Communication networking for education in the western highlands of Papua New Guinea

Abstract

Data gathered from a site visit to a proposed internet distribution network installation in the Western Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea are interspersed throughout the sections of this paper. Motivation for the IEEE Smart Village (ISV) program is the topic of the introduction. ISV arranged for an assessment of the site by an IEEE volunteer. A volunteer, paper author Alan Mickelson, visited the site in May of 2017. The presentation begins with some background on Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICTD). The presentation continues with a description of the area in question, which is located in the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea near Mount Hagen, PNG. Tentative pre-assessment plans for an educational and health network in this rural area of Papua New Guinea are outlined. This education and health network is envisioned to be part of a larger sustainable development plan that involves micro-grids for renewable electrical power. Discussion of some enumerated technical issues ensues. Presentation of some technical alternatives to the pre-assessment plan elucidates that the appropriateness of any technical solution is sensitive to the nature of the community being served and the manner in which the plan is managed. A discussion of development practices then includes an overview of recent development theory, some consideration of present day best practices. The summary reviews project inconsistencies with some suggestions for moving forward.