Improving IT services for uni students in Samoa

40 switches and a server were recently taken into service at the National University of Samoa, expanding and strengthening the university’s ICT network considerably.

The equipment has been funded and supported by the Network Startup Resource Centre (NSRC) based at the University of Oregon in the United States.

NSRC is a nonprofit organisation that supports deployment of Internet research and education networks in academic institutions and non-governmental organizations throughout the Asia Pacific region, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East.

“We always look for ways to improve our network service to our students and our community and this equipment takes us a long way,” said the NUS Vice Chancellor and President, Prof. Fui Tu’ua Īlaoa Asofou So’o, who has been at the forefront of driving the university’s vision to become internationally recognized.

Configuring access to the world

The equipment was set up two NSRC network engineers together with university ICT staff.

“We have configured a server that we can use to see the amount of users and traffic and it manages links in and out,” said Dean Pemberton, NSRC Network Engineer and Trainer.

“It not only allows the university to manage the internet bandwidth that it has today but brings it to a stage where it is ready to accept more internet as well.”

With a population of 190,000 Samoa is one of the largest islands in the South Pacific. It is located halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand.

Image: From left to right, National University of Samoa VC & President Prof. Fui Tu’ua Īlaoa Asofou So’o, NSRC Senior Network Engineer Philip Smith, NSRC Network Engineer and Trainer Dean Pemberton and NUS ICT Director Matā’afā Ratami Fatilua.