Muthuvel: Use infrastructure to improve communities

EVERYONE must benefit from the Kumul submarine cable network (KSCN), once completed, to improve their communities and livelihoods, says State Enterprises Minister Sasindran Muthuvel.
He said this during the launch of the cable laying for system 1 of the KSCN which was named Pukpuk 1, in Vanimo, West Sepik yesterday.
“We must grasp the opportunities that this network will bring us because this network will better our communities,” he said.
“We have seen poor telecommunications that have hindered commerce and isolated communities.”
Muthuvel said as the Minister responsible, he wanted to see services delivered to the people.
“In order for our people to prosper, they deserve to have cheaper reliable ICT (information and communication technology) services.”
He said the cable landing connected from Jayapura and into Vanimo, then onto Wewak, Lorengau, Madang and out to Kimbe, Kavieng, Rabaul and Arawa.
“The system 2 will connect in Madang to the completed system 1 to link up Lae, Popondetta, Alotau, Port Moresby and to system 3 linking up Kerema and Daru.”
Muthuvel said the NTN is expected to be completed in the first third quarter of this year. “The challenge will now be for the existing and new retail telecommunication companies and internet service providers (ISPs) to extend their suite of services to the outer population areas to service our people. With the aggregation and growth of traffic and demand through sharing of the national transmission network infrastructure, economies of scale can be achieved resulting in lower prices.”