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Telecom Growth in PNG Doubles in Five Years, Says ICT Department

Papua New Guinea’s digital infrastructure has expanded rapidly over the past six years, with broadband access, mobile network upgrades, and internet affordability showing marked improvement, according to the Department of Information and Communications Technology.

Steven Matainaho, Secretary for the Department, said broadband coverage rose from 40 percent in 2020 to 80 percent in 2025. He also confirmed that 4G now powers 90 percent of the country’s mobile network, with legacy 2G and 3G systems largely phased out.

Picture Source: UAS Secretariat

“This is significant progress for PNG,” Matainaho said. “We now have over 4.4 million active mobile users connected through Digicel, Vodafone PNG, and Telikom.”

According to him, the progress has been driven by stronger competition under the National ICT Act 2009, alongside investments from international partners, including the Asian Development Bank and the governments of Australia and China.

Matainaho added that wholesale internet prices have plummeted by 90 percent, largely due to improvements led by PNG Dataco Limited. NICTA, the sector’s regulator, has started a process to cap retail prices and transfer cost savings to consumers.

Despite the gains, Matainaho acknowledged that landowner issues remain a major hurdle. “Nearly 40 percent of mobile towers are impacted by land disputes, which raises costs for telcos and threatens service stability.”

The industry now generates around K3 billion in annual revenue and supports more than 15,000 jobs across PNG.

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