The project promotes reforms in the information and communications technology policies of the Marshall Islands and Micronesia by dispatching experts to these countries and provides training to local government officials through distance learning.
In fiscal 2007, Dr. Norman H. Okamura of the University of Hawaii visited the Marshall Islands and Micronesia, where he provided advice on issues and measures regarding submarine fiber-optic cable projects. Issues addressed included competition policies for monopoly prevention, the establishment of regulatory authorities, the establishment of public bodies on optical communication, and the utilization of official development assistance.
Opportunities to enroll in a distance education and training program offered by the University of Hawaii using satellite communication were also provided to seven senior ICT administrators in Micronesia, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the Marshall Islands, and Palau, including a Micronesian senator and the director of the Ministry of Transportation and Communication of the Marshall Islands.
The program covered advanced information and communication technologies, ICT policies and regulations, administrative issues, local and international digital divides, and regulations in the United States and other countries. Officially accredited by the University of Hawaii, the program consisted of twice-weekly graduate-level lectures.