Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga as part of his written testimony made last week to a Congressional committee included a request for additional federal funding for communications infrastructure as the COVID-19 pandemic and new economic realities have put more demands on the territory’s ability to stay connected to the world.

Lemanu testified virtually from American Samoa at last Wednesday’s U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources during the hybrid oversight hearing on the U.S. Department of Interior’s Office of fiscal year 2023 budget proposal.

While the governor didn’t mention communications infrastructure verbally due to the five-minute limit on verbal testimony, Lemanu’s official written statement did note this important issue.

In the written statement, the governor noted that American Samoa’s ability to communicate with the outside world has been challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic.

And if it were not for the funding and support received in 2012 for Broadband Linking the American Samoa Territory (BLAST) fiber project, “American Samoa and our people would be in a very different state today,” the governor claimed.

Lemanu said he wants it “known how much we appreciate you all making it possible for us to follow” U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, distance learning, remote work, and manage the local supply chains.

“However, we respectfully request additional assistance for our communications infrastructure as COVID-19 and new economic realities are placing more demands and challenges on our ability to stay connected,” he added.

Samoa News notes federal funding through various programs under the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 has provided additional funding for broadband and communication projects in American Samoa.

The governor addressed three critically important issues to American Samoa in his verbal remarks to the Congressional committee — LBJ Medical Center, climate change and the increased presence of China in the South Pacific region. (See Samoa News editions May 19 and 20 for details.)