Nicta working with ICCC, Punaha says

The National Business

By MARK HAIHUIE
THE information communication and technology sector is regulated in collaboration with the Independent Consumer and Competition Commission on matters regarding competition in the industry.
National Information and Communications Technology Authority (Nicta) chief executive officer Charles Punaha said there were arrangements in place between the two government entities.
This is for internet service providers and compliance to competition regulations for the communications industry.
“For any competition issue, ICCC has the primary role for such matters. But when it comes to specific issues in the sector, Nicta has the primary role,” he said.
“But then we consult the ICCC. On a technical level, our staff have meetings with them to keep us both informed on what we are doing so there is an ongoing arrangement.
“The Act provides that we must have consultation when it comes to some issues in the ICT sector.
“We are collaborating and we have intervened on the wholesale level for internet supply where the minister has determined that the wholesale access service is now a declared service. It means that whoever is providing ICT service at the wholesale level must not be non-discriminatory and based on cost.
“We have done this. But at the moment, because the access is limited and we have other operators like ABS (Asia Broadcast Satellite) coming in, they are going to provide some competition in the market so it should also drive the prices down.”
Nicta grants varieties of licences to operators in the ICT industry.
The licence granted to ABS is an application licence –  to supply to the public, certain communication services using a network service such as PSTN telephony services, IP telephony services, internet access services, messaging services and audio text services while a content licence is needed to supply television or radio broadcast services. It also allows for the supply of narrowcast services, supplying content intended for restricted number of viewer or listeners.
ABS has seven satellites in operation globally and plans to build a teleport in Port Moresby to allow for greater use of  the satellite-sourced internet.