The American Samoa Telecommunications Authority hopes to secure 5G Spectrum by October this year.
A report on the authority’s key priorities presented to the House Communications Committee this week, shows ASTCA is in the planning stages of expanding its wireless services into 5G utilizing the Federal Communications Commission Wireless Fund.
“This service will improve the lives of our community by providing much needed access to telehealth telework, remote learning opportunities, precision agriculture and other services and with applications to the Manu’a islands,” said the ASTCA report.
It adds that the deployment of 5G capable networks will drive job creation and boost the local economy. In addition the framework for the 5G Fund will bring technological innovation and economic benefits for the territory.
Other benefits of 5G is it will enable ASTCA to build out virtual networks for government and private sector for security and for specific requirements of agencies and departments such as metering for the American Samoa Power Authority’s database access for LBJ Hospital and Dept of Health and GIS maps for the Dept of Public Safety.
Another FCC Fund that ASTCA has set its sights on is the Health Connect Fund, a program which provides support for high capacity broadband connectivity to eligible health care providers.
ASTCA says health care providers can use this fund to purchase services and equipment to build their own broadband infrastructure. It’s prepared to partner with LBJ Hospital, Dept of Health and Medicaid Office and other health care providers to exploit this funding for telehealth services including the tracking of patients in the Manu’a islands.
