Two new mobile operators have been named to provide alternative mobile phone services in competition with Telikom in Papua New Guinea from April 2007.
The National newspaper reports the ICCC commissioner, Thomas Abe, announced Digicel Limited and Dawamiba PNG Limited as the two successful bidders.
Digicel is a mobile operator from Jamaica, and Dawamiba is a partnership between the family business of former politician Ted Diro, and a telecommunications engineering and construction comopany, Dawamiba Engineering of Indonesia.
Mr Abe said the licence to operate commercially would be issued in March.
Each company is expected to spend in excess of 200 million US dollars to develop their networks over the next 10 years.
