The Department of Information and Communications Technology hosted the SevisPass Telco Integration Workshop at Lamana Hotel on Monday, bringing together telecommunications providers and key stakeholders to advance the integration of SevisPass with telecommunications networks across Papua New Guinea.
The workshop was attended by representatives from Digicel PNG, Vodafone PNG and Telikom PNG, NICTA representative Mr Robertson Asari, representatives of the Australian Cyber Security Centre (Australian Cyber Security Centre), Logohu, members of the SevisPass online team and DICT technical officers. Also in attendance were DICT Secretary Mr Steven Matainaho and Deputy Secretaries Mr Flierl Shongol and Mr Jessy Sekere.
Opening the workshop, DICT Secretary Mr Steven Matainaho said the department was taking a collaborative approach to digital identity integration by engaging directly with stakeholders and encouraging dialogue on the benefits of a common digital identity platform.
Mr Matainaho said Papua New Guinea’s digital ecosystem currently lacks a trusted identity framework, with organisations across sectors developing separate electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) systems.
“The trust ecosystem is missing in the entire digital ecosystem of Papua New Guinea,” Mr Matainaho said.
He said these fragmented systems across banking, superannuation and telecommunications sectors have created duplication and inconsistent identity standards.
Mr Matainaho said DICT was working closely with stakeholders to explain the benefits of SevisPass rather than enforcing implementation, and to build a shared approach to digital identity across sectors.
He said the workshop was a coordinated technical integration session designed to enable SIM card self-registration for smartphone users, link SIM cards to ServicePass Ids, and speed up Tier 2 identity upgrades during onboarding. He said this would improve onboarding efficiency, strengthen fraud prevention and reduce identity-related risks across telecommunications networks.
SevisPass serves as Papua New Guinea’s national Digital Public Infrastructure, providing a trusted platform for identity verification, secure digital transactions and improved access to digital services.
Discussions focused on technical requirements for integrating SevisPass with telecommunications networks, including SIM self-registration workflows, identity binding processes, system interoperability and standard integration across operators.
Participants discussed readiness across telcos, implementation timelines, vendor support and the possibility of at least one operator starting immediate rollout of self-registration services.
The workshop forms part of ongoing efforts to support SIM card self-registration, strengthen digital identity verification and improve access to secure digital services through SevisPass as part of Papua New Guinea’s broader digital transformation agenda.
In closing the workshop, Deputy Secretary Mr Flierl Shongol thanked participants for their support and cooperation, noting that their partnership was critical to the success of the initiative.
Mr Shongol said telecommunications providers were important partners in achieving these goals and that the workshop represented a strategic approach to aligning telecommunications networks with SevisPass.
“The workshop marks an important step towards aligning telecommunications providers with SevisPass and supporting the Government’s broader vision for Digital Government, Digital Society and a thriving Digital Economy,” Mr Shongol said.