In our last instalment of the year in our series, The Internet we should want in 2024 and beyond, we are joined by Rodney Taylor, the Secretary-General (SG) of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU).  In a candid conversation, the SG provides a regional perspective on the role the internet should be playing in the Caribbean region. He also shares his thoughts on, among other things: could the CARICOM Single ICT Space become irrelevant even before it is fully realised; the region’s digital economy; the impact, if any, the Internet of Things could have in the region; and what we, as a region, should want regarding privacy and data protection.

 

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music!!

To some degree, it is likely that most of us have a bit of a love-hate relationship with the internet. Though we readily acknowledge its benefits and impact on our lives and livelihoods and perhaps would not wish to be without it, at the same time, we may also be prepared to admit that it has also brought with it certain complexities that, before, we did not have to consider.

However, with how busy our lives are these days, we may not even have the mental space to ponder these things. Nevertheless, there is perhaps an even greater need for us to be strategic in our internet use, and there might be an even greater obligation for those in leadership positions, as the frameworks and systems established affect not only their organisations but also their customers and the society at large.

So, what should you want from the internet in 2024 and beyond? That is a question only you can answer, but it is strongly recommended that you consider it and be intentional in your choices.

 

Introducing our guests

Secretary-General Rodney Taylor

Rodney Taylor is the Secretary-General of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU). Prior to that appointment, he was the Chief Digital Technology Officer of the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Smart Technology (MIST), in Barbados, where he was the technical lead on Barbados’ digital transformation, to improve public sector service delivery through strategic use of innovation, science and SMART technology.

Mr. Taylor has over 20 years of professional experience, which includes managing the Information Systems Unit in Barbados’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and its overseas missions. He also previously served as the Business Development and Operations Manager of the CTU, where he worked with regional governments in the development of policies to govern ICT and represented the region in many international ICT conferences. He also led the work to operationalise the CTU’s Caribbean Centre of Excellence, to offer consultancy services to the Member States and others.

Mr Taylor has been an advisor on Internet Governance and has published research on e-commerce diffusion in small island developing states in the Journal of Information Systems for Developing Countries. He is an Ethical Hacker and a founding member and former Chairman of the Barbados Chapter of the Internet Society, a global organisation that aims to promote the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of all people throughout the world.

 

Insights into our conversation

One of the main reasons why the Secretary-General of the CTU was invited to wrap the final episode of the year on “The Internet we should want” series is that he would be able to share a regional perspective on the issue. He did not disappoint. Moreover, the SG was quite candid about many of our shortcomings, especially regarding the structures that still need to be established or upgraded to allow all Caribbean users to leverage the internet and for our societies to fully realise the efficiencies and other benefits when the more comprehensive internet integration occurs.

Below are key questions posed to the SG during our conversation.

  1. How has the landscape of the internet evolved over the past 5—10 years? And what are your thoughts on the current state of internet penetration and use in the Caribbean region, and how it compares to previous years?
  2. The CTU is an important contributor to shaping the CARICOM Single ICT Space (SICTS). How important will the SICTS be in the foreseeable future? Or could it become irrelevant even before it is fully realised?
  3. What do you think of the region’s digital economy? And how could Caribbean countries leverage the internet more to further develop their digital economies?
  4. What impact, if any, might the Internet of Things have here in the region?
  5. Privacy and data protection have been growing in importance globally over the past decade. What should we as a region want with respect to privacy and data protection?
  6. What role has social media been playing in the Caribbean? And what role should social media be playing in the region?
  7. How should we be moving towards the internet we say we want? How do we get to the internet we want?

 

We would love to hear your thoughts!

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!

 

Select links

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

 

 

Images credit:  CTU;  rawpixel.com (Freepik);  yogiermansyah22 (Freepik); rawpixel.com (Freepik);

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

Podcast editing support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez