Papua New Guinea’s growing digital sector has caught the attention of global telecommunications giant Nokia, which says it is looking to expand its involvement in the country through stronger network infrastructure partnerships and improved connectivity solutions.
The company, which already supports Digicel’s operations in PNG, believes there is room for further investment in areas such as fibre networks and hybrid telecommunications systems despite the country’s geographical and infrastructure challenges.
Speaking during the EU-PNG Business Forum in Port Moresby, Nokia Head of Geopolitics and Government Relations Ben Saint said the company sees strong potential in PNG’s telecommunications landscape.
He said Nokia was not currently planning to establish a permanent office in Port Moresby, although future opportunities would remain under consideration as business relationships continue to develop.
Mr Saint said Nokia’s interest in PNG is backed by its international partnerships and its focus on delivering secure and dependable communications technology.
According to him, the company already has an established footprint in the country through its partnership with Digicel, supplying equipment that supports mobile and network services across PNG.
He added that Nokia is keen to strengthen existing relationships while also exploring new opportunities with potential partners during its visit to the country.
“Nokia is a proud Finnish company and we get great support from the Finnish government, from the European government.
“We already have an existing presence here, through Digicel.
“We provide equipment to Digicel to enable their networks in PNG.
“We are certainly keen to do more business.
“It’s great to be here, not just participating in the forum, but also having meetings with other potential partners to do more work with.”
Mr Saint said the PNG Government had already recognised the value of digital infrastructure as a key driver of economic development.
“It has great socio-economic benefits.
“What that means is (it’s) not just good for businesses being connected, but also good for people, good for communities, families to be able to communicate with each other to be able to be connect to the outside world.
“There is already a really good foundation to be able to build upon, but yes, there are challenges, and you know, with within PNG is obviously quite a large land mass compared to other Pacific Islands, it’s a big population, it’s a very rural population.
“People are not in big urban centers like what they are in other countries, it’s very spread out.”