For the past few years, most Caribbean countries have been sitting on the sidelines of conversations on 5G, as there were no immediate plans for it to be deployed. However, within the past year, Paradise Mobile has launched operations in Bermuda, with the Cayman Islands next in line, and more Caribbean countries to come. Zlatko Zahirovic, the Chief…

Natural disasters and other emergencies are not situations that can be completely avoided, but like insurance, it is good to have access to the requisite support in times of need. As we approach the 2024 North Atlantic hurricane season, we thought it opportune to reshare a conversation we had with Sylvester Cadette, of the International Telecommuni…

In the second instalment in our Expert insights series on cyber threats and security for 2024, and with Obika Gellineau, the Cyber Services Manager of KPMG in Trinidad and Tobago, he discusses, among other things: * the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) data leak; * AI-related security risks of which we should be aware; * th…

In this our March 2024 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Telecommunications/ICT Consultant, Lendon Telesford and Perro Perry Holloway, of the Barbados National Organisation of the Disabled (BARNOD Inc.), the panel discusses: * the digital inclusion of persons with disabilities (generally) and the inclusion of persons…

Ultra-personalisation was identified as a trend to watch in the early 2010s and it has become increasingly evident and integral in the delivery of a broad range of services, including online education. In our follow-up conversation with Ricardo Allen, the Founder and CEO of One on One Educational Services, he shares with us, among other things: * w…

Innovation. Virtually everyone hopes they are considered innovative, and organisations and our societies at large also want to be seen as being innovative, but there are several myths surrounding innovation that ought to be debunked. We revisit our 2019 interview with Lorenzo Hodges, of innovation strategy firm, Plain White Table, in which he discu…

A few years ago, blockchain technology was considered transformative – the best thing since sliced bread – but today, we have not been hearing much about it at all. With Cleve Mesidor of the Blockchain Foundation, we discuss: * the current state of blockchain technology, * how it can be leveraged in the Caribbean region, especially to improve the l…

In the first instalment in our Expert insights series on cyber threats and security for 2024, and once again with Sean Slattery of Caribbean Solutions Lab, he discusses, among other things: * the changes in the threat landscape that occurred in 2023; * the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the security space; * ethical considerations surrou…

In our February 2024 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Media and Business Strategist, Nerissa Golden, of Goldenmedia LLC, and ICT Consultant and head of PromoTIC in Haiti, Gregory Domond, the panel discusses: * Governments and their use of influencers and content marketing as part of their communications strategy; * …

How long could our countries feed themselves if they were cut off from the rest of the world and could only depend on the resources currently within their domain? It is a question more countries are grappling with when addressing matters related to food security and sustainable agriculture. In this podcast episode, we circle back to Bevon Chadel Ch…

Without a doubt, many conversations are being had globally on artificial intelligence (AI), and one of the most important occurred during the recently held Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland. Software Architect and Tech Entrepreneur, Joel Dean, who attended the meeting, joins us on this episode and shares with…

The robotics programme in Saint Kitts and Nevis has been growing from strength to strength since we last spoke to Dr. Ricardo Neil in late 2018 and even has expanded to other Caribbean countries. Now the Chairman and Founder of the Saint Kitts and Nevis Robotics Association, Professor Neil discusses, among other things: * how the Saint Kitts and Ne…

In our January 2024 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Esmeralda Levens of BearingPoint Caribbean in Curaçao, and Technology Architect and Digital Transformation Consultant, Garfield Gordon, of Jamaica, the panel discusses: * e-commerce in the Caribbean; * the resilience of our internet infrastructure; and * the Carib…

Is the internet we should want in 2024 different from the internet we wanted in 2014? The internet of 2014 has evolved considerably, but have our expectations of the internet and the ways we could be using it, kept up with the developments that have occurred? With Telecommunications/Internet Operations and Policy Strategist, Shernon Osepa, we discu…

Deep tech and impact innovation are not terms that are readily discussed in the Caribbean tech start-up space but are considered crucial and strategic if the region wants to level up and truly punch above its weight in tech innovation and entrepreneurship. Telly Valerie Onu, of Quintessence Consulting Inc., shares with us key insights on how Caribb…

In this our final Community Chat and final episode for 2023, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Yacine Khelladi of the Caribbean ICT Stakeholders Virtual Community (CIVIC), and Matthew Cowen, of dgtlfutures, the panel discusses the ICT/technology trends and developments that were evident across the Caribbean region in 2023, and what …

We are continuing our series on Fintech in the Caribbean region with Kanoo Pays, a “Non-Bank Electronic Retail Payment Institution” headquartered in The Bahamas. With Nicholas Rees, Chairman of Kanoo Pays, we discuss: * How Kanoo Pays has been able to distinguish itself from other digital wallets; * The current state of the fintech industry in The …

