Nationwide ICT network part of plan, says minister

THE whole country will have Information and Communication Technology (ICT) network coverage by 2027 as part of a connectivity expansion exercise facilitated by the Universal Access Services (UAS) secretariat.
ICT Minister Timothy Masiu said there were parts of the country that still needed “connectivity”.
“I am referring to the 4G coverage where our people will have access to internet on their smart phones. This will enable them to engage in e-commerce, e-learning and a range of other e-services that the Department of ICT is now spearheading,” he said.
“The UAS secretariat must focus on identifying unserved and underserved areas in the country, mobilize funding and coordinate the implementation of UAS with all ICT operators to ensure connectivity reaches all of PNG.”
As the operation arm of the National Information and Communication Technology Authority (NICTA), the UAS secretariat’s core function is to facilitate the provision of ICT services to the rural and unserved areas of PNG, by funding relevant ICT projects.
It is an independent entity that involves engineers, finance managers and project managers who build systems.
The Secretariat is required to deliver on the approved UAS Projects that are tendered annually and start working on the 2024 projects valued at K33 million approved by Masiu.
NICTA/UAS board chairman Noel Mobiha said they had eight UAS Secretariat staff and weare looking at recruiting more this year.