The Department of Provincial and Local Level Government Affairs (DPLGA) and Telikom PNG yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deliver 7,000 Starlink terminals that will connect all 6,912 wards and 375 Local-Level Governments (LLGs) around the country.
The agreement, signed at Telikom Rumana in Port Moresby yesterday, will enable ward officials to upload demographic and socio-economic information through DPLGA’s National Ward Record System (NWRS), a digital platform designed to improve planning, budgeting and service delivery across the country.
Telikom PNG Chief Executive Officer Amos Tepi said the partnership marks a major milestone in modernizing government services, with Telikom providing Starlink connectivity to support the collection and transmission of data from wards, LLGs, districts and provinces.
Mr. Tepi said the partnership would also strengthen data sovereignty by ensuring government data remains securely stored within Papua New Guinea through Telikom’s local data infrastructure, allowing agencies to access reliable information for planning and development.
CEO Tepi said most terminals installed in remote areas would operate using solar power, while those in towns and urban centres would be connected to the main electricity supply.
He said Telikom would also manage the installation of the Starlink units to ensure they are properly positioned with a clear line of sight to the satellite, minimizing connectivity interruptions and providing reliable 24-hour internet service.
Meanwhile, DPLGA Secretary Mr. Philip Leo said the National Ward Record System is a digital version of the traditional ward record books and will, for the first time, digitally connect every ward in the country.
He said the system would provide real-time demographic and socio-economic data to support evidence-based policy making, budgeting and development planning while reducing the cost of nationwide data collection.
Mr. Leo said implementation of the project would be rolled out in phases as the department works with Telikom to install the Starlink terminals across the country, with suitable power solutions provided for remote communities where electricity is unavailable.
Mr. Leo said the platform has already been piloted, with hundreds of thousands of records uploaded, including data from the Motu Koita Assembly area, and will eventually support other government agencies, universities and research institutions requiring accurate ward-level information.
Under the initiative, he said his department has also procured specially designed tablets and fingerprint devices to assist ward recorders in collecting and uploading information from communities throughout the country.