Bluewave Wireless Urges Govt to Resolve the School WiFi Connectivity Project

By Staff Reporters/

Apia, Samoa – 06 February 2025 – As the 2025 school year starts, hundreds of students in 140 mainly Primary schools around the country have idle computer laboratories that cannot connect online.

This is because of the many internal issues with the two government ministries that managed School WiFi Connectivity Project, accented by delays and lack of commitment.

The School WiFi Connectivity Project was launched to bridge the digital divide by bringing reliable satellite-powered internet connectivity to schools in remote rural areas and communities with little to no connectivity.

This initiative provided 120 primary schools with much needed internet access between May 2022 and May 2023, enabling students and teachers access to vital online learning resources and unlocking new opportunities that were previously out of reach.

The project was initially managed by the Ministry of Communication, Information, and Technology (MCIT) and Samoan company Bluewave Wireless Ltd was the contractor.

Bluewave Wireless completed the project under a one-year contract that ended in May 2023 and discussions to finalize a maintenance contract stalled.

In 2024, the project was transferred to the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC), yet there has been no progress towards a formal agreement that would sustain the connectivity for these schools.

Instead, MEC requested Bluewave to expand the initiative by installing satellite dishes in 20 additional priority schools—without a formal contract—leaving the company to shoulder all costs independently.

“Bluewave is proud to have successfully delivered on this mission,” said Bluewave CEO Lenora Leota.

“However, despite completing the project under a one-year contract that ended in May 2023, the company has yet to receive full payment for its work. Moreover, efforts to secure a maintenance contract—which is crucial to ensuring these schools remain connected—have not been successful.”

School WIFI project when it was working for the Gagaimalae Primary School.

Urgent Action Needed to Reconnect Students in 140 Schools
So now, hundreds of students in 140 schools around the country are without connectivity. Thousands of students who once had access to the digital world have now been cut off, limiting their ability to learn and grow.

“The School WiFi Connectivity Project was more than just technology—it was about giving children the opportunity to dream bigger, learn more, and have a fair chance at success,” Lenora Leota stated.

“With internet access, students in rural areas could explore digital textbooks, participate in online learning programs, and connect with teachers and peers. But now, with no maintenance contract in place and no official commitment from the Ministries overseeing the project, 140 schools are without connectivity.”

The project did not just install WiFi but trained teachers and opened doors for students by providing digital literacy training using the STEM integrated learning approach and introduced the national STEM digital games at the end of last year.

The project also provided literacy training for school teachers.

Significantly, the project opened doors for students in the remotest parts of the country such as Fagaloa and Piu in Upolu and students at the inland village of Paia and Falelima and Falealupo on the western very end of Savaii Island.

But without ongoing support, those doors are closing again,” said the Bluewave CEO.

“We have engaged with both MCIT and MEC in good faith, hoping to secure a contract that would keep these students connected, but the delays and lack of commitment are putting their futures at risk.”

A Call for Action
“The children in these schools deserve better,” added Lenora Leota. “Education is the key to breaking barriers, and connectivity is the bridge that helps students cross them. We urge the Ministries to act so that these children do not lose access to the tools they need to succeed.”

Ironically, the School WiFi Connectivity Project was hailed by the National University of Samoa as a beacon of progress in education and connectivity in its exhibition during CHOGM last October.

“It proves that with the right investments, even the most remote schools could be part of the digital age,” added Lenora Leota.

“Bluewave is calling on decision-makers to honour their commitments and ensure that no student is left behind and disconnected.”

Competing school teams at the inaugural STEM Digital Games hosted by the Palauli Primary School in Savaii in November 2024.