TELECOMMUNICATION services between Port Moresby and several parts of the country were disrupted yesterday after vandals made off with some cables from Telikom’s main satellite station at Gerehu.
A Telikom staff member speaking on the condition of anonymity, said services to Madang, Kokopo, Porgera, Buka and the OK Tedi Mine were also down.
Three internet service providers, Data Nets Ltd, Daltron Ltd and Global Internet Ltd were affected.
A caller from Tolukuma Gold Mine in Central province said the internet service to the mine was disrupted yesterday morning, while an email from Lihir Gold Limited stated that the phone lines there had been down since morning.
The station connects PNG to the world and the vandalism occurred at a time when some Telikom staff have “withdrawn” from their duties in protest against the management’s alleged failure to confirm some appointments in line with a new structure.