ANOTHER main cable between Telikom PNG’s Boroko exchange and the Gerehu Earth Station was cut by criminals early yesterday morning, disrupting its mobile phone services.
Satellite-linked centres from Vanimo to Buka, the New Guinea Islands, Porgera, Ok Tedi and other large project sites were also affected.
A Telikom spokesperson said there had been a higher incidence of sabotage of late in the NCD, and on cables carrying the most traffic.
“These attacks are coordinated, continuous, not related to the theft of copper cable, but designed to impose maximum inconvenience on all Telikom users nationwide,” he said.
“This sabotage appears to have come about since the arrival in PNG of a competitive environment.”
Telikom said it a statement that it was recruiting “more troops” to guard equipment and apprehend the culprits.
It is also offering an instant reward of up to K1,000 to anyone who detains and hands over a suspect to the police.
This is in addition to a K10,000 reward announced previously for a successful prosecution and conviction of people who destroy Telikom equipment.
Telikom said two men in Gerehu were recently paid K1,000 for handing over a suspect who was tampering with a junction box near Gerehu Stage 6 on Tuesday.
Two accomplices escaped.
Telikom is also discussing with the police on how to step up surveillance, apart from introducing locks on manholes.
The statement said that Telikom had spent K1.2 million in the NCD so far this year to restore services.