Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Bluesky Board of Directors, along with its chairman and the ATH CEO met with Gov. Lemanu P.S. Mauga on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, for key discussions aimed at exploring opportunities to harness the telecom and technological expertise of ATH (Bluesky’s parent company).

This visit marked the beginning of future collaborations expected to encompass ownership of submarine cables, prospects for new investments with positive implications for the island and its people, as well as advancements in American Samoa's digital infrastructure.

The Bluesky Board of Directors were on island also for the official launch of Bluesky’s 5G Network at a Corporate event at the Gov. H. Rex Lee Auditorium last night, Thursday, Feb 8, 2024.

Highlighting the event was a special performance by legendary entertainer Jerome Grey and a showcase of 5G demos by Ericsson Telecommunications, a Swedish multinational networking and telecommunications company. The 5G demos included a robot dog, race car latency simulator, and a holographic mini portal.  These demos will be available at the Bluesky retail store at Laufou today, Friday and tomorrow, Saturday only (Feb 9 and 10).

In a government press release, it mentions that the American Samoa Department of Commerce had awarded Bluesky $3.5M in ARPA funds to upgrade to the 5G Network. (It was also highlighted in the 2024 Territorial Comprehensive Report as one of the administration’s achievements in building the island’s infrastructure.)

ASG aims to prioritize the investment in accessibility to high-speed broadband services, as it plays a crucial role in fostering local economic growth and diversification. The government says the focus on improved connectivity not only opens up more opportunities for businesses (e-commerce), education (distance learning), and healthcare (telehealth) but also paves the way for numerous other advancements.

Notably, BlueSky AS is the first among its group of companies in the Pacific region to achieve 5G – marking a significant achievement and milestone, the release says.

Present at the meeting were the Bluesky Board of Directors Chairman Jowell Taoi, ATH CEO Ivan Fong, Director Jules Maher, Director Pradeep Lai, Director Ashnil Prasad, Gov. Lemanu, Chief of Staff Loa Tuimavave Tauapa’i and Director of Commerce Petti Matila.