Because of this exclusive arrangement, SamoaTel can pretty much charge whatever they want for service. Local ISPs like Samoa.ws and iPasifika have little choice but to charge rates that price most of the people in the country out of the market.

The real insidious part is not the online connection fees, it's the a "per megabyte" charges that can add up incredibly fast for someone like me who is used to having DSL and not paying much attention to quantity of downloads, only quality.

At this rate, Samoa is going to have an impossible time reaching its goals for universal connectivity.

Effective the 1^st of June, 2003 Samoa.WS, Samoa's largest Internet Service Provider is lowering all prices, offering off-peak internet at only 0.99c per hour and introducing the "Night Owl" Samoa's first night plan.

The "Night Owl" plan is designed for late night and weekend surfers offering ten hours of unlimited usage for $19.95 and only $0.99/hour for every additional hour. Samoa.WSbusiness manager Raymond Hughes says, "We've been trying to make it easy, simple and inexpensive for people who use the Internet from home in the evenings and on weekends. The Night Owl plan is designed just for them!" Designed to be simple and spread usage to the evening hours, the Night Owl plan is priced only on the amount of time connected. Peak period use is possible at a cost of $5.95 an hour but it is not the design of the plan.

For small business and home users Samoa.WS have the "Budget", "Surfer", and "Hooked" daytime plans starting with 30 hours for only $29.95. That's less than $1/hour !! Raymond Hughes also says "We've also introduced the Hooked Plan for the small business or home consumer who just can't get enough of the Internet". It provides 150 hours of connect time and 350MB of Internet traffic for only $179.95 including VAGST.

Maximum hourly rates for daytime plans are now only $2.49/hour during peak time and $0.99c/hour during off-peak time, that's under half the price of what some competitors charge.

For the large business and heavy users Samoa.WS have the "Business", "Corporate" and "Enterprise" plans, which offer unlimited hours from only $249.95. Plus you can try connections for any large business plan for only an extra $50 per month.

Prices effective 1^st June 2003. All prices include VAGST. Please contact CSL on 24-159 for full Internet plan costs and details.