ICT
From The Report: Papua New Guinea 2020
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The laying of two subsea fibre-optic cables – one international and one domestic – are among the recent and promising ICT developments in Papua New Guinea. There is optimism that these will help expand access and reduce costs in rural areas, which are home to over 80% of the country’s 8.6m-strong population. To keep pace with these developments, moves have been made to enhance data protection and cybersecurity, improve quality and pricing, and guide the progress of PNG’s digital networks. The government has also prioritised digital literacy and the upskilling of personnel to equip the country with a workforce capable of adapting to an increasingly digital world. These efforts will help PNG better capitalise on improved ICT infrastructure and leverage technological advancements for the benefit of the wider economy. This chapter contains an interview with Paul Komboi, Managing Director, DataCo.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Deep connection: Fibre-optic cables, sector restructuring and a focus on security are set to enhance service availability and quality
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The laying of two subsea fibre-optic cables – one international and one domestic – are among the recent and promising ICT developments in Papua New Guinea. There is optimism that these will help expand access and reduce costs in rural areas, which are home to over 80% of the country’s 8.6m-strong population. Meanwhile, it remains to be seen whether the restructuring of state-owned ICT assets will further help reduce costs and improve service delivery. To keep pace with these developments,…

Interview

Local connection: Paul Komboi, Managing Director, DataCo, on overcoming challenges to develop telecommunications infrastructure
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Interview:Paul Komboi How would you evaluate the completion of the Coral Sea Cable Project and the Kumul Submarine Cable Network, and what are the benefits of these? PAUL KOMBOI: The impact thus far has been positive, enabling capacity to expand by around 4 GB. This has brought much-needed stability and reliability to the network. Prices have also dropped by 40%. We want to ensure that our network growth is inclusive of all Papua New Guineans, and not just those in economic centres such as…