Undersea cable ‘will’ boost internet quality

A NEW underwater telecommunication cable from Australia to Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands is expected to boost internet quality and is set to be completed towards the end of 2019.
The Coral Sea Cable System project was advanced with a signing of an agreement between Prime Minister Peter O’Neil and his peers from Solomon Islands and Australia last week.
There was also a signing in Port Moresby to confirm arrangements with the Department of National Planning and Monitoring.
Australia’s High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea Bruce Davis said Australia was proud to be a partner.
“The new cable system underscores PNG’s efforts to promote economic integration in the Pacific in its 2018 Apec host year, and to foster domestic growth opportunities,” he said.
Australia will fund the majority of the project, with PNG and Solomon Islands to also provide a contribution as a partner in this trilateral project.
Minister for Communication and Information Technology and Energy Sam Basil said at a workshop late last year his department was ready to support the development.
“We support the submarine cable and we support Australia’s initiative to provide funding,” he said
Basil, pictured, said his department and agencies under it must play a more-significant role in the ICT sector.
“A case in point is the terrestrial network upgrade, the submarine cable bandwidth, and the Apec 2018 ICT arrangement. Both should have come under my ministry. None of the Government organisations under my ministry are playing the leading role in them for whatever reason,” he said.