USPNet is a USP (the university of the south pacific) owned Wide Area Network (WAN) incorporating a 5MHz IP Satellite based technology to deliver and integrate distance learning, educational and administrative services throughout its 12 member countries.

The University owns and operates this private network, purely for USP use. For USP's distant students and staff, USPNet provides for the opportunity to participate in interactive audio tutorials, (conducted from any campus), communicate by e-mail with a lecturer/tutor or another student, access the World Wide Web, access online MIS and banner applications, watch a live Video multicast, access multimedia material via Server downloads and live video conferences (and tutoring) with the Laucala Campus in Suva. Also full two way telephony will be implemented in the near future.

Hub Station
The USPNet satellite earth stations are designed with different capabilities to meet the requirements of the University in an efficient way. The "Hub" is at the Laucala Campus in Suva with a 7.6m antenna, with maximum transmit power of 100 watts and is the master station. The Hub Station is responsible for synchronizing, controlling and allocation of all (Outbound) services above towards all the remote “Vsats” within the whole of USPNet. This is via a 1.9Mb/s bandwidth pipe allocation from Laucala Campus.

Vsats
The Vsats (Very small Aperture terminals) “remotes” have reduced (Inbound) transmission capacity thus reduced throughput at any given time. The Remotes at the University Campuses, with 4.5m antennas have transmit throughput to the Hub via a 1.49Mb/s bandwidth pipe allocation. Since USPNet is contention based architecture, using various Access Schemes, it is a fully dynamic IP based system.

Services
USPNet can assist in scheduling video conference sessions, coordinating these with regional counterparts, designing and installing video-conference equipment, and digitizing video-based educational materials for the delivery via streaming or download options. All video conference sessions within USP region are free to USP students, staff, management and affiliated researchers.

Videoconference
In addition to serving the University’s member countries via satellite, USPNet, also offers video-conferencing to non-USP countries via AARNet (Australian Academic Research Network), a fibre optic cable network.

List of the member countries
Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau, Cook Islands

Source: USP