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Mr Aiyaz Sayed-KhaiyumAttorney-General and Minister for Justice and Electoral Reform, Public Enterprise and Anti Corruption and Acting Minister for Industry, Tourism, Trade and Communication Vodafone 3G Network Launch, 18th Nov, 2008 The Managing Director of Vodafone Fiji; Mr Aslam Khan, Invited Guests, Ladies & Gentlemen. Good Evening and Bula Vinaka! Tonight is very special. Vodafone Fiji Limited is tonight launching its next generation mobile network. We have not in Fiji until this evening had the THIRD GENERATION NETWORK or “3G”. 3G will provide capabilities to deliver a wide array of voice and data solutions at speeds never before experienced in Fiji. Let me congratulate Vodafone on this milestone achievement. The launching of the 3G network puts us on par with the rest of the world. We are the first to launch 3G in the Pacific Islands. As you have just seen in the DVD, with the launch of this 3G network, the much talked about video calling services will now be a reality in Fiji. One of the key objectives of Commodore Bainimarama’s Government is to liberalise the economy with the view to, amongst other things, improve accessibility to infrastructure which includes telecommunications. Such liberalisation with appropriate laws reduces the cost of doing business, increases productivity and has a positive impact on the lives of the ordinary men and women of our country. Indeed the liberalisation of the telecom market through the Radisson Accord has been a major achievement. Liberalisation, which has brought about robust competition, has provided competitive pricing, innovation and the expedited introduction of new technology. Today is a testimony. We commend Vodafone for taking the lead. We believe competition and full liberalisation in the international gateway will bring even better technology and competitive pricing. This will in turn have a positive impact on internet and broadband giving accessibility to the commercial, domestic and education sectors. From numbers reported, Vodafone has in excess of 650,000 mobile connections. This is a phenomenal 80% penetration and with new players entering the market, this is expected to increase to a 100%. Vodafone’s lead and commitment is a mark of confidence in the Government’s policies. Over $200 million dollars has been invested in this sector over the last 18 months alone. This has created employment opportunities and provided stimulus for the economy. It should be noted that 99% of Vodafone’s workforce are locals. This clearly shows that with investment in our local people, we can deliver world class results. I want to take this opportunity to also acknowledge the contribution of the Vodafone ATH Foundation. Its work with the Children’s Heart Foundation and like organizations is appreciated and commended. Vodafone has been a significant sponsor also. I acknowledge in particular Vodafone stepping in to sponsor the recent Heads of Pacific Islands Correctional Services Conference after a leading financial institution pulled out on the 11th hour. Of course, the Vodafone Fiji Bati is sponsored by Vodafone. Their success I am sure you all agree is something which we can all be proud of as a nation. Ladies and Gentlemen I now have much pleasure in officially launching Vodafone’s Next Generation 3G mobile network. Vinaka Vakalevu. --------- |
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