Universal Communications Group (UCG) has achieved a major win by being awarded a tender to deliver critical telecommunications infrastructure to the Federated States of Micronesia in a project supported by the World Bank. 

Chief Information Officer Steve Alani and the team at UCG will design a Fibre to the Home (FTTH) network in the three main islands of Yap, Pohnpei and the Kosrae States of Micronesia, a project that is a “game-changer” for the Pacific nation.

"The recent Covid-19 crisis has also highlighted the need for improved telecommunications to support people working in isolation as well as supporting expanding economies throughout the region," says Alani.  "Importantly, Covid-19 will be no barrier to the implementation of this project because our skilled management team have developed systems and processes that enable remote training for the FSM local team in the prerequisite skills required to deliver a successful deployment of the UCG designed FTTH networks. This skills transfer is a vital component of building local capability for the operation and future expansion of local networks," he adds.

Expanding access to world class telecommunications services will promote private sector investment in digital services and establish the critical foundations for digital government services and the digital economy for this country of 105,000 people, according to Alani.

Ambassadors for new technology

Gaining insight from key stakeholders early on in the decision-making process helped UCG create ‘ambassadors’ for the new technology at all levels of the company by asking for their input. 

Alani says explaining to these employees the advantages and intended outcomes of the technology is crucial to ensure they can support the effort to other employees later on.

The next step in the implementation process is to create a pilot program. This experiment will prove technical feasibility to top management as well as serving as a credible demonstration for other departments in the organisation.

"Along the way, we faced a few kinks, such as connecting the new technology to old ones and ironing out processes for completing tasks using the new tech. After the kinks have been resolved, we are confident when it comes time to scale up," says Alani.

Providing engaging training sessions is key to a successful implementation, according to Alani. Everyone has different learning styles and need and tailoring the training sessions to all types of learners by providing a range of materials and options helps ensure everyone is on board and engaged.