UPNG to Launch starlink trial and advanced IT degrees to build ‘Digital Highway’

The University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) is launching a major technological transformation by piloting SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet and introducing advanced IT degrees to bridge the nation's digital divide.

UPNG Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Findlay declared that a robust technology infrastructure is vital for the country's economic future.

“For PNG to be a global economy, we need to have a very strong internet and technology backbone,” Prof. Findlay stated.

To connect remote areas, UPNG is testing Starlink’s low-Earth orbit satellites across its regional and provincial learning centers, where traditional infrastructure is completely absent.

“Starlink has the potential to be a game-changer,” Prof. Findlay said, noting it provides access where there is no cable, microwave, or standard satellite connectivity.

The goal is to give rural students “the same internet access, the same gateway to the entire world” as those on the main campus.

The university is now looking into upgrading its internet pipeline at the Waigani campus, creating what Prof. Findlay calls a digital “superhighway.”

This infrastructure is the crucial foundation needed before deploying advanced educational tools.

“What we need to do now is build a Rolls-Royce. A Rolls-Royce in online learning,” Prof. Findlay explained.

“There's no point building the Rolls-Royce of online learning if you're driving on a dirt track. So, we have to build that motorway, a superhighway first, so that our educational vehicles can drive down it.”

Looking ahead, UPNG will introduce specialized degrees in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cyber Security, Fintech, and IT in February 2027. Additionally, the university is expanding its Center of Excellence in IT to offer basic certificate and diploma courses to the public.

Prof. Findlay emphasized that expanding technical literacy is an absolute necessity for national progress.

“That is the only way that PNG can empower itself and be a global player,” he concluded.