A new Starlink connection has brought reliable internet and phone access to approximately 4,000 people across remote villages in Papua New Guinea, ending years of poor communication access for communities near Dorobisoro in Central Province.
The connection was installed in Dorobisoro, in the Rigo district, through the PNG Tribal Foundation's Ghost Mountain Expedition Project.
The service is expected to support nearby villages with access to emergency health communication, education support and contact with family members outside the area.
For long-time community health worker Kauke Sibide, the connection marks a major change after decades of trying to reach health authorities during emergencies.
"I came as a young man in my 20s and now am old, have grandchildren serving in the remotest part of the district for over 40 years and for the first time I can use my phone while inside the clinic to talk to anyone in Port Moresby," Mr Sibide said.
"I can now call from here whenever an emergency arises and needing assistance on charter flight to move a sick patient."
Local land mediator John Marai said the connection would serve people across Laronu, Dorobisoro, Boro, Abaro, Lora, Igonomu, Tabu, Abavana 1 and 2, Mimai and other smaller villages.
He said the service would also help communities communicate with education authorities about school supplies, which had been a recurring challenge.
The connection ends a long-running reliance on villagers climbing Mount Sirabe for several hours to find weak mobile reception through Digicel PNG or Bmobile.
The limited signal had been used to contact family members in Port Moresby and seek help during medical emergencies, including labour complications and severe malaria cases.
PNG Tribal Foundation president GT Bustin said the organisation had worked for six months to bring Starlink to the area because remote communities had a strong need for reliable communication.
He said rural hospitals, aid posts and schools across Papua New Guinea needed better access to digital infrastructure.
"PNG Tribal Foundation took the leadership of Ghost Mountain Expedition with the expressed purpose of improving services for villagers who live along the historic Kapa Kapa trail," Mr Bustin said.
"With the great efforts of Australian authors and Trekkers Peter Gamgee and James Campbell, and the generosity of donors in Queensland through Tribal Foundation Australia we are now making good on that commitment."
The Ghost Mountain Expedition Project was launched as a tourism initiative in partnership with Central Governor Rufina Peter and with support from Rigo District Member Sir Ano Pala.
The project is also being used to deliver practical services to communities along the historic Kapa Kapa trail.
Mr Bustin said the work had already included support for the Dorobisoro clinic.
"We've already supplied three months of medical support to the Dorobasoro clinic, and with Peter and the generosity of supporters in Australia, we are now able to bring lasting infrastructure improvements," he said.
Australian author and trekker Peter Gamgee first travelled into the remote communities in 2009 and later identified a need for stronger health and education support in villages along the trail.
Mr Gamgee said the community's willingness to support one another stood out despite the lack of basic services.
"In 2011, when I came here with my son, it became clear that many people living along the Ghost Mountain trail were missing out on essential health and education services," he said.
"That made me think about what we could do to bring health and education services into these villages and with the support of all the people and funds raised back in my hometown we were able to connect power, communication and bring in medical supplies."
The Ghost Mountain Expedition retraces the Kapa Kapa Trail, a World War II route through Papua New Guinea's Owen Stanley Range.
The route is linked to the 1942 Allied military operation in which United States Army troops from the 32nd Infantry Division crossed the range through the Kapa Kapa Trail, including a passage over Ghost Mountain, also known as Mount Obree.
The march is remembered as one of the difficult jungle treks of the war, with soldiers exposed to extreme conditions, disease and hunger.
The modern expedition aims to honour that history while supporting communities along the trail.
PNG Tribal Foundation said its broader work focuses on improving lives across Papua New Guinea through healthcare, education and leadership development.
