STATEMENT FROM THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL AND MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS - MORE THAN $5 MILLION RAISED AT SPECTRUM AUCTION

24/07/2013

The Fijian People own the airwaves.

On behalf of the Fijian people, the Bainimarama government for the first time insisted on a transparent competitive process to allocate the frequencies on the radio spectrum used by mobile phone carriers. The Fijian people are entitled to fair compensation in return for the right of these companies to use the public’s airwaves to make a profit.

This process was done by auction and was finished today.

The auction exceeded expectations, raising more than $5 million, for the Fijian People and opening the door to the future of 4G service, providing smart phone users super fast internet connections - including streaming, browsing, and video calling.

The new 4G technology, together with Government's Universal Access Program and Local Internet Exchange, will expand mobile coverage and make the internet more accessible and affordable for the Fijian People.

-ENDS-