VODAFONE FIJI
IT TAKES TWO ( OR MORE ) TO MAKE A THING GO RIGHT
“ We are always on the lookout for new partnerships . It ’ s no secret that to succeed , having trusted partners is a must – it ’ s no longer about operating in a silo .
For a telco & ICT provider like Vodafone Fiji , acquiring accreditation and certifications from world-class vertical companies such as Cisco , Oracle and Microsoft is key for us as we strategise to further enhance our position in the ICT sector
Simply put , collaboration with vertical industries is now the mainstay when it comes to delivering best-in-class valueadded services to our customers , resulting in new revenue streams .
Apart from partners such as ZTE , Cisco , Aviat Networks , we also work very closely with partners such as MultiVision , Ciena , umlaut , InfoBip and many others to deliver the best value not only for Vodafone , but for our customers as well .”
Ultimately , the company ’ s approach is not to rush ahead , but instead to “ wait , watch and then act ”. This will help the team to build an “ understanding of the 5G ecosystem and how it will bridge the current digital gaps ”, as well as informing them of “ any investments needed to fully grasp this ”.
As established , affordability for all customers is key to both Vodafone Fiji and Prasad . You see , 5G infrastructure is all well and good , but the vast majority of the devices designed for such capabilities are high-end and , as such , have high-end prices attached .
“ Device strategy will play a key role , with one of the main drivers when it comes to devices being affordability ,” Prasad affirms .
“ Fiji is a developing country , so the average user may not spend up to a thousand dollars to get a 5G phone ; a normal , basic phone would meet their requirements . And Fiji is also predominantly a prepaid market .
“ So having the right device strategy , where we have a pool of low-end 5G devices that are prepaid , will really help .”
But another obstacle to overcome is the Fijian terrain itself , which prevents the telco from “ using the traditional mobile towers or cell towers ” across every area .
“ We needed to think outside the box . And one of the very cost-effective solutions that we have deployed here is broadband satellite : it ’ s quick to deploy , easy to install , easy to operate , and can be done within days ,” Prasad explains .
Shifting priorities and expanding verticals In the face of globally-shifting priorities , it ’ s become necessary for businesses to expand their verticals , breaching into multi-cloud terrain as part of their digital transformation . For example , Vodafone Fiji has merged its private cloud with that of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure ( OCI ), Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services , which , in Prasad ’ s words , is “ bringing the best of private and public clouds together with our expertise so that we offer our customers a unified cloud platform for all their needs ”.
Arguably the biggest move for Vodafone Fiji in recent years is the development of its Mobile Money platform , which marks the company ’ s move into the FinTech space to complement the different industries within the local Fijian market and , therefore , the economy .
“ Mobile Money is one of the greatest examples and pride of Vodafone Fiji ,” Prasad enthuses . “ M-PAiSA is an in-housedeveloped digital wallet platform that
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