Monday 22 July, 2024
PNG ICT Delegation with Huawei Officials at China’s first Standard Wifi-6 Campus: Huawei Dongguan Campus, the ‘European-Themed Tech Wonderland’.
Minister for Information and Communications Technology Hon. Timothy Masiu, led a delegation to China on a bilateral visit to discuss the implementation of the recently signed MoU for ICT corporation between PNG and the People’s Republic of China.
On their way to Beijing, the delegation visited the Huawei Head Quarters including their advanced, state-of-the-art manufacturing and research facilities.
Accompanying Minister Masiu were key figures from the PNG ICT sector, including Managing Director for NBC Mr Kora Nou, Deputy Secretary for Department of Information and Communications Technology Mr Flierl Shongol, Telikom CEO Mr Amos Tepi, and senior officials from PNG DataCo. The delegation also included representatives from the NCD Provincial Government, focusing on the proposed ‘SmartCity’ initiative.
The site visit is to see the full capabilities of the Tech Giant and how PNG can leverage from its existing relation to further support the PNG’s Digital Government Agenda and enhancing the overall ICT sector.
The PNG ICT delegation was given an exclusive tour of Huawei’s state-of-the-art manufacturing and research facilities, gaining insights into the company’s technological capabilities. The delegation also visited Huawei’s University Town of Shenzhen – a marvel that has evolved into a benchmark for the convergence of industry, education, and research.
A particular focus was placed on the Shenzhen Smart City, an integrated system that utilizes advanced technology to monitor and manage various aspects of urban life.
Minister Masiu expressed keen interest in seeing how the Smart City concept can be applied in PNG. “We want to see how we can deploy this technology in our country,” he said.
“We are particularly interested in how similar systems could be adapted to meet the unique needs of PNG’s smaller urban centers,” Minister Masiu emphasized. “For instance, leveraging AI to enhance waste management and community safety is critical for our cities.”
Minister Masiu and the ICT Delegation then travelled to Beijing to meet with the China International Development Cooperation Agency, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Techology (MIIT) of the People’s Republic of China.