“We in the Pacific are more than neighbours, we are a family of nations, genetically intertwined through shared ancestry, culture and history. Our roots are deep in the ocean, but our vision must now reach the digital horizon,” declared Acting Minister for Information and Communications Technology and Minister for Police Peter Tsiamalili Jr., as he reaffirmed Papua New Guinea’s commitment to building a connected, secure and inclusive digital future for the region.
Speaking at the Pacific ICT Ministers Dialogue in Suva, Fiji on 8 August, Tsiamalili positioned PNG’s digital progress as both a national achievement and a regional opportunity. He outlined the country’s transformation while urging Pacific nations to strengthen cooperation on infrastructure, cybersecurity and digital trust.
As part of this transformation, he revealed that broadband penetration in PNG has surged from 40% in 2020 to nearly 80% in 2025, with 4G access now covering more than 90% of users nationwide. Building on this momentum, he announced the release of PNG’s Spectrum Roadmap and confirmed a national target to roll out 5G services in major centres in the near future.
Turning to government systems, Tsiamalili highlighted that 90% of PNG’s agencies are now operating on a Government Cloud platform, a step he described as critical for efficiency and transparency. He added that plans are also underway to procure a Tier III national data centre to guarantee secure sovereign data hosting.
On cybersecurity, the minister raised alarm over the rising scale of threats in the past 18 months, including two major ransomware attacks. To counter these risks, PNG has implemented its Cybersecurity Policy (2021) and Strategy (2024), with operational oversight by the National Cyber Security Centre and the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT).
He also confirmed PNG’s intent to accede to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, noting that the policy submission has already been signed and will be fast-tracked for parliamentary approval next week under his role as Leader of Government Business.
“A connected Pacific must also be a secure Pacific,” he stressed. “Without trust, our people will hesitate to embrace digital services, our businesses will hold back from innovation and our governments will remain exposed to rising cyber threats.”
Tsiamalili concluded by calling on Pacific nations to coordinate investments, share information and build capacity together in the digital space.
“Let us equip our regional digital lagatoi with strong masts and infrastructure, and a trusted compass with security, to reach our shared destination: a digitally sovereign Pacific grounded in our values and united in our ambition,” he urged.
