At the recently held CANTO conference and trade exhibition, telecom operators, regulators and content providers were encouraged to help more in fostering the internet in the Caribbean region. We discuss some of the views shared and offer another perspective on how the issue could be approached.
The 37th Annual Conference and Trade Exhibition of the Caribbean Association of National Telecommunications Organisations (CANTO) was held earlier this week in Miami under the theme, Enabling the Digital Evolution. In the keynote address delivered by the Prime Minister of Guyana, the Honourable Brigadier (Retired) Mark Anthony Phillips, he emphasised the growing importance of ICT whilst also highlighting the growing inequality and widening digital divide:
“…no country, no region, no town, no village, no community, and no person should be left unconnected; for we cannot begin to speak of Digital Evolution without addressing the manifest injustice and inequality of the underlying digital divide.”
(Source: CANTO)
The Honourable Prime Minister thus sought to rally the Caribbean telcos and service providers to become more invested in the region by “prioritising long-term returns emanating from sustainable, resilient economies…rather than cashing in on short-term windfalls” (Source: CANTO). He also sought to encourage telecom operators, regulators and content providers to do more to foster responsible internet usage, cognisant of the balance that is needed between freedom of speech, and the damage misinformation and disinformation can cause.
Without a doubt, the concerns expressed by the Honourable Prime Minister of Guyana are likely to be echoed by other Caribbean leaders. However, it could be argued that the proposed remedies are inherently flawed, as they overlook a crucial factor: the role of the Government to bring what is envisaged to reality.
Government’s role does not stop at liberalisation
In his address, Prime Minister Phillips highlighted the fact that the Government of Guyana has done its part “to ensure an environment conducive to investment with the liberalisation of the telecoms sector in October 2020” (Source: CANTO). In the case of Guyana, as occurred in virtually all Caribbean countries that have liberalised their telecoms sector and introduced (or strengthened) their regulatory framework, it was a highly protracted process over several years. New legislation was needed and there would have been extensive negotiations with the incumbent operator (with several delays), and eventually, a phased approach to the liberalisation process.
However, with our relatively small markets, securing investment – even from existing players – can be a challenge, as there is likely to be a limited return on investment. As a result, the introduction of new technologies, the upgrade of existing ones, or their comprehensive deployment country-wide, for example, may not be readily executed as they are not considered financially viable.
Depending on the policy and regulatory framework that has been established, provisions may exist for example to support infrastructure expansion to uneconomical areas of a country, or to support the introduction of new technologies. An example of this would be the framework to realise Universal Access/Universal Service, but its success would be largely dependent on how the framework has been designed, and the resources available for its execution.
However, noting that the liberalisation of a telecoms sector is a significant achievement, it ought to be appreciated that the framework needed to realise that milestone may not be adequate to move a country along the now desired (and new!) trajectory. Hence again, Government needs to take the lead.
It all starts with policy, and so starts with Government
A key observation that has been made over the past several years is that although Caribbean policymakers have been advocating for various ICT-related initiatives to occur in their home countries, no policies to properly frame the vision and propose strategies have been absent. However, having a policy is beginning, as it provides clarity on the desires and direction of the leadership, which should be informed by stakeholder engagement. In turn, the final and adopted policy should provide a coherent framework that all stakeholders can follow and can align their plans, whilst also offering a sense of stability regarding the future direction of the country.
Many of the ICT policies that have been prepared by Caribbean countries are at least 10 years old, countries would benefit from executing a completely new national ICT policy development exercise. Also, and noting the speed at which technology has been evolving, scheduled reviews to update the policy and accompanying strategy to ensure its continued relevance, ought to be built into the development process.
Developing the enabling environment
Following the adoption of a new national ICT policy and strategy, implementation is crucial, so the requisite governance and accountability systems ought to be put in place. A multistakeholder approach is recommended for the oversight provided comprising representatives of the private and public sectors, along with civil society and special interest groups.
It is also highlighted that similar to the telecoms liberalisation effort, the government will be crucial in creating the enabling environment for the new vision to be achieved. Typically, new laws, additional policies and frameworks would need to be developed, along with incentives for private sector entities and the public at large. This is no mean feat, but there is a greater likelihood that the vision of greater equality and inclusion, the narrowing of the digital divide, and a broad range of opportunities thanks to technology, will be realised if Government takes the lead, and not just try to rely on the private sector to get it done.
Image credit: inesheidtmann (Pixabay)
