A new submarine fibre-optic cable network is already boosting Papua New Guinea’s internet speeds and ICT capacity in some regions, with further improvements set to come this year through a subsea link to Australia. On February 19 the first stage of the Kumul Domestic Cable – a fibre-optic link from Port Moresby to Madang, via Alotau, Popondetta and Lae – was completed. The project, which…
Papua New Guinea has remained resilient in the wake of a host of domestic and external challenges, and while growth has slowed since construction of PNG LNG ended, ongoing fiscal, structural and policy reforms should support domestic non-oil economic growth in 2018. PNG’s international profile received a boost when it was selected to host APEC 2018. Although the budgetary burden of APEC could be
Interview:Jacky Xu Qiang, CEO, Huawei Pacific How would you characterise the competitiveness of Papua New Guinea’s ICT sector? JACKY XU QIANG: In terms of ICT, PNG is an emerging market. You can find the best and newest technology here, like anywhere else, however Papua New Guineans started to use IT only recently. Therefore, the requirements are different. Papua New Guineans need 100-Mbps…
While still lagging behind many of its neighbours in the Asia-Pacific region, the ICT sector in Papua New Guinea has seen significant progress in recent years, which has helped ensure expansion of coverage and offerings. An increase in sector investment has helped both local and international companies expand into rural areas, while telecoms providers have also been able to bring more affordable and…
While still lagging behind many of its neighbours in the Asia-Pacific region, the ICT sector in Papua New Guinea has seen significant progress in recent years, which has helped ensure expansion of coverage and offerings. An increase in sector investment has helped both local and international companies expand into rural areas, while telecoms providers have also been able to bring more affordable and…
Despite a wave of investments and advances in ICT infrastructure, internet speeds in Papua New Guinea are still among the slowest in the Asia-Pacific region. The average download speed is 4.28 Mbps, which compares poorly with 20.9 Mbps in New Zealand and 39.33 Mbps in Australia. New Infrastructure Needed In addition to a widely varied landscape that has made infrastructure construction somewhat…
The arrival of Jamaica-based telecoms firm Digicel in 2007 was a game-changer for Papua New Guinea’s ICT sector. The country’s internet penetration rate rose from just 1% at the time to 11.7% in 2016, while the mobile phone penetration rate also jumped considerably, from 1% in 2005 to nearly 50% in 2017. Dominant Force Digicel’s aggressive growth has helped the company dominate the…
New blockchain solutions and devices are being trialled in Papua New Guinea as part of the government and central bank’s efforts to foster greater financial inclusion. A number of initiatives are already under way as global tech firms move to develop the country. Additionally, as many APEC member counties also experience low financial inclusion rates, the country’s adoption of blockchain…
Papua New Guinea is moving forward with plans to upgrade its ICT infrastructure and address connectivity issues, as it capitalises on its position as APEC chair in 2018 to promote an agenda for digital inclusion. Under the core theme of “Harnessing Inclusive Opportunities, Embracing the Digital Future”, the APEC programme, which kicked off in March, is focused on improving connectivity and digital…
Papua New Guinea’s ICT market is in the midst of a dynamic restructuring. Over the last decade the sector has experienced significant growth. However, despite advancements, pockets of isolated communities remain unconnected. As a result, the government has set out to expand the National Transmission Network (NTN), and along with the amalgamation of key state entities expected to encourage…
