Tuilaepa wants law changed to address conflict of interest

Staff Reporters/

Apia, Samoa – 28 October 2025 – Leader of the Opposition, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi told parliament last night that the law needed to be changed to address a perceived conflict of interest in setting the connectivity service costs using the Samoa Submarine Cable.

The former Prime Minister of 22 years whose government established the Tui submarine cable in 2015 and the Samoa Submarine Company in 2016, told parliament that the involvement of the ISPs is a conflict of interest as both an operator and a seller of the (mobile and internet) services.

He joined the debate on the high cost of IT services when the Minister of ICT, Agaseata Tanuvasa Peto responded to issues raised by MPs in the budget debate.

The Minister said connectivity coverage is about 90% and said Starlink is also providing connectivity to areas not covered by the current ISPs not only for residents but some schools in remote areas.

The Minister of Technology, Agaseata Tanuvasa Peto.

Tuilaepa however stated that Starlink was adding to the high cost of connectivity and dismissed satellite-based connectivity as unreliable.

“We have access to three submarine cables which are cheaper and reliable,” stated Tuilaepa.

Then he said that “the high cost of the service is because we have ISPs sitting in there who control connectivity prices using our submarine cables.”

Tuilaepa then suggested that the law needs to be changed to address this.

The statement was well received by the Acting Prime Minister, Toelupe Maoiautele Poumulinuku Onesemo who likened Tuilaepa’s statement to “a cool wind touching the body.”

Toelupe was the former Minister of Telecommunications who was terminated in a FAST Government split in January this year. He referred to previous parliamentary debates where the same issue of “conflict of interest” was raised but sternly rejected by the Tuilaepa led government then.

So, a change in Tuilaepa’s position on the issue was well accepted and Toelupe told Tuilaepa and parliament that “it will be done.”

Opposition MP for Falealupo, Aeau Tima said her people now where the live spots are to make a call and MP Namulauulu Sami Leota said there are alot of blind spots in and around Apia.

Opposition MPs push for better connectivity services
The former Associate Minister of Telecommunications in the 2019 HRPP government, Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi, also pointed to the quality of connectivity saying the service providers must lift the quality of their service.

Opposition Faasaleleaga 3 MP, Namulauulu Sami Leota said there are so many blind spots even in town and he supported Starlink to alleviate the lack of service in these blind spots and especially for schools.

Opposition MP Aeau Tima Leavai, from Falealupo, the western most tip of Savaii Island spoke strongly for the need to provide better connectivity for her district.

“Our people know where the live spots are and they stop on the road in order to connect to make a call,” she told parliament.

She pointed to the Universal Access Fund which was started 20 years ago but is not used by the ISPs to subsidise and provide affordable services due to their remoteness.