The University of the South Pacific (USP) was established in 1968 and is a regional university owned and operated by twelve Pacific Island countries: Cook Island, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. USP serves a population base of over 1.8 million people. It has campuses in Fiji, Samoa and Vanuatu, and University Centers in all member countries. After a period of fairly rapid growth, enrollments reached about 9,200 students or 5,300 Equivalent Full-time Students Units (EFTSU) in 1997.

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(A photo of the main earth station dish antenna and a diagram for videoconferencing are ommitted by Tak Utsumi.)

Reaching out to students ......, pictured (ommitted), the antenna goes up as the FJ$9 million (about US$4.5 Million -- noted by Tak Utsumi) USPNet project advances from one stage to another. It's a project that when completed will see the USP have its own VSAT telecommunications network. The USP will own and operate this private network, purely for USP activities.

USPNet Project Manager Mr Wayne Heads said the USPNet satellite earth stations were designed with different capabilities to meet the requirements of the University in an efficient way. "The "Hub" is at the Laucala Campus with a 7.6 m antenna, pictured (ommitted), with a transmit power of 100 watts and is the master station. The "Mini Hubs" at the Alafua Campus in Samoa and the Emalus Campus in Vanuatu, with 6 and 4.6 antennas, will have reduced transmission capacity of 50 watts, thus lesser video broadcast transmission capability. The "Remotes" at the University Centres will be 4.6 antennas with a transmit capacity of 20 watts to participate in audio and video conferencing and receive video broadcast. Therefore, there will be provision for permanently assigned 64 kbps two-way data circuits between the Hub earth station and all Mini-Hub/Remote earth stations for data, audio and telephony services, as well as provision for a maximum of three simultaneous 128 kbps video transmissions for lectures from the Hub earth station and single lectures from Mini-Hub earth stations, or a maximum of two simultaneous video conferences between the Hub earth station and Mini-Hub/Remote stations. The video services will be scheduled and managed by the Hub station," Mr Heads said.

Mr Heads explains that the 64 kbps data channels will be connected to multiplexers which dynamically adjust the bandwidth required for audio, telephone/fax and computer data transmission. This means if a particular circuit is used for an audio conference and telephone calls are made at the same time there will be lesser capacity left of the 64 kbps to download large amounts of data via the computer which could be quite slow. When the circuits are 'quieter' very much faster download times will be possible between sites.

Mr Heads said the management of major projects such as USPNet has included the preparation of a Project Plan which allows the Project Manager to lay out all the activities or tasks that need to be carried out for the project, and to assemble them into sequence which runs the project. He said Project Plans often include full details of resources required, when they are required, and plans and tracks the hours of work of people involved. A key advantage of the plan is to identify when particular activities, which must be done by a fixed date, fall behind. "Depending on how much time the manager allows for float, such a 'critical path' can be identified in time to take corrective action," said Mr Heads.

The project's funding has been made possible through the governments of Japan, New Zealand and Australia. Japan's funding has come in way of general grant aid for Fiji and Samoa; in way of grassroots aid for the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu. Aid from New Zealand (NZODA) will provide facilities in the Cook Islands, Nauru, Niue and Tokelau while Australia through AusAID will help facilitate Kiribati and Vanuatu.

Mr Heads said final approvals have now been completed with each donor country for all the funds promised at the Project's conception. He said the university manages all funds except for the General Grant Aid funds from Japan, which are paid directly to the satellite station contractor, Mitsubishi Corporation. The aid funds provide the satellite earth stations in each country (with associated electronic equipment), fully installed and commissioned for operation with USP's satellite provider INTELSAT. The funding also provides multiplexers and audio systems for a number of Centres, and comprehensive spare parts for the satellite earth stations.

In addition the University, through member countries, will provide over FJ$2million in funds to supply and install all the video, audio, telephony and data systems required for connecting the campuses and the centres to the satellite network. The USP member countries also provide support directly in each country such as duty free access for equipment and other forms of assistance to the project.

Mr Heads said for USP's distant students, USPNet will provide the opportunity to participate in audio tutorials, conducted from any campus, communicate by telephone, fax or email with a lecturer or tutor or another student; watch a live video transmission of a lecture from any of the three campuses and take part in video conference and tutoring with the Laucala Campus in Suva. University Administration will also become more efficient with the availability of telephone/fax and email communications via USPNet to all USP locations. Access to video conferencing will save time and travel in many cases.