Digicel’s K3.5mil investment in PNG and counting

MOBILE company Digicel revealed they have invested K3.5 billion in telecommunications infrastructure in Papua New Guinea since 2007.
Digicel marketing executive Lorna McPherson, standing in for chief executive officer,  John Mangos, told participants at the 27th PNG-Australia business forum yesterday at the packed Divine Word University auditorium that the ever-expanding wireless operator was here to stay.
In her address, she said that since its launch in 2007, a total of 11 million subscribers across 32 markets had been achieved despite the challenges posed by the country’s demography in setting up communication links.
A total of K300 million has been invested in the country through education and family and health life support programmes throughout the 20 provinces.
Since the launch of the 96 projects over a 30-month period, a total of K2.5 million had been spent building, under its community projects, 33 community, 28 primary and 45 elementary schools in which 3,000 children had access to schools per year.
In the family health support project, three women shelters have been built.
Family support centres for domestic abuse cases and mobile clinics, seeing some 3,000 patient per month with 7,000 calls per month on hotlines were also established.