Telikom PNG and Huawei sign National Broadband Network contract
US$200m contract to deliver high-speed broadband across PNG
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 3 July 2013: Papua New Guinea will soon benefit from high-speed fibre optic broadband connectivity following Telikom PNG’s signing of a National Broadband Network (NBN) contract with technology partner Huawei. As well as offering world-class broadband speeds for citizens and businesses in PNG, the NBN has been designed to provide new services such as e-Health, e-Education, digital TV, and e-Government applications; while also providing a backbone for new fixed and mobile broadband services across the country.
Telikom PNG Chairman Mahesh Patel said the signing signals a new and exciting chapter for Papua New Guinea where services that were once inaccessible to the ordinary Papua New Guinean can be brought to their doorsteps.
“Through the support of the IPBC, our shareholder, and the government of Papua New Guinea, Telikom PNG has been afforded the opportunity to undertake an investment to implement Telikom’s National Broadband Network through the assistance of Huawei,” Mr Patel remarked.
He added that this project will include a 4th generation mobile broadband service to major urban centres in PNG. The project is expected to contribute to the country’s Vision 2050 and DSP 201-2030 that requires a modern and affordable information and communications technology (ICT) reach to all parts of the country.
“Huawei is the world’s leading provider of National Broadband Network rollouts, and we applaud both Telikom and the Government of PNG for implementing this visionary project,” said Huawei global CFO Cathy Meng, who was present in Port Moresby for the signing ceremony. “Huawei is delivering NBN projects in the UK, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand and more, and we look forward to seeing PNG reap the benefits of high-speed broadband.”
The NBN will deliver ADSL2+ broadband to over 80,000 premises in PNG, with a further 8,000 locations to be connected to GPON (Gigabit Passive Optical Network) technology at speeds of up to 100Mbps (megabits per second).
The NBN project will also see the creation of a new high-speed broadband ‘backbone’ – a long-haul Microwave Transmission network which will offer open access to both fixed-line and mobile broadband operators. The backbone network will allow for faster and more reliable fixed and mobile broadband across PNG, and will have the capacity to serve PNG’s future broadband needs as more people connect to the network in coming years.
In future years, Telikom will be able to deliver 4G LTE mobile broadband services using the new backbone, promising further improved speeds and coverage for users across the country.
SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM FOR 200 PNG STUDENTS: Huawei CFO Cathy Meng also announced that Huawei would provide a new sponsorship program for 200 ICT students in PNG. The program will see a group of students trained on the latest broadband innovations, with Huawei experts assisting to give them the expertise they need to deploy and maintain Telikom PNG’s NBN in future years.
The latest scholarships news follows an announcement last month where Huawei committed to sponsor 25 Communications Engineering and IT Students at the PNG University of Technology in Lae. The program will see the students undertake a two-week training course at the IGIS Training Centre in Port Moresby, followed by a week-long tour of China for seven selected students.