27/08/2026
South Sea Horizons Foundation to connect 20 remote East New Britain schools to satellite internet in August rollout
KOKOPO, Papua New Guinea, August 2026 —
South Sea Horizons will begin connecting 20 East New Britain schools in Papua New Guinea to satellite internet in August, marking the commencement of the South Sea Horizons Foundation’s Connected Schools Program, an initiative aimed at closing the digital divide for schools that sit beyond the reach of mobile and fixed-line broadband.
Under the program, each participating school will receive a Starlink satellite terminal, a 12-month internet subscription, and the classroom networking and safeguards required to operate the service in a school setting.
“There are schools in Papua New Guinea where the internet has never arrived,” said Alan Manning, who leads the program. “Not because the teachers don’t want it or the children can’t learn, but because the school either can’t afford the internet or there simply isn’t reliable connectivity accessible to the school. Mobile signal fades before you get there, and fixed-line broadband was never coming.”
The South Sea Horizons Foundation traces its focus on education to the four decades of teaching work carried out in Papua New Guinean classrooms by Relly Manning.
“The schools we’re connecting are schools my mother has earmarked within East New Britain, in every way that matters,” Manning said. “Having spent more than 40 years in education in East New Britain, Mum has always prioritised education as a gateway to improving each generation. She has stressed the importance of our children interacting with technology and not being left behind because of a lack of access. Access to the internet is a necessity for our children.”
“Starting this August with 20 schools is our commitment to change that, one school at a time,” he said. “We are committed to connecting 20 schools in East New Britain, 20 in the Eastern Highlands, three on the Kokoda Track and three in Bougainville by the end of 2026.”
In September, Manning will host students from his old school, Knox Grammar School in Sydney, on the Kokoda Track. The students will help connect a school along the track with Starlink units, extending connectivity to communities on the trail.
“That will be a very special moment for me,” Manning said. “When I get to see students from Sydney, Australia connecting our Starlink units on the Kokoda and connecting schools to the internet — that’s really going to be a special moment.”
“The objective of our South Sea Horizons Foundation is to give our youth and children the ability to be exposed to all that is good on the internet,” he said. “I love the idea that young people can one day research how to build hydro plants or wind turbines to generate energy. Or perhaps a kid is able to research how to become a pilot and embarks down a rabbit hole of knowledge to become one.”
The terminals, subscriptions and equipment are donated to each school by the Foundation..
3 Educational Institutions at Gazelle are the first to receive the Starlink kits includes Kerevat School of Excellence, UNRE and St Marys Vuvu Secondary. More schools in Gazelle will benefit in the future rollout as stated by Mr Manning.
South Seas Press statement. ..
