This week marks a significant milestone in the history of technology in Luganville and Vanuatu, as the first-ever ICT Day celebration is held in Santo, Sanma Province, in the northern part of the country.

In Port Vila, today also marks the start of the Pacific ICT Conference 2015, hosted at Warwick Le Lagon’s Farea Pacifik Conference Centre. According to the schedule on the official website (ictdays.gov.vu), the conference will run for two days.

Day one of the conference will focus on creating enabling environments for ICT innovation, addressing challenges in ICT development, promoting e-Government and m-Governance, innovation in the financial sector, ICT applications for disaster response and recovery post-Tropical Cyclone Pam, as well as universal access and school connectivity.

On day two, participants will discuss cybercrime legislation, the role of ICT in disaster management, data for innovation—especially through Geographic Information Systems (GIS), developments beyond cloud computing, and the day will conclude with the Pacific ICT Awards ceremony for 2015.

Meanwhile, in Luganville, celebrations today and tomorrow share similar goals: to strengthen relationships among all stakeholders in the ICT ecosystem, including public administrations, private sector companies, entrepreneurs, non-profit organizations, and the people of the northern region.

Today, TVL will launch its new fiber-optic link in Luganville’s central business district. At the same time, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is facilitating a workshop on Web 2.0 and social media, currently underway at the Vanuatu Agriculture College.

Megan Singleton—an award-winning travel writer, blogger, editor, and New Zealand Herald travel columnist—is also in Vanuatu this week to conduct social media training for tourism operators. She will be in Luganville on Saturday, 16th May.

In Port Vila, participants of the Pacific ICT Conference will also join other members of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in celebrating ITU’s 150th anniversary and World Telecommunication & Information Society Day (WTISD) 2015 under the theme “Telecommunication & ICTs: Drivers of Innovation.”

With all these events, historical significance, and innovations in mind, hosting ICT Day in Luganville reflects a decentralized approach to innovation. Yesterday, many ICT engineers, marketers, and institutional representatives arrived from Port Vila to take part in this first-ever ICT event in Luganville.

Luganville is the second-largest town in Vanuatu, home to around 14,000 people, primarily from four provinces: Torba, Sanma, Penama, and Malampa—which together account for more than half of Vanuatu’s population.

After Tropical Cyclone Pam, many corporate businesses and essential services in Luganville were disrupted due to the network outage in Port Vila—the sole distribution hub for the northern region. This issue remains a major concern during today’s ICT discussions at La Plage in Luganville and in the Pacific ICT Conference panel at Le Lagon in Port Vila.

Sanma Provincial Government Secretary General (SG), Sakariah Daniel, was among those accessing the internet after TC Pam.

Following March 13, I was stationed in the communication room of the Sanma Emergency Operations Centre, operating a satellite internet and phone connection via a BGAN terminal by Inmarsat. We supported the Police and other government institutions, banks, and shipping agencies—providing vital communication services during the emergency.

Today at Unity Park, the focus will include discussions on ICT applications for disaster response and management post-TC Pam. Visitors can stop by booths hosted by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO), CNS, YTS, E-Tech, Digicel, and TVL, who are all showcasing their products and services through to 16th May 2015.

A highlight for the public today is TVL’s provision of a free 2Mbps internet link at their booth at La Plage—an excellent educational opportunity for all attendees.