In a move that will have an immediate impact on internet users in Papua New Guinea, Telikom PNG has cut the fees it charges wholesalers for its internet services by an average of 68%, effective this month.
Telikom PNG Chairman, Mahesh Patel
The average wholesale charge for a megabit of data will drop from 9t (US$0.04) per megabit to 3t (US$0.014).
‘This is only the start of it, we’re not going to stop there,’ Telikom’s Chairman Mahesh Patel told Business Advantage PNG. ‘The ultimate goal is make internet services in PNG internationally price competitive. The ball is now in the ISPs’ [internet service providers’] court to drop their prices.’
Patel flagged Telikom’s intention to publish its wholesale rates so that ISP margins were transparent.
Already, leading ISP Datec has announced that it will be doubling its customers’ data download allowances and reducing excess charges by just over 50%.
‘Telikom’s decision is very, very good news for the country,’ Trilochana Reddy, Chief Executive Officer of Datec (PNG) told Business Advantage PNG. ‘We are really excited.’
With Telikom’s wholesale charges representing only the average price over a 24-hour period, Reddy suggested that the move could see the development of internet services such as offshore data transfer and data centres that could take advantage of lower off-peak internet charges.
The extent of the cuts to wholesale charges have been made possible by improved internet infrastructure.
‘Prices should continue to go further down in the future,’ said Patel.
Check your facts. The reduction is incorrect and this statement is grossly misleading to the General Public. This reduction can only be achieved on a bandwidth utilisation of close to 100% which means crap speed and poor customer experience. Telikom is lieing and they know it!!!
Are Telikom going to also refund the absolute rip off rates we had to pay – because of their gateway monploy past 5 to 8 years ? Obviosuly over charged to prop up an overbloated lazy workforce.
HR expert told me Telikom should be able to oeprate with 250 staff. Instead there are 800.
Telekom could reduce their prices 100% and it would make no difference to our business.
We have had no effective Telekom communications since Christmas 2012 – having to rely on Digicel to talk to customers. NO phone, Fax, and forget the internet !
It seems Telekom are not interested in repairing old copper wires, and rather replace with Fiber Optic cables. That is just wonderful, but no Copper or Fiber ?? – and no action by Telekom. A total waste of PR money telling us how good they are – Partners in business – what a joke !!! W Hughes M.D. UNITED PACIFIC DRILLING PNG – MADANG