Comments

Thanks Amanda for this useful piece...yes, an amazing variation in prices. It's true that one needs two phones, or perhaps three! BMobile to access the internet on a regular and affordable basis; Digicel when you just need to download and it's taking forever on 3G BMobile...but Telikom's modems are a useful option, where the service is available...... On the fibre optic cables. NICTA and Dataco seem to be in interminable dialogue. Clearly the high cost of the (Huawei) domestic Kumul cable (price charged for installing and, no doubt the debt service costs) is a major burden for Dataco (especially when it's down for extended periods thanks to successive earthquake damage – which makes one wonder about the quality of the design/installation); it seems they want to utilise their monopoly control of the international access to cross subsidise the high cost of their domestic cable network, potentially severely undermining the opportunity gained from massive increase in bandwidth provided by the new cable to Sydney. NICTA is trying to determine a more acceptable set of user fees for consumers (business, government and individuals). Especially, now, with Covid-19 restraining normal economic, social and governance activities, it's crucial to be able to open up opportunities for e-learning, e-commerce as well as e-theatre and entertainment in a manner that's affordable for users, especially for public education services. That requires very substantial cuts in costs to consumers, including for government to fund e-education and health services. The ISPs at the moment still seem to access the internet more affordably from satellites than from the cable network, so they're hesitant to tie up to the new cables at least until pricing is markedly more competitive. The ball is very much in the Government's court, but government and its various entities (authorities & SOEs) need to be ready to share information (including details of their own contracts and financing arrangements), cooperate and be fully accountable to the public that they ostensibly serve.

FSM in USA may apply for Grant to teach the kids that are born in US our native culture and language.

I am very doubtful about pom city's daily updates...no concrete evidence,regardless

Thanks Amanda and team for another comprehensive update on data prices in PNG, it is interesting to see how things are unfolding. It certainly does pay to shop around the various platforms to access both Digicel and Telikom bandwidth. We have found that topping up prepaid plans via Digicel online top-up website provide options not available on the USSD menu. Both Digicel and Telikom offer 30 day 50GB @ K230 which equates to 46t per megabyte. Anyone with a smart phone should probably check the websites - especially Digicel as their 30 day USSD options do not compete with the website option. These prices have not changed either all year. Satish makes a good point, too, about competition. In fact many of the "Digicel" towers around PNG were wholly or partly funded by local MPs. It would seem only fair if these assets funded with public funds could somehow co-locate other ISP equipment ... even the smaller, local ISPs that are emerging. As well as reducing the amount of unsightly towers around the country it would increase competition and hopefully lower prices. As things stand, in places it's a little like the govt funding a road and only letting one trucking company use it. Anyway, let's see what is around the corner with Elon Musk's Starlink service. If that lives up to its hype it could be truly disruptive and we might not need towers or submarine cables 🙂 Thanks to you, Picky and Moses for the excellent information.

Definitely get unemployed to work there. Some say they will not enjoy the work, neither do half of australians going to work. Why should they sit on their backside and take taxpayers money for doing nothing. The government pay you until you find work not to find something you really like

Well said, successive governments have run huge deficits every year, thanks to foreign aid and local funding from FNPF, the country has been able to progress through private sector investors. Like when building a house we need plans, Fiji lacks short, medium and long term SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC development plans. And like we need inspectors for progress, this country needs auditing it’s government expenditure from all departments to politicians. Fiji doesn’t need more money but better management of its resources. Corruption is driving the country into uncertainty as debt rises.

Good read. Warm regards. Ravi Joshi, Former Senior Adviser at Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Solomon Islands.

Tom, many thanks for your comments. I agree that there is a need to test the domestic labour market. I have suggested in an earlier blog that a national campaign on the UK's Feed the Nation be set up to invite expressions of interest, requests to apply, offers of work and acceptances based on the jobseeker's clear understanding of what is involved. This understanding should include not only the nature of the work but also evidence that they have suitable accommodation and have a negative result from the COVID test just before they take up work.

Thanks for this informative and timely blog, and please continue to update us on prices and coverage of telephony in PNG. Access to digital technology for information is now more important than ever before. Many of my friends in PNG carry two phones, or sometimes one phone with two SIM cards. This is done to take advantage of lower prices offered by BMobile/Telikom where there is coverage and Digicel for regions not covered by Telicom. I am also told that the extensive antenna network that Digicel put up when it first entered the market gave the company a head-start that Telikom has not been able to match. Allowing access to the same antenna-infrastructure at competitive prices by both networks may increase competition and in the process deliver better coverage and prices for the population at large.

Interesting analysis.

Facts. I just left after 12 years. It's so corrupt it's just insane.

Awesome..