We are relaunching our Know Your Neighbour series, in which we explore the state of the telecoms and ICT development in Caribbean countries. We kick off this 2025 update with Saint Kitts and Nevis, officially the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis. With our guest, Rodney Browne, of eCaribbean Limited, we discuss, among other things, the current state of telecoms and broadband internet, including quality of service and affordability; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the country’s ICT sector; the country’s receptiveness to digital currencies/ cryptocurrencies and AI; and ICT/tech-related opportunities he sees in Saint Kitts and Nevis.

 

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

Without a doubt, the ICT sector of Caribbean countries is evolving, but the speed at which changes occur depends on the country and their own, unique circumstances. It can thus be difficult to truly understand the state of ICT development in any one country, as there are numerous moving parts, and the comprehensive integration of a particular ICT-related benefit may be uneven across the society. However, being able to monitor the changes will allow us to not only know where we are falling short but also to celebrate the small victories.

It has been about five years since we dedicated an entire episode to exploring the state of ICT development in a single Caribbean country. Known as the “Know Your Neighbour” series, we sought to learn more about the telecoms and ICT space in our sister countries, including the take-up and use of telecoms and internet services, the tech entrepreneurship/start-up environment, as well as perceived challenges and opportunities. Moreover, since 2019, the world and the global tech space have changed considerably, so it seems opportune to relaunch our Know Your Neighbour series to see how telecoms and ICT sectors in Caribbean countries have evolved.

 

Rodney Browne

Introducing our guest

Rodney Browne has over 20 years of experience in the digital and web media industries. He created a number of ground-breaking applications between 1999 and 2005, including Caribbean Greetings, the first comprehensive online greeting card service for the Caribbean, Caribbean Buffet, a restaurant and events directory, and Caribbean Massive, a social media website with such features as a forum, blog, friends list, group, photo management and much more.

Currently, Rodney is the Founder and the Managing Director of eCaribbean Limited, which is based in Saint Kitts and Nevis, and is one of the largest web firms in the Eastern Caribbean and was launched in 2005. He is passionate about entrepreneurship, innovation, education and art, and has contributed his time and resources towards the advancement of these areas nationally and regionally.

 

Insights into our conversation

In our 2019 examination of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Ervin Williams, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission. As the regulator, Ervin would have shared a more technical perspective than Rodney, who, though an experienced IT specialist, is primarily a user and not someone directly involved in the delivery of telecoms and ICT services in Saint Kitts and Nevis.

To that end, this update could be considered a more ‘layman’ view on the state of telecoms and ICT in the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis and what is being experienced on the ground. Rodney also shares some interesting thoughts on the use of ICT in the workplace, and the entrepreneurship and tech business environment in Saint Kitts and Nevis and some of the opportunities that could be leveraged to take the country to the next level.

  1. Can you give us a quick overview of Saint Kitts and Nevis?
  2. Regarding telecoms and ICT, how developed is it in Saint Kitts and Nevis? How robust is the competition in the market? How accessible are those services?
  3. Are telecommunications and ICT services affordable in Saint Kitts and Nevis? How is the quality of broadband service?
  4. Although it was a few years ago, what was the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Saint Kitts and Nevis and its ICT sector?
  5. Has Saint Kitts and Nevis’s longer-term vision for ICT evolved over the past few years?
  6. How receptive has Saint Kitts and Nevis been to digital currencies or cryptocurrencies?
  7. How receptive has Saint Kitts and Nevis been to artificial intelligence?
  8. What is it like being an entrepreneur in Saint Kitts and Nevis? What do you think about the country’s start-up environment/ start-up culture?
  9. What do you believe are the strengths and some of the challenges of the ICT/tech space in Saint Kitts and Nevis?
  10. What are some of the ICT/tech-related opportunities that you see in Saint Kitts and Nevis?

 

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 were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise might be useful

 

 

Images credit: R Browne;  Wikipedia;  Wikimedia Commons;  Wikipedia;  Prayitno (flickr)

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

Podcast editing support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez