Satellite facility a chance to boost internet services

Py PETER ESILA
LOCALS can access up to six gigabits per second of additional internet capacity with the opening yesterday of a O3B satellite infrastructure in Port Moresby, says Public Enterprise and State Investments Minister William Duma.
He launched the satellite infrastructure with Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne and her PNG counterpart Rimbink Pato. The K30 million infrastructure was funded by Australia and based at the Telikom Gerehu Earth Station in Port Moresby.
Duma thanked Australia, saying the state-of-the-art facility will help PNG bridge the ICT divide and support improved connectivity for all.
Payne said the new satellite internet system would increase PNG’s internet capacity by around 30 per cent.
“This will benefit Papua New Guineans by reducing barriers to learning, improving private sector capacity and fostering job creation in the long term,” she said.
“In the near term, the project will boost connectivity for Apec meetings in Port Moresby in November.”
She said the investment was an important component of Australia’s broader internet connectivity support that included the
Coral Sea Cable system. which will connect Port Moresby and Sydney by a new undersea fibre optic cable scheduled for delivery by late next year.
“Australia and PNG have committed to work together to support the development of PNG’s information and communications technology sector over the next 15 to 20 years,” she said.
The chief operating officer of Kumul Consolidated Holdings, Gary Seddon, said the medium orbit satellite system was appropriate to reach the topographically challenging parts of PNG, “immediately delivering reliable broadband communication capacity.
“It is a system that will certainly contribute towards government’s desire to connect our people – cheap, reliable, accessible communication, services at a level similar to most developed countries, will be fully achieved once appropriate submarine fibre optic cable capacity has been implemented.
“We look forward to enjoying these services once the new domestic and international communications infrastructure is complete.”