 OVERVIEW:
FINTEL- THE COMPANY |
Fiji International Telecommunications Limited (FINTEL)
is a Private Company, licensed by Government to
provide Fiji´s international telecommunications
links. The Company, formed in December 1976, is
jointly owned by the Government of Fiji (51%) and
Cable and Wireless Plc of UK (49%).
FINTEL operates the Southern Cross (SX) submarine
optical fibre cable, submarine coaxial cable terminal
and an INTELSAT Standard satellite earth station
at Vatuwaqa. A combination of this alternative
though complementary, facilities provide Fiji
with adequate capacity and reliability of routes.
Access to a worldwide telecommunications network
is provided through direct circuits including
utilisation of transit switching points.
Direct circuits are in operation between Fiji and
Australia, Canada, Hawaii, New Zealand, United States
of America, Japan, and New Caledonia. Additional
routings are provided through main switching centres
in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United
States.
Apart from facilities for telephony, the Company
provides international private leased circuits (IPLC),
International capacity lease, facsimile (bureau
fax), video conferencing, frame relay service, internet
gateway and TV and video cast transmissions.
| MISSION
STATEMENT |
CORPORATE MISSION
FINTEL is licensed by the Government of Fiji
as the sole provider of all international telecommunications
in Fiji.
FINTEL's primary mission is to provide the customers
with services of high standards commensurate with
attractive pricing whilst enhancing the shareholders'
investment in the Company.
FINTEL is dedicated to the achievement of this mission
through a commitment to:
· LEADERSHIP in the employment of advanced
and proven technology and provision of new services.
· EFFICIENCY in the management of its resources.
· ACHIEVEMENT of sound business growth and
a satisfactory return to its shareholders.
· DEVELOPMENT of staff to perform their duties
with skill and pride.
· PROMOTION of the Company as a responsible
organisation and a good corporate citizen.
| ORGANISATIONAL
CHART |
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Savenaca Narumbe: Chairman
Philip J. Richards: Company Secretary
Lionel D.S. Yee: Director
Vuetasu Buatoka: Director
David A. Leach: Director
David Kay: Director
| MANAGEMENT |
Philip J. Richards: Chief Executive
Sakaraia Tuilakepa: GM Finance & Administration
Ioane Koroivuki: Manager Engineering
Jone Vesele: Manager Operations
Samuela Samuta: Manager Corporate Support
| AGREEMENTS
|
Collaboration at international and domestic level
is crucial in the planning, provision and co-ordination
of international telecommunications services provided
by FINTEL. New services are established once agreements
have been reached between the parties. Overseas
organisations, like FINTEL, own and operate systems,
which form part of the global telecommunications
network.
As Fiji's licensed international carrier, FINTEL
negotiates the necessary agreements with its respective
overseas counterparts. The Fiji public is linked
to the international network through a separate
agreement with Telecom Fiji Limited, which owns
and operates the national network.
FINTEL continues to be part of international organisations-
the International Telecommunications Satellite Organisations
Limited (INTELSAT Ltd), the ANZCAN Cable Management
Committee and the Pacific and Indian Ocean Cable
Maintenance Agreement Committee (PIOMA) and regularly
participates in their Meetings and Conferences.
The company has a shareholding investment in
Intelsat Ltd, which was privatised in July 2001.
Intelsat Ltd owns and operates the world's most
extensive glo9bal communications satellite systems
providing services to leading telecommunications
carriers, internet service providers, network
integrators and broadcasting companies.
FINTEL is represented on the investment in Intelsat
Ltd, which was privatised in July 2001. Intelsat
Ltd owns and operates the world's most extensive
global communications satellite system and is
responsible for their efficient operation and
maintenance. In addition, FINTEL is a joint signatory
to the agreement with Global Marine Ltd, which
provides for the use of the cable ship 'Pacific
Guardian' for the repair and maintenance of the
Southern Cross Cable.
| FINANCIAL
PERFORMANCE |
Despite the slow economic growth experienced and
continuing readjustments to reduce the International
accounting rates, FINTEL sustained an operating
profit taxes of $20.1 million, compared to the
previous year's $27.4 million. The decline in
profitability is largely attributed to reduce
earnings from voice traffic compounded by an unfavourable
foreign exchange fluctuation and a decline in
earnings from Television/Voice cast, Data and
Internet leased circuit services. The result in
after tax profit for the year remained strong
at $13.4 million, though below the $17.8 million
achievement for the previous financial year.
The total turnover for the year was $65.8 million,
compared to last year's $81.6 million and comprises
of $39.3 million earnings from international business
relations (59.7%) of total turnover and $26.5
million (40.3%) of the total turnover earned from
the domestic market.
| DEVELOPMENT
ACTIVITIES |
Fintel will continue to roll out international
services that will add value to their customers'
business and lifestyle and at the same time move
towards providing quality, efficient and effective
telecommunication services nationwide. Network
development activities focused on the perceived
growth areas relative to data networks and the
Internet, the strategic direction key to the growth
of incremental business due to the demands of
the changing international business environment.
The major highlights of the Engineering expansion
and the development activities for the period
under review focused strategically on the following
areas.
|
· The closure of the ANZCAN Coaxial Submarine
Cable System.
· The opening of the 'Internet Kiosk'
at the Customer Service Centre (CSC), showing
the capabilities of the high speed state-of-the-art
Southern Cross Cable Network connectivity
· The quadrupling of the Internet bandwidth
demand to TFL confirming strong growth in customer
utilisation.
