Mobile Magazine - September 2023 | Page 115

VODAFONE FIJI

“ A LIFE LESSON THAT I LIVE BY IS THAT WE HAVE TO DO THINGS RIGHT THE FIRST TIME , AND THAT WHAT IS RIGHT TO DO IS NOT ALWAYS EASY . WE NEED TO PUT IN THE HARD YARDS NOW SO THAT WE CAN REAP THE BENEFITS OF IT IN THE FUTURE ”

VIKASH PRASAD CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER , VODAFONE FIJI
This directly impacted the telco ’ s ability to put the necessary infrastructure in place to support citizens and tourists alike in the immediate wake of the pandemic . “ But everything is changing now ,” Prasad smiles . “ Our customers want connectivity everywhere , so businesses are shifting priorities . One of the buzzwords right now is the cloud and having cloud platforms or migrating to cloud platforms , but with that comes a lot of risks , as well . Cyber threats are one of the biggest challenges that we face right now .”
As such , Vodafone Fiji is investing not just in its team , but in expanding technological infrastructure across the whole of Fiji to develop the cloud , 5G connectivity and its FinTech arm .
The road to 5G is paved with good intentions Being a developing country situated on an archipelago means progress can be slow . Across Fiji , which is predominantly made up of rural or coastal locations , developing connectivity to wireless mobile networks is difficult – and that ’ s without considering regulatory requirements , different frequency spectrums , and affordability for all customers , which is why Prasad refers to 5G in that respect as “ a double-edged sword ”.
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