PNG Mobile Coverage

[Chocks Away]

Just a quick one out of interest:

What carrier/s from Oz, are based out of Moresby and is it like East Timor (charged at Aust. rates)?.

Fair coverage and service?

Thanks

Keep the Blue up:ok:

[Amelia_Flashtart]

Ther are no Oz carriers in PNG - it is Cellnet/Pacific Telikom - coverage is awful and rates are astronomical. Cost of phones is also high, and you would need to check on the Telikom/Cellnet website as to what network they run.

Due to the geographic nature of the country coverage is non-existent other than in major centres such as Lae and Moresby - and is even very patchy in these areas. Even fixed telephony is expensive and unreliable. This is why all the major foreign resource companies operating here use satellite comms.

Not many people in PNG have a phone let alone a mobile. The phone book for the entire country - including Yellow Pages - is only about 2cm thick!

East Timor is very different as Telstra provide the entire network etc as part pf the Aid to rebuild the country.

[Chocks Away]

Thanks Amelia. Looks like message bank will be in full use there !:}
Yeh, Timor was also Sat comms at first (we used HeavyLifts) until Telstra came to the party... and boy did they make a "motsa".
May c u soon.:ok:

[OzExpat]

And there's no chance of breaking the law by usng your mobile while driving. The network is flat out handing things when you're standing still... I often wonder why the hell I bother with it. Can't even do SMS here yet - it wasn't all that long ago that you couln't even make calls outside of the country.

The one thing that this place does give you is LOTS of calls from peple who've dialled the wrong number! :mad: That's the case on regular phones as well as mobiles, of course. :sad:

[tinpis]

Cell phones?...hell in my day you would near crank the phone off the wall to get an operator to answer.
This was usually followed up by a swift drive down the the post office/exchange ,kick the door down and give the drunk/asleep local a right hammering.

[chimbu warrior]

May I digress for a moment and tell the story of the very first "mobile" telephone in PNG!..........................

'Twas a long time ago (late 70's) when I was just a young 'un starting my commercial flying career in PNG, when a certain Talair branch manager (known to all as "Moresby") was heading south on leave. On his way to catch the freedom bird at POM, he decided to stop for a coupla cold SP's at the old Aero Club. He arrived at the Dero clutching his suitcase, and was soon enjoying the company of many aviators and downing many SP brownies. It seems that several of the assembled aviators decided to "overload" Moresby's suitcase (perhaps in retribution for similar activities on his part on numerous orange balus's), and so whilst he was distracted, a payphone was wrenched from the wall and stuffed into our hero's suitcase.

This deed complete, Moresby was then reminded that departure of the freedom bird was imminent, and he hurried down to the terminal, checked his suitcase in and clambered aboard.

Upon arrival in sunny Brisbane (well actually it was dark by then, but bear with me), our hero collected his suitcase, and feeling it to be rather heavy, attributed this to the fact that his head felt similarly heavier than it had when he left the highlands. Upon arrival at Customs he was asked to open the suitcase (a quick call from an insider in POM having ensured that our friend Moresby would be searched). Imagine his surprise when upon opening the suitcase he discovered that he had brought PNG's first "mobile" phone (complete with numerous 20 toea pieces) to Brissy!

Needless to say, many of his "victims" dined out on this one for a long time!

[Animalclub]

Chimbu
Digress more... there are a few good stories to come out of the Temple.
James deserved it, but I don't think anything would phase him.

[o1genesis]

We could probably start a thread just on J.B. and his exploits. Would we need to break it down by decade? or company?

[Amelia_Flashtart]

Just some more information on the current state of the PNG mobile network. This is from the PNG Newsletter:

"** Pacific Mobile **

Pacific Mobile Communications, the arm of Telikom responsible for the running of the mobile telephone service in PNG and ably headed by Peter Loko, may be deeper in financial trouble than first thought. A reader has been trying to get a refund of a K200 bond paid for the old analogue system since the change over to the digital GSM system all with no luck despite many, many trips to Pacific Mobile Headquarters. Of course this could just be bureaucracy at its best and nothing to worry about unless you are trying to get your refund.

The SMS messaging system has also been delayed over and over possibly due to a lack of money to fund the system or a lack of expertise - no body really knows because Pacific Mobile are keeping very quiet about the event. Some people are able to send SMS messages so the system is working so it could possibly be ready this month but don't wait for me to SMS you about the event. They also seem to be keeping very quiet about the suspension of the chief as well."

Hopefully one day it will all come good!