On September 3, 2020, the Asian Development Bank approved a US$25 million investment in ATH International Venture Pte, a subsidiary of Amalgamated Telecom Holdings (ATH) in Fiji. Limited will provide funding for a new 4G mobile telecommunications network that will enhance Papua New Guinea’s mobile, broadband and Internet services, thereby providing new opportunities for job creation and socio-economic growth.

Jackie Sultani, Head of Private Sector Operations at ADB, said, “This investment demonstrates our continued efforts to provide basic and affordable infrastructure services to the people of Papua New Guinea. Improved Papua New Guinea Mobile Services It will enhance domestic and regional connectivity and become a powerful access tool for other economic sectors such as telemedicine, education and banking."

ATH CEO Ivan Fong said: "We are very pleased to welcome ADB as a cornerstone investor and major partner of our PNG business." "ADB's investment has shown great support for the project and its sponsors, and we look forward to it. Cooperate with ADB to provide our Papua New Guinea customers, especially those who live in remote and low-income areas of the country, with high-quality technology and services."

Papua New Guinea is the largest but least developed telecommunications market in the Pacific, with only 11% of the population having access to the Internet. In low-income communities, especially in rural and remote villages, enhancing digital connectivity will stimulate economic opportunities and provide better access to digital services in the financial, public health, and education sectors. This investment will also improve the business environment in Papua New Guinea through the development of the private sector and increase investor confidence in the telecommunications sector.

The project sponsor, ATH, is Fiji's main telecommunications holding company, and pioneered 4G technology in Fiji. It has extensive experience in the Pacific telecommunications market, with operations in Kiribati, Vanuatu, Samoa, American Samoa, the Cook Islands and Papua New Guinea. Vodafone Fiji Pte Ltd. Limited, the largest subsidiary of ATH, will manage the project launch and subsequent operations in PNG. Editor/Huang Lijun