Pictured – Huawei consultant, Simon Tsang at ICT workshop in Port Moresby, Wednesday, December 12, 2018.
By Fidelis Sukina – EMTV News, Port Moresby
Papua New Guinea’s slow progress in the growth of ICT needs Government reform – that is in policies and infrastructure that need to be built to cater for the growth of the internet.
There are hopes that with adequate infrastructure in place, leading to more cheaper and reliable internet; this will encourage companies and individuals in Papua New Guinea to take part in the digital economy.
The World is growing in the Digital Economy and Papua New Guinea’s growth is slower than most countries in the world.
Digital Economy is the use of internet and applications through computers and smartphones, to drive monetary exchange, trade and innovation, this is made possible through ICT trends such as mobile internet, Cloud computing, Big Data, and artificial intelligence (AI).
For Papua New Guinea majority of the population do not fully understand the ICT trends.
For a start, high internet rates and the lack of infrastructure, to increase the reach of the internet is slowing the growth of the Digital economy in Papua New Guinea.
Huawei technologies PNG limited invited Simon Tsang, a consultant of Huawei, to facilitate in a workshop held today which targeted leaders in the government agencies and corporate companies in understanding the role of ICT in social and economic growth.
In his presentations he touched on the growth of China in the Digital Economy, stating that China had great support by their Government to drive ICT policies and build infrastructure to allow the growth of cheaper and reliable internet to help grow the digital economy, something that Papua New Guineas Government needs consider greatly.
“The government play a key role in building and promoting the infrastructure, for example like the internet, broadband, the penetration, mobile internet, fixed internet..in the case of Singapore, they have a ‘smart nation’ initiative right? so the government push a lot on building with high-speed internet infrastructure,”
Tsang who visits countries to encourage leaders in government agencies to look at the positives in improving ICT said he saw potential in Papua New Guinea, to grow the ICT industry, given that infrastructure and other necessities are in order.
“I understand at least from the government perspective, PNG government would like to be more involved in the digital economy”
The Growth in the ICT in Papua New Guinea is looking positive after a successful APEC meeting, with the theme of ‘increasing digital inclusion in Papua New Guinea’.
