Building Bridges across Papua New Guinea's Digital Divide in Growing the ICT Industry

Open Source Software can address affordability barriers: The paper identifies that commercial software dominance creates a digital divide in PNG, where cost prohibits access. Open Source Software (OSS) is presented as a concrete solution to make technology more accessible to emerging economies that lack resources for expensive proprietary licenses.

Algorithmic bias disproportionately affects underrepresented regions: The research highlights that tech products developed primarily by companies in Silicon Valley and the Global North tend to overlook the specific needs of PNG users, resulting in algorithmic bias that disadvantages populations outside wealthy markets—demonstrating how responsible AI requires diverse geographic input in product development.

Local tech capability building is essential for equity: The paper emphasizes that bridging PNG's digital divide requires investment in ICT education and software engineering capability within the country itself, rather than relying solely on external tech solutions, suggesting that sustainable digital equity depends on local expertise and autonomy.

The current tech landscape perpetuates inequality: By documenting how multinational companies dominate the digital landscape while overlooking emerging economies' requirements, the paper illustrates a structural problem in how responsible AI and technology deployment must account for global equity, not just serve profitable markets.