~ At opening of CANTO's AGM ~
MAHO--The region must connect its strengths and not employ "cut-throat strategies" of "survival of the fittest" to move the region forward technologically.
This is was one of the messages TelEm Group Shareholder Representative Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams sent to participants of the 28th Caribbean Association of National Telecommunication Organisations (CANTO) Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Sunday.
The three day AGM, which attracted CANTO members from across the region, opened yesterday at the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort and Casio under the theme: Accelerating the Broadband Experience in the Caribbean, transforming the way we live. This was the first year the AGM is paired with a mini-expo.
Wescot-Williams said some of the best and brightest in the field of technology are scattered over the region and, "we should strive to harness this strength, so that we too can become serious contenders in the area of Information Communication Technology.
"In this respect, our size is an advantage, because our numbers are manageable. Yet, at the same time, small numbers make us vulnerable, because of the lack of volume to influence cost and market decisions. But the negative impact of economies of scale will be even greater if we do not, as a region, manage to connect our strengths into one powerful region, rather than employ the cut-throat strategy of survival of the fittest," she said.
Wescot-Williams said while she concede that sharing best practices in the field of technology can only go so far and no further because one can quickly cross the line of competitive business advantage, there is strength in numbers.
"The very existence and growth of an organisation like CANTO has proven this fact. The Caribbean customer for telecommunication services is very sophisticated, very temperamental. But surely, no one ignores or forgets good service; service that recognises the individual's needs.
"Caribbean telecommunication has been transformed from the big, thick-skinned, slowly moving elephant to a massive litter of fast moving, dashing, gnawing, sometimes frenzied mice. Imagine we can get some structure in that maze of energy.
"...Bandwidth is what it is all about today; speed, countless frequencies and capacity. How easy is it to become accustomed to speed and comfort in communicating with one another. Business or personal, we can hardly imagine how we survived without these before.
"Besides the speed and comfort, however, for many the possibility of bandwidth by means of broadband technology offers new economic possibilities in a world where business and labour are under immense pressure."
In our region, she said, where approximately 40 million consumers are scattered across the sea, connectivity is a way of life. "It is a small wonder, considering the role that the internet has played in the political upheavals we have seen across the globe, that the debate is raging whether internet access is to be considered a human right.
"Some countries have established this as a fact, such as the French Courts while the UN has it under debate. Others argue it should be labelled a civic right, requiring of governments that this right be enshrined in legislation.
"There is, however, one undeniable fact and that is that the broadband experience has changed the way we live, the way we do business, the way we move, the way we communicate, and the way we learn and teach. It has changed the way governments and their constituents act and interact. The wider spread this experience (the broadband experience) is, the more impactful this is on entire communities and individual lives."
Wescot-Williams continued, "In fact, to add substance to the debate about human or civil rights, the question would be in my opinion, how this development of broadband access influences the human development index of countries like ours, and in particular the education and knowledge indices.
"When we place the broadband experience in this context, then clearly countries would have to assess their individual digital divide to promote through all means possible, affordable access to broadband by their citizens, and to promote education and information regarding the use of this technology. National telecoms have a role to play where this is concerned. Remember that it is not only about the bottom line.
"This is where, connecting the Caribbean can be a helpful tool in bridging the digital divides and promoting broadband access to the maximum of Caribbean citizens possible, in the most effective way possible, utilising the infrastructure and investments in increased bandwidth that this region can currently boast of. St. Maarten is one such a hub for technological expansions in the region."
She urged participants as they meet during their AGM to "face the challenges head-on, identify the opportunities clearly, combine your strengths and surely you will eliminate many of your weaknesses."
Alluding to the AGM theme as "excellent" TelEm Group's Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and CANTO board member Helma Etnel underscored the importance of broadband to the lives of people. She said St. Maarten has led the way in the region in the area of telecommunications.
The opening ceremony featured several cultural performances. A number of the 'Living Statues' were also on hand much to the delight of guests who watched them in awe. The AGM, hosted by the TelEm Group, will include the presentation of CANTO's annual report for 2011, review of the framework of broadband initiative, elections for board member positions, face-to-face meetings of CANTO's five working committees and CANTO/IDB broadband projects.
Also speaking at the opening ceremony were CANTO Operations Manager Teresa Wankin and CANTO Chairman Dirk Currie. The opening ceremony was preceded by a press conference in which CANTO representatives gave an insight into what is expected over the next two days of the AGM. Speaking at that press conference were Wankin, CANTO Vice Chairman Karen Bevans, Etnel and Currie.
Annuities Darren Bent Employment law Middle East Extradition Gabriel Agbonlahor
No comments:
Post a Comment