Papua New Guinea has taken what Telikom Limited Group Chief Executive Officer Amos Tepi, OBE, described as a “bold and decisive step” towards securing the country’s digital future with the official launch of Kumul Cloud Infinity, the nation’s Sovereign Cloud and Artificial Intelligence Datacenter.
Mr Tepi made the remarks during the official launch at the Sheraton Hotel in Port Moresby on Friday, August 21, describing the new facility as a strategic national asset designed to serve Government, businesses, communities and citizens.
He said digital infrastructure had become as essential to national development as roads, electricity, ports and telecommunications networks.
According to Mr Tepi, the digital economy now requires more than connectivity, with Papua New Guinea needing secure infrastructure to store, process and protect information while turning data into economic and social value.
“Kumul Cloud Infinity represents the next evolution of Telikom’s national mandate,” he said, adding that the initiative would help securely host data within Papua New Guinea’s jurisdiction and strengthen the country’s digital sovereignty.
He said the platform would provide locally hosted cloud and AI services, giving Papua New Guinean organisations greater control, confidence and visibility over critical information.
The initiative is a collaboration between Telikom Limited and Datec PNG, combining Telikom’s telecommunications infrastructure, connectivity, datacenter environment and operational capability with Datec PNG’s ICT expertise, systems integration experience and enterprise customer relationships.
Mr Tepi said the partnership demonstrated how State-Owned Enterprises could combine their resources and capabilities to deliver projects of national significance.
He said Kumul Cloud Infinity was not simply a technology project but an opportunity to drive national transformation through commercial discipline and national purpose.
However, he cautioned that the launch was only the beginning, saying the organisations must now turn the infrastructure into sustainable services and measurable national benefits.
He said the platform would require high standards of cybersecurity, resilience, governance, operational discipline and customer service while remaining commercially sustainable and competitive.
Mr Tepi acknowledged technology partners including CloudSigma, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and NVIDIA for supporting the initiative and said the partnership demonstrated the importance of combining Papua New Guinean ownership with globally recognised technology and expertise.
He also stressed that Papua New Guineans must be at the centre of the country’s digital transformation.
He said engineers, graduates, software developers, cybersecurity professionals and emerging data scientists would need to be trained to design, operate, secure and expand the platform.
The long-term success of Kumul Cloud Infinity, he said, should be measured not only by its technology infrastructure but also by the number of Papua New Guineans it trains, local companies it enables, public services it improves, jobs it creates and industries it helps develop.
Mr Tepi outlined potential applications across Government, health, finance, agriculture, education and entrepreneurship.
He said the platform could support faster and more secure Government services, locally hosted digital health systems, artificial intelligence applications for financial institutions, improved agricultural information and AI solutions reflecting Papua New Guinea’s languages, cultures and development needs.
He further envisaged Papua New Guinea becoming a trusted cloud and AI services hub for the Pacific.
Mr Tepi called on Government departments, State-Owned Enterprises, businesses, universities and technology innovators to work with Telikom and Datec PNG to develop secure and locally relevant digital solutions.
“Bring your systems home. Bring your data closer to the people and institutions it serves,” he said.
He said the name Kumul Cloud Infinity reflected the project’s national identity and ambition, with “Kumul” representing Papua New Guinea, “Cloud” representing the infrastructure of the digital age and “Infinity” symbolising the possibilities created by technology, knowledge and national purpose.
The platform carries the promise: “Infinite Scale. Sovereign Trust.”
Mr Tepi reaffirmed Telikom’s commitment to Kumul Cloud Infinity and the continued growth of Datec PNG, saying the two organisations would continue working to connect the nation, secure its digital assets and expand opportunities for Papua New Guineans.
He described the launch as a symbol of national confidence, technological progress and sovereign trust.