L’Office des Postes & Télécommunications de Nouvelle

APAARI – Bangkok, December 2003APSITT2003 ~APSITT2003 ~ NoumNoumééaa,, 2525--26 November 200326 November 2003

APSITT 2003

Keynote Presentation

Telecommunications in New Caledonia

Office des Postes &Telecommunications –New Caledonia

Telecommunications in New Caledonia

APAARI – Bangkok, December 2003APSITT2003 ~APSITT2003 ~ NoumNoumééaa,, 2525--26 November 200326 November 2003 2

Presenters:

• Bruno MANOT, Head of Telecommunications Division, OPT New Caledonia ([email protected])

• Olivier VERDIER, Head of External Relations, Telecommunications Div., OPT New Caledonia ([email protected])


IT in the Pacific Islands countries & territories (PICTs)


IT in the PICTs• Overall population: 8,000,000 islanders

(≈ Azerbaïdjan, or twice Singapore population)• Domestic communication : heterogeneity in

customer bandwidth, ranges of services, infrastructures used, penetration rate, and somewhat in standards used

• Mobile standards: GSM taking over AMPS (Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Cook Islands…)

• International field: a unique & universal means: satellite (except Fiji)


Mobile networks in the PICTs • Analog networks still in: Cook Isl., Mariana, Palau,

Niue, Kiribati, Solomon Isl.• TDMA in: Mariana• GSM in: New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Fiji,

Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, American Samoa, Solomon Isl., FSM

Forecasted launches:• Dec. 2003 : GSM in Cook Isl. & Tuvalu • Q1, 2004: GSM in Kiribati• Dec. 2004 : GSM in Palau


IT in New Caledonia


General overview:

1 main island (« la Grande Terre »)

& 4 secondary islands (Maré, Lifou, Ouvéa, the Isle of Pines)


The main island: 5 key figures:• Length: ≈ 400 km• Width: ≈ 50 km• Surface area: ≈20,000

sq kms• Population: ≈200,000

people• Density: ≈10 persons/sq

km


Main island: facts• A mountainous country• Plains along the western coasts• Valleys opening on the eastern coast• 1 city: Nouméa // Nouméa + suburbs

≈120,000 inhabitants = 60 p. cent of NC overall population

• Over 30 villages• Remainder of population: scattered in rural

areas


Secondary islands: facts• Most: coral islands• Moderately hilly (low

plateaux in Maré & Lifou)

• Small & scattered populations (about 20,000 in all)

• Rural & modern lifestyles side by side


Telecommunications: actors• Domestic

telecommunications: a single operator: the Office des Postes & Télécommunications (OPT-NC)

• International telephony:a subsidiary of France Telecom: France Câble & Radio (FCR)


Domestic telecommunications:services

• Fixed telephony (≈ 51,000 subscribers)• More than 1,000 public phone boothes (1 =

VSAT)• Mobile telephony (≈ 95,000 users): currently

GSM/G2 [see details below] // GPRS forthcoming• Internet: ≈ 17,000 accesses (among which 10 p.

cent ADSL) [see details below]


Telecommunications: solutions used

• Domestic uses: several types of information carriers (fibre optic, radio links) high capacities

• Standards of network: PDH, SDH, ISDN, IN, GSM 2G, ADSL


External telecommunications:satellite

1 dedicated international leased line (ILL):• Customer: Goro Nickel (mining company/ INCO

subsidiary) - 1 link Goro (NC) Brisbane (Australia)

• 1 project thus supported: nickel mining in South of New Caledonia’s main island

3 public purpose ILLs:• 2 links dedicated to Internet global connectivity:

PanAmSat & Teleglobe (through FCR) [C Band]• 1 link dedicated to VSAT service [Ku Band]


Domestic telecommunications:transport network

• An optic tranport system on the main island

SDH loops in Nouméa (synchronous optical network/SONET)

South to North on the West coast (Koné reached & should be in service by end of year 2003)

West coast to East coast (should be in service between Koné & Poindimié by beginning of year 2005)

• Optic segments in coral islands: currently existing in Maré; service in Lifou forecasted for 2004


