By Keone Kali, FirstNet Region 9 Lead

It was clear after the American Samoa Initial Consultation Meeting that the island territory, with its unique terrain and remote location, has a number of communication challenges that must taken into consideration early in the planning for the nationwide public safety broadband network. Partnerships in American Samoa are also fundamental given that additional resources take time to reach the island in the event of an emergency. To that end, American Samoa’s public safety entities and communities are working together to meet the needs of their island community, and many believe FirstNet can be another tool to support that goal.

The Director of Homeland Security for American Samoa, Utualii luniasolua Tului Savusa, set the stage for a collaborative discussion when he welcomed the 90 attendees and encouraged everyone’s participation to inform the State Plan for the FirstNet network in American Samoa.

Attendees at the consultation meeting represented all disciplines and levels of government, including the Governor’s Office, the American Samoa Department of Homeland Security (ASDHS), electric and water utilities, police, emergency medical service, emergency management, the Port Authority, and the Coast Guard. Additionally, the two telecommunications providers that operate on the island were in attendance – a private provider and the public American Samoa Telecommunications Authority (ASTCA).

The American Samoa Single Point of Contact (SPOC), Jacinta Brown, talked about the importance of everyone coming together under one roof to talk about what American Samoa can do to help FirstNet be successful. There was widespread support for the promise of the network and many expressed an immediate need for its capabilities, since current data services are expensive and are not widely used among public safety or private individuals.

Mr. Faleto’a Ulufale from the ASDHS then provided a briefing on the status of the territory’s communications and public safety outreach efforts. He said the ASDHS is reaching out to all communities to help them understand FirstNet and what it will be able to offer. Mr. Ulufale emphasized the importance of the Initial Consultation as an opportunity to clear up any issues and to have a chance to get questions answered so that ASDHS can pass on that information during their outreach activities.

FirstNet is grateful for the work American Samoa put into a productive consultation meeting. We look forward to continuing our dialogue.

Thanks,
- Keone