We continue our Tech in Africa series with a conversation with Pinaman Owusu-Banahane, the Founder and CEO of ADJOAA, a curated multi-brand online marketplace specialising in premium and sustainable fashion and lifestyle products made by African designers and Black-owned businesses. Pinaman shares her journey to establish a tech business in Ghana a…

Jamaica’s Data Protection Act will be coming into effect on 1 December 2023, but myths and misconceptions have persisted. With Grace Lindo, an attorney at law at Carter Lindo in Jamaica, we tackle some of the misconceptions along with exploring compliance in a variety of different scenarios. Among other things, Grace also discusses the potential im…

In our October 2023 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Dr Claire Craig, of Trinidad and Tobago and Director of Research of CaribNOG, and Jean Marie Altema of Haïti and profIT Development Consulting, the panel discusses: * ransomware attacks and the role of stakeholders; * the intersection of music and technology; and …

Although artificial intelligence (AI) has begun to transform the workplace, it has the potential to have an even greater impact on our societies by helping us address many of the development challenges that countries, such as those in the Caribbean region, need to address. Eldon Marks, of V75 Inc. and TrueSelph Inc. in Guyana, is back with us again…

Thanks to the growing prominence of Artificial intelligence (AI), .ai, the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Anguilla has experienced an exponential increase in the take-up of .ai domains. However, Caribbean countries have not been aggressive in increasing the take-up and use of their ccTLDs, though there are numerous opportunities to be ha…

As CARICOM Member States move closer to a Single Market and Economy (CSME), the role of the private sector will become increasingly important to manifest all the benefits anticipated from this massive regional transformation. With Dr Patrick Antoine, the Chief Executive Officer and Technical Director of the CARICOM Private Sector Organisation (CPSO…

In our October 2023 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Christelle Vaval, a lawyer in Haiti, and Steven Williams, of Data Privacy and Management Advisory Services in Barbados, the panel discusses: * Digital inequality in Caribbean tech entrepreneurship; * Trademarks protection in domain names; * Are we still underprepa…

Continuing with our recognition of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we have another instalment in our longstanding Expert Insight series on cyber threats and security, but with a twist! Joining us are Dr Keith Nurse, of the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts Trinidad and Tobago and Kristerbella Sookdeo, of Fortinet, to chat about cyberse…

Digital Transformation. An overused term that still seems to be misunderstood. With Christopher Reckord and Trevor Forrest, the authors of the new book “Successful Digital Transformation: Your World, Your Business, Your Life… Reimagined”, we discuss the key elements in a digital transformation process that must be addressed to guarantee success, al…

Worldwide, October is commemorated as Cyber Security Awareness Month. As part of our longstanding Expert Insight series on cyber threats and security, we get a truly regional perspective on the subject. With Dale Joseph, of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), we discuss, among other things: * wha…

For our September 2023 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Esmeralda Levens of BearingPoint Caribbean in Curaçao, and Andrew Olton of Cryptcore in Trinidad and Tobago, the panel discusses: * Why the future of finance is global; * Is the Caribbean region truly a home for digital nomads? and, * Is our love affair with AI…

Although slavery and colonialism may seem far removed from the 21st century and our current lives, there have been growing concerns about digital colonialism. With Ingrid Riley of Silicon Caribe and Matthew Cowen of dgtlfutures, we start a conversation on digital colonialism in which, among other things, we discuss: * what digital colonialism is an…

Digital resilience is a topic that has not been comprehensively explored generally, and more so in the Caribbean region, though it is relevant and should be actively developed in organisations and at home. With Natalie Maharaj, the Director of the ICT Services Division of the Ministry of Public Administration, Trinidad and Tobago, we discuss among …

Business intelligence (BI), like data analytics, does not seem to be as prominent these days as data science and Artificial Intelligence (AI). However, data analytics and BI are separate disciplines from data science and AI, with the former still being especially relevant when trying to improve organisational performance and success. With Raquel Se…

Without a doubt, technology has transformed the workplace, but it has also raised several issues that have not yet been satisfactorily resolved. Lois Walters, President of the Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica, discusses the impact of technology in the workplace, including: * the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; * remote and hybrid w…

In our August 2023 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Simone Pasmore, the Chief Executive Officer of Webstylze in Barbados, and Dr Lyndell St Ville, the Chief Technology Officer of Datashore in Saint Lucia, the panel discusses: * Technology-related bias; * AI for accessibility for the Differently Abled; * Worldcoin in…

