Secretary general of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), Bernadette Lewis says the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector in the region could benefit from increased competition.
Lewis said that while the sector had made important advances over the past decade and had been “liberalized” to an extent, there was still a lot of work to be done in order to better develop it.
“We have liberalized the sector in the majority of the Caribbean countries. However, based on the level of investment we are seeing in information and telecommunication technologies, I am not satisfied that we are really leveraging the technology in a way that really fosters development.
“That is why the regulatory framework has to be one that encourages investment and new players coming in without being challenged with artificial obstacles being put in their way to hinder the establishment of business,” Lewis told BARBADOS BUSINESS AUTHORITY.
“It is not just a case of putting equipment, there are a whole lot of attendant activities that must accompany the deployment of the infrastructure and I don’t think sufficient attention is being paid these things. I don’t think a duopoly is a true competition. That is not much different from a monopoly,” the CTU boss said.
According to Lewis: “The prices will come down, but at some point . . . it is not true robust competition; that is necessary if you are really going to drive the prices down,” she said.
Based on a recent survey which was conducted by the CTU, over an 18-month period, evidence showed that while the region was making investment in the sector “we are not seeing the returns”, Lewis revealed.
She noted too that schools should be offering technology courses that would “encourage a certain inquisitiveness and innovation”.
“Unfortunately, the Caribbean is a region of consumers. We do not create technology and we have to move from the point of just being consumers to actually creating and really maximizing use of the technology. Technology demands a different type of thinking. You cannot just do the things you have been doing for the past 50 years,” said Lewis.
The CTU official said: “I don’t think we are moving fast enough. The other regions of the world are moving ahead in leaps and bounds. And when you look at it . . . it looks as if we are standing still.”
She added: “Jamaica was among the very first countries to liberalize their sector and I think they have something that is akin to a more robust competitive environment. And even so, we are seeing some amount of consolidation in the markets.
“I think Barbados is making some very bold strides. I look at the whole issue of WiFi coverage.
“I think that is very progressive, that is the kind of thinking that we need to see in the market but at the same time I would like to see more innovative and creative ways of spurring more competition,” she said.
