Telikom has secured a K27.2 million Australian grant to modernise its internal business systems and improve how it delivers digital services across Papua New Guinea. The state-owned telecommunications provider signed the agreement with the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific at Telikom Rumana in Port Moresby on 12 October 2026.
The funding is aimed at the systems Telikom uses to run its business and serve customers. Telikom said the work would improve coordination across its business units and make day-to-day operations more efficient. Chief Executive Officer Amos Tepi said the company was working to improve operational efficiency and become more responsive to customers as it expands its digital services.
Updating the systems behind customer services
Earlier Australian project preparation documents identified two business support systems in use at Telikom, one of which had reached the end of its service life. The preparatory work identified streamlined billing and more efficient operations as objectives for a replacement system. Billing is one area where the upgrade could affect customers directly, while better coordination between business units could help Telikom manage demand for its products and services.
The grant forms part of a wider transformation plan that includes improving connectivity, developing cloud data centre capabilities and expanding access to digital services. Telikom is also pursuing work in digital financial services, artificial intelligence and Starlink satellite connectivity. Those plans cover a broader range of activities than the internal systems work supported by the grant. Satellite connectivity, for example, offers a way to reach communities where conventional networks are difficult or expensive to establish.
The upgrade comes as businesses adopt more digital payment and online services and government agencies look to deliver more services electronically. For Telikom, the immediate task is to implement the internal changes that will support that growth. The company acknowledged support from the Australian Government, the Australian High Commission, the PNG Government and Kumul Consolidated Holdings in securing the grant. The next stage will put the funding into the systems that underpin Telikom’s customer and business operations.
