B Mobile service turned on at Iagifu, Oil Search vicinities

THE “top town” of the Papua New Guinea oil industry – Oil Search’s camp and administration centre at the Iagifu Ridge – is now “mobile”.
Telikom turned on the B Mobile service at Iagifu this week, with the signal radiating down the mountain sides to reach the residents of Lake Kutubu and Moro airfield as well.
The BTS base station was positioned high on the ridge, with a wide outlook over the lake, the Mubi River towns of Pimaga, Inu and Gesege, and South towards Kikori.
The B Mobile signal was routed through the very large satellite capacity which Telikom provides for Oil Search, to transmit its oil-well data, and communicate with remote rig sites and the Kumul platform out in the Gulf.
Mobility was expected to have a very positive impact on the lives of the lakeside people, as well as providing the several hundred men and women working their 28-day field rosters in the oil industry with a means of staying in touch with family.
“Not all of our investments in the B Mobile network expansion were targeting rich pickings in high-population areas.
“We take the view that isolated communities also deserved our mobile service, and in this case we are able to help one of our top customers as well,” Telikom’s head of customer operations Kone Kula said.