Australia's pioneering work on cochlear implants has helped transform the lives of deaf people around the world.

But there's a problem for hearing- impaired people in remote countries, living far from the high- tech back-up they need to keep their devices operating properly.

Thanks to the Internet - and Skype in particular - children in Samoa who are hard of hearing will no longer have to make the long and expensive journey to Sydney for help. Go here for the full story or watch the video below.