FSM President wants donor help for fibre optic cable
Updated
The President of the Federated States of Micronesia has appealled to donors to help him extend a planned fibre-optic communications cable to all states in his far-flung country.
Presenter:Jemima Garrett
Speaker: Emmanuel Mori, president of the Federated States of Micronesia
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GARRETT: Telephone communications across the Federated States of Micronesia are poor and costly.
With a new fibre optic cable being laid by the US military through the FSM waters, President Emmanuel Mori sees an opportunity that won't be repeated.
His plan is to link each state to the cable.
MORI: It would improve the state, it would also improve the reception, it is not only going to attractive to local users but especially visitors, the government. What we are envisaging here is e-commerce, e-help and e-education.
GARRETT: The President of the Federated States of Micronesia, Emmanuel Mori.
Better quality connections would make a big difference to the efficiency and capabilities of both the private sector and government.
When it comes to health, President Mori says there is no doubt that fibre optic cable connections would save lives.
MORI: For example, the United States could give instructions to our doctors here on specialised situations, critical situations, Instead of patients leaving here and die on the plane en route to the hospitals in Hawaii or the United States. So cost saving is ther, not only in terms of lives, but in terms of dollar savings.
GARRETT: The FSM has the money to link the island of Ponapei to the fibre optic cable but has been unable to secure funds for links to Chuuk, Kosrae and Yap raising the spectre that those three states might be stuck for decades longer on the wrong side of the digital divide.
President Mori is appealing to donor countries for help.
MORI: We are in an urgent mode, because as you know the navy or the military cable would be running from one to Guam to Kwajelein, and we want to take the opportunity to have companies that would be laying the cable to do the same at much. much discounted cost. Once these ships leave the area, the cost to remobilise these vessels' personnel be enormous would become about tens of millions of dollars for mobilisation costs alone.
GARRETT: President Emmanuel Mori.
The cost of connecting the three unfunded states while companies contracted to the US military are available to do the work is estimated at around 33 million US dollars.
President Mori says he is seeking grant funding from the United States, Japan and any other donor willing to help - then he will be in a position to find loan funds as well.
MORI: We want a mixture of grants and loans, loan alone we can't afford it, that's for sure. It has to be a mixture of both loans and grants. If we get grants of 60 to 65 per cent of the total cost, and perhaps a loan of 30 to 35 per cent, then that's may be doable, but we certainly cannot just load ourselves with debt.
GARRETT: Good quality telephone and internet connections have the potential to improve every development indicator in the FSM, as well as improve government efficiency and boost business and trade opportunities.
President Mori says fibre optic cable connections will be one of the key items on the agenda for next month's North Pacific leaders summit in the Marshall Islands.