Domestic telecommunications: radio link systems

• T o d a y : • Terrestrial transport system mainly hertzian• About 2,700 km of radio links• Through sea channels as well (Main island

secondary ones: average legth of 150 km)• T o m o r r o w : maintaining of radio link

systems for support purpose (redundancy with main fibre optic network portions)


Domestic telecommunications: radio link systems

Local loop uses in really remote areas (fixed GSM/DECT technologies): for public telephone booths & at private particulars’


Domestic telecommunications: VSAT

• A solution for rural & remote areas• 1st & only use to date: Petit Borendi

settlement [Eastern Coast] from September 12 th, 2003


Domestic telecommunications:copper wire

• Transport lines (burried): > 700 km long• Traditional local loop use• Last move towards an optimization of

copper wire: launch of ADSL service on July 1st, 2001


Domestic telecommunications: mobility

Currently: a GSM, 900 Mhz network• Effective since year 1996• ≈100 transmitting stations covering all densely

inhabited areas• Number of users (Nov. 2003): ≈ 95,000

Postpaid users: ≈ 22,000/steady growth (MobilisTM)Prepaid service users: ≈ 73,000/quickly growing (LibertéTM)


Domestic telecommunications: Mobility/SMS

Currently: a tremendous growth in usage & volumes.

• In October, 03: ≈ 10 p. cent of MobilisTM & LibertéTM connections were SMS MO! (20 p. centof LibertéTM connections!)

• New services implemented at fast pace: logos/ringtones downloading, games, direct marketing, subscription to regular information messages (bank accounts, etc.), SMS premiums,…


Domestic telecommunications: mobility G 2.5

In a near future: a GPRS network• Implementation: 2004


External telecommunications:satellite

A secondary operator: the OPT-NC itself

• Means: 5 antennas, OPT’s property (4 in New Caledonia/1 in Brisbane, Australia)

• Contractual relations with 2 internationalsatellite operators (PanAmSat & Intelsat)


External telecommunications:tomorrow, a connection to

a submarine cable network?Interest: enormous depending on Internet

trafficbulk of traffic enabledopportunity for traffic to growpossibility to secure cable communications by maintaining satellite linksseveral schemes considered


Roaming:New Caledonia’s partnerships

15 GSM fellow operators throughout 12countries:

Switzerland: 1Liechenstein: 1Italy: 1Spain: 1Vanuatu: 1Fidji: 1 (temporarily unilateral)

Metropolitan France: 3Australia: 2New Zealand: 1United Kingdom: 1Hong Kong: 1French Polynesia: 1


Roaming:New Caledonia’s partnerships

• Negotiations with others currently running including 2 Japanese operators

• General idea: getting as roaming partners:South Pacific countries GSM operatorsOperators from countries experiencing bulky human exchanges with New CaledoniaMetropolitan France surrounding countries operators


Internet

• Total international Internet bandwidth: ≈ 30 Mbps downstream/16 upstream

• Traditional Internet access available almost everywhere (where telephone lines available)…

• …But high-speed Internet (ADSL) cantoned:availability depends on fibre optic network / Yet span growing fast


Internet• 4 private ISPs [3 providing ADSL connectivity],

+ 1 governmental• All Internet services: hosting, analog & ISDN

access, leased lines, high-speed connections (ADSL: OPTIMOTM service from OPT New Caledonia),…

• Some educational entities (secundary & higher courses, & research) connected to french international education & research network RENATER


Internet• An overall 17,000 Internet accesses

- 90 p. cent: PSTN- 10 p. cent: ADSL; data rates available

ranging from 256 Kbps to 4,000 Kbps• Under way: implementation of an multi-

government Internet awareness programme 10 primary schools from all over New Caledonia connected from School Year 2003; more schools about to rally round in a near future

APAARI – Bangkok, December 2003APSITT2003 ~APSITT2003 ~ NoumNoumééaa,, 2525--26 November 200326 November 2003

Thank you!

Any questions?

Reminder: e-mails: [email protected] & [email protected]

Documents

L’Office des Postes & Télécommunications de Nouvelle