Vodafone Fiji has revealed it is investing $207 million ($97.5 million) to upgrade its LTE-Advanced network in the nation and help pave the way towards 5G readiness.
The company's board has approved a $160 million capex budget for the current financial year for the project, in addition to the $46 million the company has spent on upgrading its network over the past eight months.
Through the upgrade, the operator aims to increase coverage of its LTE-A network, which it has named 4G+, to over 90% of the Fijian population.
Vodafone Fiji plans to convert 100 3G cell sites to LTE-A and develop and commission an additional 244 sites, including new sites covering the nation's major highways and specific rural areas.
Vodafone Fiji is also deploying a high-speed connectivity corridor from Savusavu to Labasa in support of the new Suvusavu cable system, which is aimed at enhancing internet connectivity in the north of the nation.
The cable system will connect to the Tui-Samoa subsea cable to provide a high-capacity link between Fiji's main island and Vanua Levu.
According to Vodafone Fiji regional CEO Pradeep Lal, the investment is also aimed at increasing preparedness for 5G services. The company became the first operator in Fiji to conduct a pre-5G trial earlier this year.