PNG: New Law Looks to Expand Rural Radio

Wednesday, 29 May 2013, 2:57 pm
Press Release: Pacific Media Centre

PNG: New Law Looks to Expand Rural Radio

New legislation makes it easier to run radio services in rural Papua New Guinea.

PORT MORESBY (Pacific Media Watch / The National): Rural communities in Papua New Guinea can look forward to improved communication services.

This is due to a new law established under the National Information and Communication Technology Authority (NICTA) Act, which seeks to expand and improve communication services in rural areas of the country, The National reports.

The new law will allow all radio service providers to use only one transmitter tower, according to Minister for Communication Jimmy Miringtoro.

The National Information & Communications Technology Authority of Papua New Guinea is a government agency responsible for the regulation and licensing of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in Papua New Guinea. You can read more about the NICTA act at the agency's website here. 

Other providers

Miringtoro said there was no law under the NICTA act allowing for a number of communication companies to piggyback on a tower.

“I am not sure if there is such a law to allow other communication service providers to piggyback on transmitter towers of a company, but under the NICTA law there is none,” Miringtoro said.

“I have talked with NICTA to allow a law for that, so any service provider that enters the area first with its tower can allow others to use it.”

Miringtoro said he had also approached Digicel PNG to use its towers but could not get a suitable response.

The concern was raised in Parliament by MP De Kewanu, who said the five districts in the Southern Highlands were not reached by reliable radio coverage. He wanted Miringtoro to develop initiatives to enable other non-profit organisations such as NBC and Christian stations to piggyback on Digicel’s transmitters.

ENDS

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