Concerns over safety of cables

By SHIRLEY MAULUDU
PNG DataCo Ltd is concerned that there are risks regarding the safety of cables that were laid across the country under the Government’s Kumul submarine cable project.
Chief executive officer Paul Komboi said DataCo would need the assistance of other Government agencies to ensure the safety of the cables, as important Government assets, were guaranteed.
Komboi said this during the opening of a new police band hall at Kila Barracks outside Port Moresby on Monday.
The barracks also hosts the landing station in the nation’s capital.
He said other agency heads from the Transport Department, PNG Ports and National Fisheries Authority needed to be aware of this issue.
“We would require more cooperation with you (heads of agencies) going forward, to be able to protect those infrastructure under the sea,” he said.
Kmboi said there needed to be an understanding and cooperation going forward to be able to protect the submarine cables round the country.
“We are seeing a lot of risks and threats in terms of vessels that are shipping in our coastal waters and can destroy our cables with their anchors.” Meanwhile, Komboi had previously said the infrastructure would link all the island provinces together with the mainland and central agencies in Port Moresby.
“The cable will provide the domestic internet platform to link 14 provinces and two national data centres in Port Moresby and Madang and connect to Jakarta through Indonesia’s national backbone submarine cable network, then further connect to Asia to form a new international internet gateway,” he said.
“The provinces connected will become stakeholders in the massive infrastructure that is expected to transform telecommunication services in the country and open up opportunities for economic growth and development benefits, including tourism.”