· The implementation of connections and
upgrades for Frame Relay and IPLC services for
corporate customers.
· The upgrading of the Southern Cross
Cable Network from its initial 40 gigabits per
fibre pair to 160 gigabits, within 6 months of
commercial rollout, mainly due to the exponential
growth of the Internet between Australasia and
the United States of America.
· This successful implementation of reprogramming
at the International Gateway Exchange (ISC) to
facilitate new number plan to 7 digits.
· The scheduled digitisation of the Occasional
Use Television facility at the satellite Earth
Station in accordance with Intelsat requirements.
· The facilitation of the International
Video-conferencing service.
| SOUTHERN
CROSS CABLE NETWORK |
In the age of the convergence of media, entertainment,
computer and telecommunication technologies, Fiji
has become the place to be. Its connection to
the Southern Cross Cable Network provides great
opportunities in the ITC industry thanks to The
full landing of the SCCN at FINTEL's station in
Vatuwaqa.
FINTEL, looking at the future growth pattern
of telecommunications in the world, brought into
Fiji the SCCN to complement its satellite network
and to give higher bandwidth and reliability to
the existing network. FINTEL ensured this way
that all the benefits associated with broadband
transmissions are available in Fiji (all the applications
and the content including ISP, voice, ICT, etc.).
Whatever the customer needs, FINTEL tailors its
network to meet the requirements.
Fiji offers many of the essential needs for establishing
a business in a new country, such as a democratic
government, economic stability, legal and corporate
systems, English literacy, tax incentive policies,
good climate, a desire to develop new industries,
competitive wage rates and conditions, high level
of education of the work force, good infrastructure
and physical and technical resources.
FINTEL, in order to support these benefits, keenly
explores the opportunities of introducing integrated
telecommunications solutions and is ardently pursuing
the implementation of projects for the delivery
of broadband data and Internet services. These
include innovative voice solutions, video-on-demand,
international call-centres and back-office data
processing operations, high speed data solutions,
data storage and warehousing.
The Southern Cross cable even before its first anniversary
has been updated to quadruple its capacity. There
are various institutions already making the best
use of it. FINTEL collaborates closely with the
Fiji Audiovisual Commission (FAVC) to ensure investors
in the AUDIOVISUAL INDUSTRY all the international
services that will add value to the customer. At
the Studio City in Fiji you will find everything
in terms of communications almost at your doorstep.
When considering investing in CALL CENTRES, FINTEL
itself can provide you with the land, the building
and the connection to the Southern Cross Cable very
quickly, thus leaving no barriers to settle a successful
call centre.
| TELECOMMUNICATION
SERVICES |
FINTEL's customers are guaranteed quality of
service, no flag falls, pay as you talk and no
hidden costs. Fintel offers the most convenient,
efficient and cost saving means of making an international
call to highlighted destinations. Business operations
encountered many challenges during the year from
the political, economical and social spheres impacting
negativity on the services that FINTEL provided.
TELEPHONY
The voice service continued to be predominantly
FINTEL's core business. However, the global events
that shattered many economies also affected Fiji
and voice traffic recorded a growth of 6.5% with
a total of 78.1 million both way paid minutes
derived from 16.4 million calls for the year compared
to a 11.4 % growth in the previous year. International
Direct Dialling (IDD) traffic accounted for 93%
of total outbound calls with Australia, New Zealand,
USA including, Hawaii, Canada, Britain and Japan
being Fiji's principal streams that accounted
for 90% of the total traffic.
DATA SERVICES
Frame Relay Service continued to gather popularity
as an alternative choice for data service with
new customers coming on board and implementation
of upgrades continue to inch forward as demand
increases. IPLC services provision continues to
be sustained on customer choices for relative
requirements whilst forecast growth for the Internet
bandwidth, as expected recorded an upgrade to
6 Mbps for TFL´s requirement. Market signals
and responses from the business community indicate
a huge potential for further growth in this area
in the future.
OTHER SERVICES
Other services in the transmission of Occasional
Use TV Service and Video Conferencing continue
to be utilised by many casual business users who
also frequent FINTEL's customer services centre
for their choice of kiosk services in internet
and call facilities.
ACCOUNTING RATES
International bilateral relations continue to
address the phase reduction of the Accounting
Rates with an objective to rationalise the commercial
effect on the business. The review period encountered
huge challenges and difficulties imposed by the
US carriers with AT&T and Sprint implementing
the FCC benchmark whilst ongoing negotiations
reached amicable pacts between Fiji and other
major streams in Australia and New Zealand.
| LOOKING
TO THE FUTURE |
To retain its edge as the premier international
telecommunication company in the latest Protocol
(IP) technology, FINTEL is focusing its development
projects in the following areas:
· Current and future capacity acquisition
commitment from the Southern Cross Cable Network
will enable future delivery of innovative, reliable
and commercially attractive integrated communications
solutions to the business community.
· Network upgrade to position itself to
meet future demands for new services including
video-on-demands, international call centre operations,
back office data processing, data warehousing,
Internet, high speed data services, television
and so on.
· FINTEL will continue to seek global
partners to achieve a leading position in the
delivery of data and IP-based services.
· The continuing investment in manpower
training and development to deliver customer service
consistent with world-class standards.
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