Access to affordable connectivity goes a long way to improving the lives of people, especially in the rural parts of the country to have access to basic services through communication infrastructures, but for that to happen, there must be low cost of connectivity.
Now, this can happen when there are initiatives or players in the communication market who can introduce innovations that can lower the costs in communication and internet.
At the start of this year, United States (US) company Starlink was introduced to the country’s communication market with the potential of significantly lowering internet cost.
Starlink is a satellite internet system owned by SpaceX that hopes to deliver high- speed internet across the globe. Starlink is being pithed as the internet solution of choice in areas where connectivity has been challenging, such as rural and regional areas. However, their entry into the communication market has been halted due to issues with the approval of the license to operate.
This matter was brought up recently by the US Ambassador to Papua New Guinea (PNG), Her Excellency Anne Marie Yastishock in a meeting with the Minister for International Trade and Investments, Richard Maru, where she said it was difficult to attract American companies to invest in PNG if they continue to go through the frustrations of establishing themselves. She used Starlink as a classic example to this matter.
She said Starlink was promised a license in January this year and they still have not had their approval. However, it is understood that the delay was due to the PNG Ombudsman Commission stopping the National Information Communication Technology Authority (NICTA) from issuing the license because of some investigations which have taken over eight months.
This was also confirmed by the NICTA Board Chairman Mr. Noel Mobiha in a very short statement on August 14th, where he addressed queries on the Starlink license by stating that the matter is now subject to a judicial review proceeding before the National Court of Justice at Waigani.
Meantime, the Minister for Information, Communication and Technology (ICT), Timothy Masiu in an interview with PNG HAUSBUNG on Wednesday 28th August, made it clear that initially in January NICTA commenced negotiations with Starlink on the license, and not what people thought then that the license was already approved.
“As Minister, I did not say we’re giving them a license because NICTA as the regulator, they have to go through the full process. The regulator is now engaging with Starlink and in the event that the requirements and processes and procedures are completed, a license will be awarded,” said the minister.
However, that process has been halted with current Judicial review in place.
Nevertheless, until this matter with the license is fully resolved, the possibilities of lower cost of internet in PNG and coverage to most of the rural parts of the county, will have to wait.