The high cost of rolling out information technologies contributes to the high cost of internet usage in the country.
National Information and Communications Technology Authority CEO, Charles Punaha said today.
“The challenge for us in PNG is very harsh, once we acknowledge that cost of rolling out infrastructure services in the country is very high due to the topography foundation, power grid does not extend beyond major centres, and operators have to put up stand by generators and buy fuel,” Punaha said.
But internet cost and accessibility has improved in the last 10 years, after government opened up the market.
“Over the last 10 years when market open there have been achievements but we still have a long way to go to meet government policy for affordable and reliable internet services in the country,” Punaha said.
Meanwhile, PNG Internet Exchange President Keith Anderson said internet cost will drop when all Internet Service Providers (ISP) are connected to the PNG Neutral Exchange Point (PNGIX) facility.
It will be a common hub where all ISP’s will use to send data via internet.
“From in the past, say an email sent from (ISP 1) to (another ISP 2), ISP 1 will send it on its satellite services, it will land in Australia, than it has to come into the sea cables (back to the country), and come back to the ISP 2 network,” Anderson gave an example.