With artificial intelligence (AI) capturing the minds and hearts of millions of users worldwide, chatbots have been getting little to no visibility these days. With Kern Elliott, of iGovTT in Trinidad and Tobago, we discuss chatbots and AI, and among other things: * which one is better; * some of the assumptions people tend to make about AI and cha…

With the growing importance and visibility that subjects such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity and data protection, have been receiving, Caribbean countries and the region are being challenged to adopt clear, and ideally harmonised, positions, so they can be heard in global Internet Governance conversations. With Nigel Cassimire of the Car…

With the successful enactment of the Nigeria Startup Act, Nigeria is positioning itself to be not only a hotbed of tech innovation but also the home of tech companies that have a global impact. In our conversation with Oswald Osaretin Guobadia, the Former Senior Special Assistant on Digital Transformation to the President of the Federal Republic of…

Privacy and data protection have been gaining traction globally, and even across the Caribbean region. Rishi Maharaj, the Founder and Managing Director of Privicy Advisory Services, joins us to discuss privacy and data protection, along with the emerging concept of ‘data ethics’. Our conversation explores, among other things: * the difference betwe…

In our July 2023 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Bianca Welds, Digital Innovation Manager of the VM Group in Jamaica, and Chad Fraser, the Founder of Sonover Inc. in Grenada, the panel discusses: * Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Models, how can the Caribbean business and education sectors extract value …

In the first episode of our new series, Tech in Africa, we discuss with the Secretaries General of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), John Omo, and of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), Rodney Taylor: * the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between their organisations with a view to strengthening the partnership between t…

Cyber insurance is no longer as alien as it had been just a few years ago, but the threat landscape is incredibly dynamic thus causing the cyber insurance industry to continually adjust and redefine its posture. Although we spoke with Max Pragnell, of Gallagher Insurance Brokers, just about a year ago, a lot has changed. In this conversation, he di…

Increasingly, there is a concern that Caribbean countries and their citizens are losing their grip on their cultural identity thanks to the overwhelming influx of digital media and content which we are now accessing from as early as toddler age. Multi-hyphenate global thought leader, Dr Kris Rampersad, discusses digital deletion and what Caribbean …

Rich in natural resources, the Co‑operative Republic of Guyana has been experiencing an economic boom in recent years, whilst also trying to ensure more equitable access to telecoms services, particularly to its citizens that live in its hinterland. Dela Britton, Chairperson of the Public Utilities Commission (Guyana) discusses, among other things:…

In our June 2023 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Communications Strategist, Liselle Yorke, and Tech Consultant, Amit Uttamchandani, the panel discusses: What does the new digital landscape mean for Caribbean fiction? e-Government, and the delivery of government services online in the Caribbean, and What will it tak…

Continuing with our Fintech in the Caribbean series, we explore the fintech space in the Dutch Caribbean, which comprises Aruba, Bonaire Curaçao and Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius and Saba, and are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. With Senior Financial Policy Advisor, Emilio Kalmera, and Founder and CEO of Girasol Payments Solutions, Marwan Ro…

The recently published ECLAC digital inclusion study has been getting some attention across the Caribbean region, as countries continue to grapple with how to narrow the widening digital divide. With ECLAC digital inclusion study Consultant, Kwesi Prescod and international Economist and ICT4D Consultant, Yacine Khelladi, the findings of the ECLAC s…

Although countries worldwide may be moving quickly to deploy 5G technology, the major Caribbean internet network carriers have indicated that they will not be doing so in the foreseeable future. Marc Kneppers and Sarah McNeill, of TTG in the Cayman Islands, discuss 5G and the company’s innovation grants programme, and answer questions such as: What…

In our May 2023 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Brittney Samuels and Janice Alexander, of UX Designer Network Jamaica, the panel discusses: What does it mean to become a digital society? The importance of local context when implementing technology in the Caribbean; and The digital customer experience problems in th…

When it comes to making payments online, the convenience and ease of use of digital transactions have made them increasingly popular, and even essential, in today’s environment. Continuing with our Fintech in the Caribbean series, Eldred F Garcia, of First Atlantic Commerce (FAC), gives us an excellent primer on credit card payments. He also outlin…

In the second instalment in our Expert insights series on cyber threats and security for 2023, and with a new guest, Edward Millington of CariSec Global, he discusses, among other things: what’s been happening in the cybersecurity space and the changes that have occurred in the threat landscape; how countries can better manage threats to their crit…

According to Grand View Research, the value of the global blockchain technology market was estimated at USD 10.02 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a staggering compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 87.7% between 2023 and 2030. Director of Regulatory Compliance of the FinTech Association of Trinidad and Tobago (FinTechTT), Alexander Gafoor…