Law will help mobile phone users: Tammur

PAPUA New Guinea will enjoy a cheap mobile communitarian market, thanks to the new National Information Communication Technology (NICT) Act 2009 passed by Parliament last month.
Before the mobile phone market competition was introduced two years ago, a mobile user had to pay K125 for a start-up kit with call rates exceeding what is being enjoyed today.
Communication and Information Technology Minister Patrick Tammur in Kokopo said the NICT Act 2009 allows for competition between operators and reduced call rates giving citizens to enjoy the cheaper prices and call rates.
“I remember Telikom PNG was selling bemobile SIM start-up kits for K125 with K100 credit,” Mr Tammur said.
“The hardest part at the time was for citizens to save K100 to buy a SIM card and credits.
“Today and prior to the NICT law being passed, PNG consumers need less than K30 to buy a phone which already has a SIM card with K30 free credits.
“This is a result of the race initiated by Digicel forcing Telikom PNG and its subsidiary bemobile,” he said.