Papua New Guinea’s journey to becoming digitally inclusive is coming to light as the Gabagaba village in Rigo district opened their new village ICT facility.
Minister for Information and Communication Technology, Timothy Masiu, unveiled the facility yesterday (30th September 2023), marking a significant step towards bridging the digital divide in rural areas of PNG.
This inaugural project is part of the Smart Village project, a global initiative, now introduced to PNG through the government. It was made possible through the Department of Information and Communication Technology and Gabaspot, a local entrepreneur.
The facility is equipped with six computers with an e-library to benefit students who can use the resources free of charge. To combat frequent power outages, the facility is equipped with a solar power system, a standby generator, and servers powered by an inverter.
CEO for Gabaspot, Guise Vere announced that the facility would be known as the “Gabaspot Digital Hub.” He also revealed plans for digital training programs to empower the local community and an affordable token-based Internet cafe system.
Vere who is a person with a disability was greatly applauded for his urge to bring digital development to the community.
Director of the Universal Access Service (UAS) at NICTA, Kone Kula and CEO of NICTA, Kila Golu-Vui emphasized various opportunities in the ICT ecosystem. The facility will benefit over 6,000 people in the Gabagaba community.
“The intention is to extend the signal to other nearby villages as well,” Gulo-Vui said.
Minister Masiu greatly acknowledged the initiative and highlighted the importance of embracing the Smart Village concept to keep in pace with global technological advancements.
He stated that the recent Pacific ICT dialogue had the signing of the Lagatoi Declaration which are steps towards introducing digital services at the grassroots level.
This facility is the second of its kind launched by NICTA, with the aim of serving the local population.
