The internet is a channel through which considerable opportunities can be leveraged, but it can be argued that it is still underdeveloped in the Caribbean region. In a long-awaited follow-up conversation with Shernon Osepa, of the Internet Society, he shares his thoughts on the state of the internet in the region, along with what he believes are the region’s greatest internet-related  challenges, and what should be the region’s priorities moving forward.

 

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple iTunes, Google Play Music, Spotify and on Stitcher!

The internet has become so integral to our lives, but here in the Caribbean region, challenges still abound. Although what may be top of mind are the technical and/or quality of service issues – dropped service, slow download and upload speeds, still poor coverage in some areas, and resiliency concerns, to name just a few – increasingly, we also ought to consider the extent to which we, across the region, are leveraging the internet. Yes, the internet has become an important channel for entertainment and for communicating with others, but is that all the internet can do?

Addressing the technical internet challenges can be a multi-tiered process, as they tend to require local, regional and international participation on matters related to internet governance. An important player in these global conversations is the Internet Society (ISOC), a non-profit advocacy organisation, headquartered in the United States, that has as its mission “to promote the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of all people throughout the world“.

In addition to the global organisation, ISOC is assisted in its mission by local Chapters, which tend to run a variety of programmes and events. In the English-speaking Caribbean, there are just six countries have Chapters: Barbados; Dominica; Guyana; Jamaica; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; and Trinidad and Tobago. The Chapters are autonomously-run and volunteer-driven, and are able to focus their efforts on facilitating and fostering internet for all.

In today’s podcast episode, we check back in with the ISOC representative for the Caribbean region, Shernon Osepa, who was our very first guest in 2018! Essentially, and with Shernon, we take a temperature check on the state of the internet in the region – the good, the bad, and the areas that need to be improved.

 

Introducing our guest

Shernon Osepa

Shernon Osepa is the Director, Caribbean Affairs and Development at the Internet Society (ISOC). Previously he was the Manager for Regional Affairs for Latin America and Caribbean at ISOC.

Prior to joining ISOC, Shernon was the Manager Regional Relations Caribbean for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Before ICANN, he was a Policy Advisor with the Telecommunications and Post Regulatory Authority in the Netherlands Antilles, and he had worked with the local telecommunications incumbent operator in Curaçao.

He is a co-founder and contributed to the development of the “Caribbean Peering & Interconnection Forum (CarPIF). His interests also include Small Islands Development States (SIDS), digital economy development, natural disaster mitigation strategies and cybersecurity.

Shernon is a national of Curaçao, where he is still based. He is fluent in Dutch, English, Spanish, Papiamento and has a working understanding of French and Portuguese.

 

Insights into our conversation

As consumers, we certainly has our own opinion about the state of the internet in the Caribbean region, which tends to be based solely on our personal and local experience. It is thus always useful to have the opportunity to speak with someone who is able to have a more holistic view, due to the fact that his/her reach across the region is considerably farther than our own.

Although I am continually keeping tabs on ICT and tech developments in the region, I still found the conversation with Shernon very insightful, as he has been a presence in the Caribbean internet governance space for well over a decade, and so could draw on and highlight the evolution that has occurred. Further, he was able to share some of the work ISOC is championing and facilitating across the region, through which to illustrate challenges that are being experienced, in addition to the efforts being made to address them.

Below are the key questions posed to Shernon during our conversation:

  1. Can you briefly outline what the Internet Society (ISOC) is and what it does?
  2. As the Manager, Regional Affairs for Latin America and the Caribbean, what does your job entail?
  3. How has the Internet in the Caribbean region changed over the past 5 years?
  4. What work has ISOC been doing in the Caribbean since we last spoke in early 2018?
  5. In your opinion, what has been the impact of the pandemic on the Internet, generally, and more specifically, in the Caribbean region?
  6. How might ISOC be adjusting its work in light of the pandemic?
  7. What do you see as the region’s greatest challenges?
  8. Into the future, what do you believe should be the region’s priorities?

 

We would love to hear from you!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.

 

Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:

 

 

Image credits: S Osepa; S Osepa; Wikimedia Commons; Wikimedia Commons; Sumanley (Pixabay)

Music credit: Ray Holman

Podcast editing support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez