To some degree, the CARICOM Single ICT Space has been gaining some traction, as it moves to accelerate the activities outlined in the vision and roadmap for this important regional initiative. In this episode, and with a guest co-host, Gerard Best, we are joined, once again, by Jennifer Britton, of the CARICOM Secretariat, to share with us the latest achievements and developments, along with key challenges and pain points that are slowing down the efforts to realise the Single ICT Space.

 

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

Early this year, there was an announcement by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) of the reduction in roaming rates in the Caribbean region. This much-welcomed announcement should reduce significantly – reportedly by as much as 80% – the eye-wateringly high post-travel mobile phone bill that had been a common experience when travelling between Caribbean countries. Although there had been frequent calls to address the high cost of roaming the region, it is in the process of being finally achieved thanks to the CARICOM Single ICT Space initiative, which is being led by the CARICOM Secretariat.

Although it is nearly 10 years since the CARICOM Single ICT Space initiative was conceptualised,  it is still relatively unknown across the region. The CARICOM Single ICT Space is considered the digital layer of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, which when achieved would further unify and strengthen the region. Hence, noting the huge impact the CARICOM Single ICT Space can have on Caribbean countries and the region as a whole, we have sought to circle back to this initiative regularly to discuss and highlight the progress that has been made to date.

 

Introducing our guests

Jennifer Britton (CARICOM Secretariat)

Jennifer Britton is Deputy Programme Manager – ICT for Development (ICT4D), at the CARICOM Secretariat, in Guyana, and has been with the organisation for over 20 years. At the Secretariat, her key focus areas include, ICT4D, the digital economy and the CARICOM Single ICT space; and the role of Deputy Programme Manager involves policy formulation, providing  technical assistance and project implementation oversight related;

Additionally, Jennifer is committed to amplifying ICT as a powerful catalyst for political, economic and social empowerment, generally, and particularly of women. She is one of the Co-Founders of the Caribbean Women in ICT (CWIC), at the Caribbean Association of National Telecommunication Organisations (CANTO).

Gerard Best

 

Gerard Best is the Executive Director of Gerard Best and Associates Limited and our guest co-host in this episode. He is also a Caribbean-based Development Journalist with a special interest in how the Internet is changing Caribbean society. He blogs at SightLine, an industry blog covering infrastructure resilience, network peering and interconnection, local content opportunities, marketplace regulation, Internet governance, cybersecurity, and Internet organisation meetings, all from a Caribbean perspective.

 

 

Insights into our conversation

On an almost yearly basis, we have been touching base with Jennifer on the CARICOM Single ICT Space, so that we all keep this important initiative top of mind. Jennifer was last on the Podcast in early 2021, and in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an even greater urgency to accelerate the work, which was reflected in that interview.

In this conversation, and although much progress has been made, there is still a sense that we have just scratched the surface. There is still a lot of work to be done, but too few hands, and so the need for the CARICOM Secretariat to engage stakeholders and regional experts and specialists more than they have done before, in order to benefit from their expertise and participation.

An important extra-regional development was also discussed: the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment initiative. There is a need for even greater cohesion and collaboration across the Caribbean region so that we are in a better position to leverage the opportunities arising from closer ties with the African Continent.

Finally, our guest co-host, Gerard, approached the discussion from a man-on-the-street perspective: someone who is not very familiar with the CARICOM Single ICT Space, and so this conversation also offers a unique primer on the initiative that quickly brings you up to speed on some important developments and why they are important.

Below are a few of the questions posed in our conversation with Jennifer.

  1. What has been happening with respect to the CARICOM Single ICT Space initiative since we last spoke in early 2021?
  2. How did we get to this point, and what is the Single ICT Space supposed to do for the region?
  3. There was an announcement earlier this year that by mid-year, roaming rates would be significantly reduced, however, at the time of recording, around mid-September, it does not appear that the reductions have occurred. What is the latest?
  4. During our last conversation, you also mentioned that six working groups had been established to focus and accelerate work in key areas. What progress has been made in the working groups?
  5. What is the Living Dashboard and why is it important to Caribbean citizens?
  6. What has been the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the digital transformation of Caribbean governments?
  7. What do you think about the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment initiative within the context of CSME and the Single ICT Space?
  8. And finally, once again, are there any imminent milestones of which we should be aware?

 

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.

Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.

Let’s make it happen!

 

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

 

 

Images credit: J Britton; G Best; CARICOM; Gerd Altmann (Pixabay); Conny Schneider (Unsplash)

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell

Podcast editing support:  Mayra Bonilla Lopez