Status Quo and Emerging Challenges in Information & Communication Technology for Papua New Guinea

Abstract

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is witnessing an onslaught of information and communication technology (ICT) services, courtesy of Digicel — a new and dominant player in PNG's ICT market. Digicel has a major market share of more than 80 per cent combined for mobile phones and mobile data in PNG, supplied via an extensive network of 1,100 towers across the country (Morley 2014). Digicel has recently moved into other areas of telecommunications, acquiring companies in television broadcasting and narrowcasting, and also has a keen interest in fibre-optic infrastructure (Digicel Group 2014).

Digicel's monopoly, already problematic, is going to intensify as it expands into other ICT sectors, creating a huge regulatory challenge. Meeting this challenge is essential to ensure that the potential of ICT for the development of PNG is realised. This In Brief discusses the current state of regulation in this industry through focusing on the issues of interconnection arrangements, infrastructure sharing and number portability between operators in PNG. Show more