ICT Pulse Podcast

The Caribbean Single ICT Space is an ambitious undertaking that will transform the region's ICT space as we know it. However, as important as that project is, most people have no idea what it is about, or what to expect. To help us get in the know, Jennifer Britton, of the CARICOM Secretariat, explains what the Single ICT Space is all about, shares with us a few of the upcoming milestones, and why it is crucial for the countries of the region to also transition to a digital economy.

Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be found at ICT Pulse

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The development of global telecoms and ICT policy and standards is the remit of several organisations, but the most important – the one that tends to have the greatest impact – is the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). However, it is somewhat surprising that even among those who pride themselves on being versed in the tech field, many are not familiar with the ITU, nor the work it has done in the Caribbean region. In speaking with Cleveland Thomas, the ITU Area Representative for the Caribbean, he gives some insight into the ITU's focus globally, plus the organisation's efforts and priorities in the Caribbean region.

Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be found on ICT Pulse

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In this our latest Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Ayanna Samuels, and Gerard Best, the panel discusses: gender equity in STEM and in the ICT sector in the Caribbean; community networks, and whether they can benefit the region; and whether the Caribbean is as ready as it says it is for innovation.

Useful links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be found at http://bit.ly/2MgGrED

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Starting a business, regardless of the field, is not for the faint of heart. It requires grit, stick-to-itiveness – to not give up when the going gets tough. Jamaican tech entrepreneur, Larren Peart, of Blue Dot Data Intelligence, has been able to build a cutting edge business – bringing first-world technologies and solutions to Caribbean businesses. In our conversation with Larren, he pulls back the veil on what it takes not only to start, but also to grow, a business.

Useful links to things mentioned during the episode can be found at http://bit.ly/2M5sYyJ

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Outside of Government, the use of country code top level domains (ccTLDs), such as .ag; .lc, .jm and .tt, are not popular in the Caribbean. Further many Caribbean countries do not directly manage their own ccTLDs, and so may not fully appreciate the value of that resource. One of the exceptions is Trinidad and Tobago. In this episode, we talk to Professor Patrick Hosein, of the Trinidad and Tobago Network Information Centre (TTNIC), on managing the .tt domain extension, and how TTNIC has been influencing how the Internet and Internet Governance continues to develop in Trinidad and Tobago.

Useful links to things mentioned during the episode can be found at http://bit.ly/2LQBUYB

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For many people, the career path they envisaged whilst still in high school or even university, no way resembles the journey they actually experienced. Such is the case with Peter Harrison, Chairman and President of the Palisadoes Foundation, who shares his own journey from Jamaica, to living and working in Silicon Valley at some of the biggest tech companies in the world; and how he is trying to help those coming up to have extraordinary career adventures of their own.

Useful links and show notes can be found at our website, ICT Pulse

With over 20 countries in the Caribbean region, it is crucial as developing countries and Small Island Developing States, which inherently are disadvantaged, that we ensure that our needs and concerns are considered in the global Internet conversations, and the decisions that ultimately are made. In our conversation with Kerrie-Ann Vassall-Richards, an Advisory Council Member of ARIN, we discuss that organisation, its role with respect to the Internet, and how the Caribbean region can participate more actively in Internet policy discussions.

Show notes can be found in the accompanying article

A dozen years ago, the tech entrepreneurship space in the Caribbean is not like it is now. At that time, techies were considered outliers – an exotic and raggedly bunch who were trying to make their pipe dreams come true.

In Jamaica, the long-sunning event Kingston BETA, organised by Ingrid Riley, created a safe space for techies to share ideas, learn and network. Fast forward to today, technology and innovation are being actively encouraged in schools and by policymakers, and may even be considered mainstream.

With Kingston BETA's final staging in June, after 11 years, we sit with Ingrid Riley to discuss her own journey, the legacy of Kingston BETA, and what might in the cards for the future.

Show notes for this episode can be found at ICT Pulse

The classification, Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which includes most Caribbean countries, has far-reaching implications with respect to not only the broad range of vulnerabilities such countries face, but also the extent to which they can be competitive. Tracy Hackshaw, a longstanding advocate for greater SIDS recognition, helps us better understand why it is so important to focus on SIDS, the impact on ICT, and what we can do to improve the situation SIDS face.

Show notes and useful links can be found on the ICT Pulse Podcast page

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E-commerce has become a crucial payment channel for both online and brick-and-mortar businesses, and its use is beginning to grow across the Caribbean region. More importantly, a critical element of the ecosystem that underpins an e-commerce facility is available in the Caribbean, in the form of CX Pay, an payment gateway provider located in Curaçao. In our conversation with Luis Santine, of CX Pay, we discuss, among other things: what might be limiting the roll-out and use of e-commerce by Caribbean businesses; what he thinks of PayPal, plus alternative online payment options that do not require credit cards which businesses could consider.

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