American Samoa operator Bluesky celebrated its 25th anniversary on Tuesday by launching the island’s first 5G service alongside its supplier partner Ericsson.
The new non-standalone (NSA) 5G network is the product of a broader network modernization project initiated by Bluesky American Samoa – owned by Fiji-based Amalgamated Telecom Holdings – and Ericsson in 2022.
The project included deployment of Ericsson’s radio system, Cloud Core, Cloud Unified Data Management, IMS solutions and a cloud execution environment to support 3G, 4G and 5G NSA connections.
As part of Bluesky’s 5G launch event activities at Rex Lee Auditorium in Utulei, Ericsson showcased demonstrations to illustrate the network’s capabilities and potential applications. Demos included a holographic video call, a 5G race car with a latency network simulator, and a 5G-enabled robotic quadruped.
Bluesky also provided 5G product demonstrations at its retail store at Nu’uuli, allowing visitors to explore the demos and talk with experts about the transformative potential of 5G.
“Bluesky has been undergoing significant developments with dedicated initiatives and programs aimed at establishing an entirely new mobile network with the goal of providing 5G services to the residents of American Samoa and throughout the island territory of American Samoa,” said Bluesky CEO Justin Tuiasosop.
