The rapid pace of innovation in information and communication technologies (ICT) is impacting every aspect of Caribbean life. There is a clarion call for the region to keep abreast with and understand the potential of these new and revolutionary technologies to overcome the challenges faced by the Caribbean and to drive meconomic growth.
It is imperative that Caribbean leaders consider the opportunities presented by the ICT revolution and adopt the technologies that can transform all sectors and promote social and economic development.
Against this backdrop, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, in collaboration with the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), will be hosting the ICT Week and Symposium at the Sandals Grande Resort and Spa from March 20-24, 2017. Ms. Bernadette Lewis, the Secretary General of the CTU noted that the theme for the Symposium is “ICT: Driving 21st Century Intelligent Services.” She explained the purpose of the Week’s activities as being “to raise awareness of the ICT revolution, the implications for policy, legislation and regulations and how they can be employed to transform existing operations; to foster social inclusion; provide ICT-based the challenges we face in the region and promote national and regional development.”
The week’s activities include a number of ICT events which include a Smart Caribbean Conference, 15th Caribbean Ministerial Strategic ICT Seminar, 3rd Caribbean Stakeholders Meeting: Cyber security and Cyber Crime and culminates with the Training Program on Mobile Money for Financial Inclusion.
At the Smart Caribbean Conference, Huawei, the platinum sponsor for ICT Week, will present how new ICT such as cloud computing, virtualization, Big Data, Geographic Information System (GIS), the Internet of Things (IoT), and the ecosystem Software Development Kit (eSDK) can be used to create comprehensive, end-to-end Smart Caribbean solutions. Solutions include the safe city, smart city operations centers, one-stop government services, smart transportation and applications for healthcare, education and tourism.
The 15th Caribbean Ministerial Strategic ICT Seminar will focus on the application of ICT in the financial services sector and will explore new modes of providing secure financial services for all citizens; the use of cryptocurrencies; cyber security and innovative ways of financing the region’s ICT development.
The Caribbean Stakeholders’ Meeting III: Cybersecurity and Cybercrime will facilitate discussions for establishing appropriate measures and resources for implementing the Caribbean Cyber Security and Cyber Crime Action Plan.
The Training Program on Mobile Money for Financial Inclusion, facilitated by GSMA, seeks to provide an in-depth look at mobile money services — how they work, the stakeholders involved and the regulatory enablers, as well as critical issues such as cross- network interoperability.
Interested persons can register here.
For more information, please visit the CTU Website.
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