It's official, they're opening an office in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (PNG) where they aren't exactly strangers or new-comers as they've been operating in the country for more than 10 years with an international gateway and self-sufficient standalone teleport, but this is its first office facility in PNG. The team includes 10 employees who focus on operations, engineering, sales and local support.​
Downtown Port Moresby
SpeedCast International Ltd (ASX: SDA) has opened an office in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (PNG), to support the company’s growing customer base in the energy and enterprise markets. Through the years, SpeedCast has built a strong presence in PNG through the installation of communication infrastructure and a number of acquisitions including Pactel International in 2013 and Oceanic Broadband in 2014.
The company installed one of the first licensed international gateways since the ICT bill was introduced in 2009, which enacted de-regulation of mobile telephony including international calling and retail price-setting. In 2015, SpeedCast installed two O3b terminals in Port Moresby and Lae and extensive wireless networks to provide ultra-low latency, fiber-speed connectivity to businesses in these two capitals.
“Our new office in Papua New Guinea shows our commitment to investing in the country,” said Pierre-Jean Beylier, CEO, SpeedCast. “We are pleased to employ local, highly skilled and trained workers that support our customers in the country.” The new offices are located at Part Ground Floor, PWC HAUS, Konedobu, Port Moresby.
SpeedCast has made advancements in PNG’s oil and gas market by working with companies such as InterOil (now owned by ExxonMobil). SpeedCast supported the construction phase of the InterOil PNG LNG (liquefied natural gas), a $19 billion project with a goal of efficiently and cost effectively commercializing the gas resources of PNG.
The company provided both primary satellite links and worker construction camps connectivity, supporting up to 3,000 individuals. In 2014, through its support of InterOil, SpeedCast was awarded the PNG LNG communications project, which relied on SpeedCast’s country-wide VSAT networks to provide connectivity to 26 remote drilling sites that were only accessible via helicopter. SpeedCast installed communications equipment and solutions to quickly and seamlessly enable end- to-end communications for on-the-ground teams.
In addition, SpeedCast supports the second largest mobile carrier in the country, bmobile-vodafone, with cost-effective, reliable services for people in remote locations where it has been made possible by installing satellite links to support telephony to the core network in Port Moresby. SpeedCast also provides internet and voice services for the Manus Island Offshore Processing Centre.
“Looking ahead, Papua New Guinea is preparing for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit that will take place in 2018. There’s a large investment being made in the country for the summit, which will be attended by many high-profile heads of state from around the Pacific region. SpeedCast is happy to play a role in building out the country’s communication infrastructure which will help to support the local economy,” Beylier said.
