Viya Wins $2.6M Contract:

Viya, the only full-service telecommunications provider in the USVI, was recently awarded the VI Department of Education’s E-Rate Wide Area Network (WAN) Leased Lit Fiber contract to bring high-speed, fiber-based connectivity to all public schools.

The Schools and Libraries (E-rate) Program provides discounts to assist eligible schools and libraries in obtaining affordable internet access and telecommunications services.

Viya is uniquely suited to serve Virgin Islands schools and libraries. Over the last six years, Viya has invested over $100M in rebuilding a resilient and fully-redundant network. As done previously for other similar government initiatives, Viya will collaboratively use viNGN’s network to connect over 50 educational sites identified in the VI DOE’s Wide Area Network in this public-private partnership.

CEO Geraldine Pitt stated, “This relationship fostered between Viya and viNGN through this contract, is a step in the right direction to facilitate other similar public-private initiatives that Viya can collaborate on to ensure that the Territory benefits from a more digitized teaching and learning experience.”

The project is 100% fiber-based to provide the fastest speeds and the inter-island link between the two VI Department of Education Network Operations Centers (NOCs), guarantees continued connectivity even during an outage. The VI Department of Education will also have real- time access to network monitoring and management tools.

Viya has always been ready to provide comprehensive, reliable connectivity to the VI Department of Education. As the premier ICT and Managed Services provider with local resources, Viya is proud that the entire account and implementation team consists of local industry experts who will work closely with the VI Department of Education to keep VI students connected.

Education Commissioner Dr. Dionne Wells-Hedrington stated, “The Department of Education is pleased to partner with Viya on this important venture that would ensure greater stability and reliability in the Department’s current internet infrastructure. This partnership is critical, as we are educating 21st century learners, and having reliable internet connectivity is not an option; it is a priority. We look forward to the speedy rollout of the E-rate program.”

Viya has a long history of supporting educational initiatives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, The Virgin Islands Department of Education contracted with Viya for over 5,000 Mi-Fi/ Mobile Hotspot devices. Viya assisted the VI Department of Education in connecting students to online learning platforms using its high-speed 4G LTE network with the Mi-Fi service. These devices provided 75Gbps of bandwidth for students to attend school remotely and complete educational activities.

“Viya delivered reliable connectivity for VI students in the past and we are looking forward to having VI schools powered by Viya,” concluded Pitt.

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About Viya: Viya is the largest telecommunications provider located in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), providing a full suite of telecommunications and entertainment services. Our family of services for both the business and residential markets include wireline and wireless voice service, fixed and mobile broadband plus cable television service offered over a hybrid fiber-coaxial wireline network and a state-of-the-art 4G LTE wireless network serving St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John.