), the Vanuatu Government and other partners in the ICT industry. The committee began preparations in November 2014 and they hope to expand the program in future years. The 10 girls who were selected from over 60 applicants for the Smart Sistas ICT camp in May joined the sessions with their guardians at 11am and their names were announced for the first time. The Telecommunications and Radiocommunications Regulator also addressed the 10 girls and congratulate them they were fortunate to have been selected from the many applicants and encouraged them to take this opportunity seriously and that in the next 15 years they will be experts in their specific areas of interest in the development of ICT programs.

The ten girls selected to participate in the SMART Sistas Girls ICT Camp

Training

The training session started with a brief introduction then a hands-on training creating email addresses and personal websites. There was a mixture of young girls and women who interacted to learn how to create their own email address and websites. Some managed to complete the creation of their websites. It is anticipated that a follow-up training for the same group will take place in the next three months. The participants were overwhelmed by the training and wished there was more time.

Outcome

The outcome of the celebrations is as follows;

- Over 100 people attended the celebrations and learned for the first time how to create their email accounts and personal websites.
- 10 Girls aged between 9 and 14 were selection out of over 60 applicants to attend a one week basic training on different programming languages as part of the       Pacific ICT Days Celebrations.
- 30 women and over 20 young girls attended the one day training and were able to created their own email addresses and personal websites and start to use them immediately.
- A quarterly program was established for a follow up training.
- A free offer for creation and host of the women and Girls in ICT by the local owner for Computer Network services.

Details

The number of internet subscribers in Vanuatu continued to grow in 2015 following the installation of the ICN1 submarine cable in 2014 and service providers’ efforts to make available this service to users. The heavy competition between internet service providers (ISPs) was stimulated by operators introducing new, cheaper offers particularly with new and improved unlimited download plans as well as increasing internet speeds. Customers in Vanuatu can connect to the internet through a broad and increasing range of technologies and transmission methods as ISPs adopt and adapt technologies to suit the unique requirements of our market.

There has been significant growth in the number of users accessing the internet via mobile data, with both mobile operators now offering a range of 3G enabled smartphones for under 5000vt and the number of people, particularly young people, who now have the tools to access the internet; hence this service has grown considerably in recent years. Since the submarine cable landed in 2014 mobile operators have had access to greater amounts of internet bandwidth at lower cost than the previous satellite connections, and this has led to much more competitive and affordable data bundles being available to consumers. The price per MB of data allowance dropped considerably in 2015 with weekly bundles being available at an average rate of 15vt/MB in November 2014 to as little as 1vt/MB in 2015 or 2vt/MB with Facebook included free as part of the bundle.

Click the link below for mores 2015 Statistics.

Statistics

Details

Details
  1. 2014 Statistics
  2. Consultation Paper on Radio Spectrum Fees in Vanuatu
  3. IMPORTANT: Outstanding fees and 2016 Radio apparatus licence renewal
  4. TRBR releases UAP Stakeholders Update Report No.4
  5. TRBR's 2016 and onwards plan
  6. Official lauching of the UAP schools project
  7. 2nd round consultation paper on management of .vu country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD)
  8. Consultation on Market Determination in Vanuatu for Regulatory Purposes
  9. Allocation of 700 MHz BAND Expression of Interest
  10. Approval and Gazettal of Telecommunications and Radiocommunications Consumer Protection Regulation

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