Dataco to deliver network project

The National Business

PNG Dataco Ltd is confident it will deliver the National Transmission Network (NTN) project by next year given that work is already 60 per cent complete.
Managing director Paul Komboi expressed the sentiments when he provided an update on the status of the NTN that was being constructed in various parts of the country.
A modern domestic and international transmission network connecting all provincial capitals and multiple international connections to diverse international locations is being built by PNG DataCo and its partners.
The NTN uses fibre optic (subsea and terrestrial) as primary route and satellite as secondary route.
It is a strategic national infrastructure intended to be shared by all. The NTN consolidates the existing infrastructures and the new infrastructures being currently built.
The existing networks are, LNG Fibre, terrestrial OPGW/ADSS cables and international submarine cables and gateways as well as the satellite infrastructure at the Gerehu earth station.
The multiple submarine cable breaks in the Kumul Submarine Cable Network (KSCN) System 2 around the Lae-Bismark Sea waters triggered by the 7.2 earthquake in Bulolo, Morobe, on May 7 is now scheduled for repair starting on Wednesday.
“The cable ship for repair is enroute to PNG now and we are expecting the repair to be completed in mid-August,” Komboi said.
“After completion of the repair, this cable ship will then proceed to install new submarine cables to Kerema, Gulf and Daru, Western.
This will complete transmission connectivity within the Southern region of PNG up to Lae (Morobe) and Madang (Madang).
“Which only leaves the Islands and Wewak (East Sepik) and Vanimo (West Sepik) in Mamose to be completed by the first quarter of 2020.” The new NTN infrastructure was taken up in various sub projects.
The main project consists of Highlands terrestrial fibre, Kumul submarine cable network, Coral Sea submarine cable and the satellite modernisation and optimisation projects.
The national transmission network comprises of:

  • PNG LNG fibre cable (Pom-Hides);
  • Highlands terrestrial fibre cable (Yonki-Hagen-Wabag-Mendi);
  • Lae to Madang terrestrial fibre cable;
  • APNG S2 submarine cable (Pom-Sydney);
  • PPC 1 submarine cable (Sydney-Madang-Guam);
  • domestic satellite links;
  • new O3b satellite links;
  • new Coral Sea submarine Cable (CS2) (Sydney-Pom-Honiara);
  • new Kumul submarine cable network (KSCN) which comprises 15 coastal province capitals including connections to Jayapura (Indonesia) and Noro (Solomon Island);
  • new modernised data centre in Port Moresby and data centre disaster recovery centre (DRC) in Madang; and,
  • New modernised network operation centre (NOC) in Port Moresby for network monitoring.

Komboi said the arrival of the Alcatel cable-laying vessel “Ile De Brehat” earlier this month, saw the first phase of CS2 project begin; it would see cable-laying work complete on target by the end of the year.
PNG DataCo, the Government’s representative on the project, will work with Vocus, Alcatel, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Solomon Islands Cable Company (SICC) to ensure cable-laying from Port Moresby to Sydney and Honiara is completed.
Komboi was confident that when the KSCN and CS2 Submarine Cable Projects are completed in the first quarter of 2020, this would ensure that PNG had international and domestic transmission connectivity to distribute high capacity and quality broadband capacity to all provincial capitals empowering telecommunication companies and internet service providers as well as the corporate enterprise and Government to extend their suite of information and communication technology services and products.