“The National Information and Communications Technology Authority (NICTA) is the converged regulator established by an Act of Parliament, the National Information and Communications Technology Act 2009 (NICT Act).

The NICT Act repealed;

• The Telecommunications Act 1996 (Telco Act);

• The Radio Spectrum Act 1996 (RS Act); and,

• Sections of Independent Consumer and Competition Commission Act 2002, in particular Part III of the ICCC Act    which relates to regulatory functions (Telecommunications economic regulatory functions).

The repeal of the Telco Act in turn abolished the Papua New Guinea Radiocommunications and Telecommunications Technical Authority (PANGTEL) and transferred certain assets and liabilities of PANGTEL as well as ICCC assets and liabilities relating to telecommunications.

The functions of NICTA now include the issuance of all Telecommunications licences (Operator and Radiocommunications) as well as ensuring that provision of ICT services conform to National and International standards. The NICT Act allows for converged regulatory authority to address economic and consumer issues which were previously dealt by ICCC.

The NICTA Act further created a secretariat called the Universal Access and Fund Secretariat (UAF Secretariat) within NICTA to manage donor, government and industry levies used to rollout ICT projects to rural areas and communities around the country.”