Sixth Caribbean Internet Forum Event Report
Participants from policy and regulatory agencies, telecommunications operators and ISPs, the private and public sector, educators and civil society organizations, as well as interested individuals, recently came together, in Trinidad and Tobago, to discuss the potential for mobile Internet technology to promote economic and social development in the Caribbean and to contemplate what is required to create an enabling environment.
These discussions were the focus of the Sixth Caribbean Internet Forum, which took place at the Crown Plaza, Port of Spain from October 29 to 31, 2008. The Forum was organized by the MRP (Telecommunications) programme of The University of the West Indies (UWI), and co-hosted by the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) and the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL).
Click here for the agenda, presentations and other resources.
In a warm welcome from Minister of Public Administration, the Honourable Kennedy Swaratsingh, participants were informed of his Ministry’s efforts to promote the use of ICTs. Increased e-government services and transactions are to be offered shortly, including renewal of driving permits and passports. He said Port of Spain would be a ‘digital city’ by 2009.
Professor William Melody, the Founding Director of Learning Initiatives on Reforms for Network Economics (LIRNE) and the World Dialogue on Regulation (WDR), in a wide ranging keynote address, established the theme of the Forum. He spoke of the dramatic increase of mobility as an integral part of broadband networks, and anticipated increasing use of ‘cloud computing’, which, by providing software as a service over the Internet, will, among other things, enable the use of sophisticated applications by users with relatively simple mobile technology. He noted, “We are now on the threshold of a new wave of expansion of the Internet to establish ‘Next Generation Networks’. The pace of implementation of these new opportunities will be determined by developments at the intersection of technologies, markets and policies.”
The Forum recognized that to ensure that the region is part of that wave of expansion, ways of facilitating access to the Internet, and, in particular, the mobile Internet, must be explored. The very high rates of mobile telephony penetration that are evident throughout the region are expected to provide opportunities for promotion of novel, locally-appropriate applications and content using mobile technologies.
Some new uses of mobile technology in the region were highlighted during the Forum. One of these is the Alert Retrieval Cache (ARC), which was developed by a Trinidadian, Taran Rampersad, in collaboration with international colleagues. The ARC is a central collecting system for SMS messages that can be redirected as required. For instance, in the event of a national disaster, SMS messages identifying areas of need can be rapidly re-directed to international sources of help.
Another local initiative is being developed by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of The University of the West Indies, working with the Claxton Bay community. Together they are compiling a skills bank that can be accessed over a mobile phone. This enables anyone in urgent need of a plumber, for instance, to source help using their cell phone to access that database. The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering also reported on an SMS-based Student Messaging Service specifically developed to provide access to key scheduling information to students without Internet access.
The use of low-cost wireless technologies, and the application of these technologies within underserved communities in the Caribbean, was also identified as a means of improving Internet access. Participants were updated on the implementation of Caribbean community wireless networks and community technology centres in St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago. These centres promote the broader use of ICTs and facilitate greater networking among community organizations and businesses, as well as promote enhanced personal and professional development.
The lifting of limitations in the enabling environment for the Mobile Internet in the Caribbean was also an area of concern, which required the exploration of various technical, policy, regulatory, governance and administration issues. For instance, higher rates of Internet access, which are expected to mushroom as Internet access, including access through mobile phones, becomes more commonplace, has implications for Internet governance and the availability of Internet addresses. Representatives of the Latin American and Caribbean Internet Addresses Registry (LACNIC), provided comprehensive coverage of IPv6 and related matters in a one-day Internet Day comprising presentations and demonstrations in a workshop setting.
The Forum also saw the finals of the Teleios SMS ‘Code Jam’. This innovative competition, which was supported by both Teleios Ltd. and Microsoft, had begun before the meeting, and culminated in selected teams designing creative applications that use mobile messaging. The three winners worked on SMS applications that could be used in emergency situations, for mobile to mobile greetings, and for voting.
Overall, the event was considered successful in bringing together research, industry and government stakeholders to discuss ways in which the quality of life in the Caribbean can be improved through mobile technology. Participant feedback has been positive, with many people not only looking forward to the next annual forum, but also suggesting ways in which the proceedings could be more widely accessed using – appropriately - Internet technology, such as webcasts.
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