Digicel today said it welcomes the move by the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) to establish a Caribbean ICT Collaboration Committee (CICC) responsible for shaping and aligning the strategic ICT agenda for the Caribbean.
With representation from a combination of senior members spanning regulatory, Government and the technology industry (operators), the composition of the Committee will be determined at its second Collaboration Forum on the 5th to 6thDecember 2016 at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
A range of industry issues are tabled for discussion at the Forum with a view of developing a detailed report with recommendations to regional Governments on topics including the treatment of VoIP and OTT providers, Net Neutrality, number portability, and the examination of roaming charges within the region.
Specifically, in terms of net neutrality, Digicel is in favour of a commercially open internet which serves the interests of customers and which gives network operators the confidence to be able to make significant investments in the roll out broadband for everyone.
“With the ongoing ICT revolution, combined with the forces of globalization, there is no doubt that a collective approach is needed for advancing ICT-enabled development in the Caribbean – a longstanding and key area of focus for Digicel,” commented Kieran Meskell, Group Head of Regulatory Affairs for Digicel, Caribbean and Central America.
Meskell continued, “We commend the responsible and efficient manner in which the CTU has moved to execute this all-important recommendation for a Committee and we will look forward to working with all stakeholders to develop and shape the vision of ICT with a goal of positioning the Caribbean strongly in the global knowledge economy.”
