Mt. Kegum High-Capacity Network (HCN) Telecommunications Tower Restored
A Total of K7 million GovPNG PIP-funded projects completed; key northern and highland provinces reconnected after 10 months of outage along with the rollout of Monopoles and Rooftop towers in Port Moresby.
A high-level government and Telikom Limited delegation conducted an official site visit to Mt. Kegum last week to inspect and confirm the successful restoration of one of Papua New Guinea’s most critical telecommunications towers. The K3.83 million projects, funded under the 2024 Public Investment Program (PIP), brings essential voice and data services back to more than 1.674 million people across six provinces.
The remaining funds from the K7 million were used to install monopoles and rooftop towers at strategic locations in Port Moresby, enhancing network stability and customer experience.
The Mt. Kegum telecommunications tower had been out of service since August 2023 following its third and most severe vandalism incident. It previously sustained major damages
in 2019 and 2021. As a vital link in the national microwave transport backbone, the outage affected telecommunication services into Wabag (Enga), Lae (Morobe), Wewak (East Sepik), and Vanimo (West Sepik), crippling connectivity across the Highlands and Momase regions.
Telikom Limited CEO Amos Tepi remarked, “Mt. Kegum is not just a tower—it’s a lifeline. With the 2024 PIP support from the Department of National Planning & Monitoring (DNPM) and Kumul Consolidated Holdings (KCH), we’ve delivered a long-term, resilient solution for northern PNG.”
The restoration efforts included replacing vandalized transmission and power equipment, undertaking structural repairs and tower safety upgrades, and installing enhanced security features such as CCTV surveillance, perimeter fencing, and alarm systems. These measures have significantly improved service availability and the overall network experience for communities across more than six provinces.
In June 2023, Telikom initiated a mediation forum with landowners and ward leaders to address ongoing concerns relating to Community Service Package (CSP) benefits and site security. During the forum, Telikom Board Chairman Mr. Cedric Rondoke introduced a revised CSP benefit distribution model and advocated for the creation of a community-led security company to protect the site. Mr. Rondoke emphasized that empowering the local community to become custodians of the infrastructure would foster sustainable ownership and protection of national assets.
To complement these efforts, Telikom has partnered with the Western Highlands Provincial Police Command to bolster law enforcement and deter future acts of vandalism. In addition, the company plans to implement community awareness campaigns aimed at educating residents about the critical role of safeguarding national infrastructure.
The restoration of the Mt. Kegum site stands as a flagship example of unified government and industry collaboration under the 2024 Public Investment Program (PIP). It underscores the shared commitment of Telikom, Kumul Consolidated Holdings (KCH), and the Government of Papua New Guinea to extend universal digital connectivity and enable inclusive economic participation throughout the country.
We extend our deepest gratitude to the Government of Papua New Guinea under the leadership of the Marape-Rosso Government, for their unwavering support in making the Mt.Kegum restoration a reality. In particular, we acknowledge the outstanding leadership of the Department of National Planning and Monitoring (DNPM), under the First Assistant Secretary Dr. Oti Jigo and his Project Steering Committee (PSC), whose strategic oversight and commitment were instrumental in driving the successful completion of this critical project.
Their collaborative approach and dedication to delivering this impactful infrastructure under the 2024 PIP have reconnected over 1.6 million Papua New Guineans, reaffirming our shared vision of inclusive connectivity and national progress. “This site visit marks a historic first—no government agency receiving PIP funding has ever gone to such extraordinary lengths as chartering a helicopter to transport PSC members to a remote mountaintop location like Mt. Kegum. Telikom has set a bold new benchmark for commitment and transparency, and we wholeheartedly commend their leadership for recognizing the critical importance of on-the-ground project inspections and the MNE process,” said Mr. Alexander James, Senior Planning Coordinator, Department of National Planning - Projects Division.
IMAGE CAPTION: Officials from Telikom Limited and the Departments of National Planning, Finance, and Treasury inspect the newly restored Mt. Kegum HCN tower. The site plays a crucial role in PNG’s national microwave backbone network.