The ICT sector roadmap for Papua New Guinea

The ICT Sector Roadmap for Papua New Guinea (PNG), prepared by the Department of Communication and Information in 2018 with Analysys Mason’s support, provides a structured plan for guiding the country’s digital transformation. It was designed as a live document to be regularly reviewed and updated, setting short, medium, and long-term goals for the digital economy.

Mission and framework

The mission is defined as ‘enabling the use of appropriate and affordable digital technologies in Papua New Guinea, for the benefit of all.‘ To achieve this, the roadmap is structured around six interconnected pillars:

• digital infrastructure: telecom networks, submarine cables, IXPs, data centres, payment systems.
• digital government: delivery of e-services and digitisation of government functions.
• digital services: promotion of affordable, relevant digital content and tools.
• digital skills: ICT literacy for citizens and workforce development.
• digital business environment: enabling conditions for innovation, start-ups, SMEs, and investment.
• digital safety: cybersecurity, consumer protection, fraud prevention, and data protection frameworks.

Short-term activities (0–2 years)

Key priorities included liberalisation of international gateways (IGX) to reduce internet costs, reviewing wholesale access to the national transmission network, and advancing plans for international submarine cables. The roadmap also stressed land rights reforms for telecom deployment, preparation of infrastructure for hosting the APEC Summit, and establishment of an integrated government information system (IGIS). Other short-term goals were digitisation of civil service processes, strengthening data collection powers for ICT statistics, centralising government ICT procurement, formalising the DCI’s status, compulsory SIM registration, the switchover to digital terrestrial television (DTT), and policies to expand mobile money services.

Medium-term activities (3–5 years)

The focus was on expanding infrastructure redundancy and connectivity, including more rural breakout points for broadband. Development of e-government platforms, interoperability standards, and expansion of the National ID Programme were also prioritised. The roadmap envisioned the rollout of e-health, e-agriculture, and e-commerce services, as well as the integration of ICT training into schools and universities. Building ICT clusters, incubators, and fostering innovation ecosystems were also highlighted for this phase.

Long-term activities (5–10 years)

By the long term, PNG aimed to achieve a comprehensive digital ecosystem: affordable and resilient nationwide infrastructure, widespread adoption of digital public services, and a competitive ICT industry with strong local content creation. The roadmap stressed developing a digitally skilled workforce, embedding ICT in the national curriculum, and advancing cyber resilience with a fully operational PNG Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT). The ambition was to make ICT a driver of economic diversification, job creation, and government efficiency.

Implementation

The document emphasises that the roadmap’s success hinges on capacity development and funding for the Department of Communication and Information. Continuous monitoring and evaluation frameworks were recommended to track outcomes, such as lower internet costs, greater broadband penetration, increased ICT employment, and citizen access to government and financial services. The roadmap also drew on international case studies (Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Rwanda, Chile, Thailand, etc.) to illustrate best practices relevant to PNG’s context.