​Starlink Licensing Dispute Reaches PNG National Court

​Starlink Licensing Dispute Reaches PNG National Court /graphics AI

The National Court  is considering whether to overturn an Ombudsman Commission (OC) directive that blocked the PNG National Information Communication and Technology Authority (Nicta) from issuing an operating licence to Starlink earlier this year.

In submissions last Friday, Nicta’s lawyer, Kenneth Imako, said Starlink had satisfied all application requirements under the Nicta Act 2009, making the OC’s February order “unreasonable” and without legal basis.

Imako explained that the licence was approved in principle on 18 December 2023, pending final negotiations on certain conditions. Before these were completed, then-Minister for Information and Communication Technology, Timothy Masiu, publicly announced that Starlink had been licensed to operate in PNG. This announcement, he said, triggered the OC’s intervention.

“Nicta issues licences to internet service providers. The minister does not play a role in the licensing process,” Imako told the court, adding that Masiu was informed purely out of courtesy.

The court heard that the dispute arose despite Nicta having completed a public consultation process on Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite service requirements between August and September 2023, and continuing stakeholder reviews thereafter.

Judge Susan Pardon-Sully adjourned the matter to Friday for further proceedings.

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