PNG DataCo Limited announced that the Kumul Submarine Cable Network (KSCN) landed in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB) on Monday, May 18.
This marks a historical journey for the cable and concludes the roll out for KSCN System 1.
The landing in Arawa was witnessed by PNG DataCo Limited representatives and Arawa Town Mayor, Augustine Barkson, and Deputy Mayor Genevieve Korokoro.
Both Barkson and Korokoro have been instrumental in the AROB part of the project.
“We are fortunate to have this infrastructure and we will continue to educate our people about the opportunities the infrastructure will bring,” Korokoro said.
The Autonomous Region of Bougainville is the last province for the fibre optic cable to land and connect all New Guinea Islands. Since February, PNG DataCo Limited with its partners – Optic Marine Services and sub-contractors – have been building the submarine cable from Jayapura into Vanimo, Wewak, Lorengau, Madang, Kimbe, Kavieng, Kokopo and on Monday 18th May, the cable reached the autonomous region.
The cable extends over 5,457 kilometres of internet cable network connecting the New Guinea Islands and has seven branching units and data centres in all provincial capitals.
The domestic internet platform will link up provinces and connect through Jayapura in Indonesia, furthermore through international internet gateway.
PNG DataCo Limited CEO, Paul Komboi, said: “This important infrastructure will now provide abundance of information throughout PNG which will link all our island provinces to the mainland and central agencies in Port Moresby. This means that sectors such as education, health, transport, civil register, justice, law and order, commerce and industry, finance, agriculture and tourism will now use cloud computing to propel their growth.
“It will reduce cost, time and improve quality and reliability of services in both the private and public sectors for our social economic growth. Our country can now consolidate its efforts in meeting our challenges in a collective and collaborative manner more effectively and efficiently.”
Describing the journey of the KSCN as a historical one, Komboi expressed satisfaction over the completion of the KSCN, stating that KSCN system 1 is on track and completed according to schedule.
“I am immensely thankful for those that have shared their work and expertise in building and constructing this massive project, namely Optic Marine Services, the crew and captain of French Vessel Ile De Re and our subcontractors.
“It has been a tireless but rewarding journey for us all, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I want to also thank all provinces that have received the cable as it travels through eight provinces. This infrastructure is for everyone.”
Like all other provinces linked by the network, PNG DataCo will work with the Autonomous Bougainville Government to ensure the province gets full benefit of the infrastructure.
Komboi added that the landing covers the entire province with distributions covering smaller islands within AROB.
PNG DataCo is a wholesale service provider and is the developer and the operator of the National Transmission Network (NTN), which is primarily based on optical fibre transmission technology. PNG DataCo also provides satellite technology as its redundant transmission network but at this point in time, serves as the primary connection in a number of these locations as well as Kumul Submarine Cable Network (KSCN).