Australian think tank, Lowy Institute, has published a paper titled “Bridging Papua New Guinea’s Information Divide,” in which it called for Australia and other international donors to support Papua New Guinea in upgrading the National Broadcasting Corp.’s radio transmission capacity. In particular, the paper says it is important to re-establish an effective nationwide radio service in time for the 2022 elections, as the public broadcaster plays a critical role in keeping all citizens connected and involved.
“When NBC’s transmission network is operating at full strength, people should be able to receive a shortwave, medium wave, or FM radio signal almost anywhere in the country,” says the paper. However, many of its transmitters are not operational, so those who live in rural and regional areas are not being reached.
The paper calls for immediate focus on…
