The Caribbean nations of Saint Lucia, Grenada and Saint Vincent & the Grenadines are being catapulted to the very forefront of the knowledge economy with the news of a 15-year landmark agreement with ICT managed services provider, Digicel.
Unprecedented in terms of scope and scale across the region, the Caribbean Regional Communications Infrastructure Programme (CARCIP) is a ground breaking project initiated by the World Bank and co-ordinated by the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU).
Working with technology partners, Cisco and Fortinet, the 15-year agreement sees Digicel delivering a future proofed fibre optic network infrastructure, with every Government building benefiting from high speed fibre connections and making 21st century Government initiatives like Smart Cities, Safe Cities, Connected Health and Advanced Learning a reality.
Designed to enhance ICT services among Government institutions, enable small and medium enterprises to accelerate their growth and develop the skill sets of ICT professionals, the programme’s overarching goal is to encourage key stakeholders like citizens, Government agencies, the private sector, regulators and policy makers to embrace ICT, thereby improving and driving economic development.
In addition to the enormous technology benefits, the project will also result in significantly reduced costs and improved productivity with Digicel committed to ensuring service delivery excellence over the 15-year term.
Commenting on the ground breaking partnership agreement, Digicel Group CEO, Alexander Matuschka, said; “This is a great example of future thinking. By delivering a world-class digital highway, the Governments of Saint Lucia, Grenada and Saint Vincent & the Grenadines have set the gold standard for establishing a leadership position in the global digital economy.”
He continues; “The collective vision of these leaders of a digitally-driven society has the capacity to create untold opportunities for the people of these countries. We could not be prouder to have been selected to deliver this transformational project and to be helping to drive economic growth and development for Governments, businesses and private citizens.”
