What We Do

CRMF provides radio communications and technical services to Churches and Missions in Papua New Guinea, mainly in remote and isolated locations.

In a country of limited conventional telephone services and few roads, CRMF seeks to meet the communications needs of remote communities by providing the following services for about 50 Churches and Missions:

• HF (high frequency) radio which enables reliable country-wide communication
• VHF (very high frequency) radio which enables 'local calls'
• satellite phone for instant world-wide telecommunication
• Radio Email to remote locations via HF radio (rather than using a telephone connection to the server)

Over 900 outstation radio transceivers are located in missionaries homes, offices, hospitals, aircraft, boats/ships, and in dense bush (when the church worker is out on trek).

Almost every missionary
in Papua New Guinea relies on at least one of CRMF's services.

Our two key roles are firstly to provide a monitoring service for emergency traffic, and secondly, from our communications center at Goroka, we offer technical backup to keep the equipment used on the network in top working order. We also supply and service computers.

The need for communication

In a country where the terrain is rugged, improved technology in communication is more relevant to the Church than in some Western countries where travel is easier and the infrastructures in the country are more established. Efficient and prompt communication means for example that a missionary in an isolated village who is a Bible translator or Church planter, is able to stay in their village for longer periods of time ministering to the people without the necessity of making frequent trips to a town in order communicate with the outside world. Communication is necessary with families in the home country, with teachers and/or house parents involved in children's schooling. Communication for missionaries is necessary with Government departments to arrange visas and passports and with other people on their teams and with national pastors and other church workers.  In emergency situations in case of accident, illness and civil disorder the radio is a vital link with the people who can provide help.