TELEINFO by Antigua Barbuda

Volume 1, Issue 1 September

October

2007

WELCOME TO THE FIRST EDITION OF TELEINFO

\." .

~ ~

11011 Or. I Ul11ol1d A Mnn,oor

Minister of lnf0n11alion. Broadcasting and Telecommunications

elcome to this the first issue of 0 u r " Telelnfo" newsletter. This bi-monthly publication is meant to educate the public about current and pertinent issues in Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) and will provide information on issues and trends In the Telecommunication sector both at home and abroad. Antigua and Barbuda, already

widely recognized as a leader in the use of ICTs, is successfully building and electronically wired digital society. The Government, in collaboration with technology and telecommunications providers has been making strident efforts to make the benefits of ICTs available to all. The Ministry of Information Broadcasting and Telecommunications is committed to being open and accountable to you and will actively pursue ways to keep you informed about our activities. This newsletter and our recently launched website www.telecom.gov.ag

are two ways in which we intend to make you aware of our activities. Further, on Wednesday, September 19th and Thursday, September 20th my Ministry, along with the Ministry of Education, will be hosting the 3rd Annual ICT Fest at the Multi-purpose Cultural and Exhibition Centre at Perry Bay. The theme of the Fest is ICT Solutions for Antigua and Barbuda ' s Development I therefore extend a personal invitation to you, the general public to come out in your numbers and participate in ICTFEST, 2007.

WELCOME TO THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS DIVISION

he Telecommunications Division is the technical arm of the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and Telecommunications.

The Division's main responsibility is regulating and monitoring the Telecommunications sector and, through its Telecommunications Officer and complementary staff, it administers the telecommunications laws of Antigua and Barbuda. The Division operates under the

Telecommunication Act of 1951. There has been two amendments to this Act, once in 1994 and more recently in 2003.

Tbe Vision of the Division is for every citizen of Antigua and Barbuda to have access to Information Communication Technology (ICT) services and the latest modern

communications technology at affordable prices. The Mission of the Division is to foster the development of a harmonized and liberalized Telecommunications and ICT sector and to promote the publici social interest in this regard. The Division's objectives are to: • Exponentially grow small and medium enterprises through active participation in

an e-enabled society.

• Make telecommunications a catalyst for economic growth and development in the national economy. The Division is headed by the Telecommunications Officer Me Clement T. SamueL It is located on the 4th floor of the State Insurance Business Complex on the comer of

Long and Thames Streets.

• Make Antigua and Barbuda a regional center of information excellence to support development of: -

E-commerce Internet Gaming Internet marketing Software development E-education

Mr. Clclll.:nt T. '\anJucI

Telecommun icalions Officer

Telecommunications Division

State Insurance Building. Long & Thames Street, S1. John's, Antigua . Tel : 562 5827

E-mail : teleinfo@telecom .gov.ag Website : www.telecom .gov.ag

Volume 1, Issue 1 September

October

2007

WELCOME TO THE FIRST EDITION OF TELEINFO

I I.,,, Dr I.:dl11l1nJ A 1\'an"~lr

Minister of ln fommlion, Broadc<lsling and reiecoml11un iCalions

elcome to this the first issue of 0 u r "T e lelnfo" newsletter. Th is bi-monthly publication is meant 10 educate the public aboul current and pertinent issues in Infor m ation and Co mm u nications Technologies (lCT) and will provide information on issues and t re nd s in the Telecommunication sector both at home and abroad. Antigua and Barbuda, already

widely recogn ized as a leader in the use of ICTs, is successfull y building and electronically wired digital society. The Government, in collaboration with technology and telecommunications providers has been making strident efforts to make the benefits of lCTs available to all. The Ministry of Information B roadcasting and Telecommunications is committed to being open and accountable to you and will actively pursue ways to keep you informed about our activities. This newsletter and our recently launched website www.telecom.gov .ag

are two ways in which we intend to make you aware of our activities. Further, on Wednesday, September 19th an d Thursday, September 20th my M inistry, along with the Ministry of Education, will be hosting the 3rd Annual ICT Fest at the MUlti-purpose Cul tura l and Exh ibition Centre at Perry Bay. The theme of the Fest is JCT Solutions for Antigua and B arbu d a 's Development

therefore extend a personal invitation to you, the general public to come out in your numbers and participate in rCTFEST, 2007.

WELCOME TO THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS DIVISION

he Te lecommuni cations Division is the technical arm of the Mi n istry o f Inform ation, Broadcasting and Telecommunications.

The Division's main responsibility is regulatin g and mon itori ng th e Telecommunicati ons sector and through its Te le com mu nications Officer and complementary staff, it admlnlsters the telecommunications laws of Antigua and Barbuda. The Division operates under the Telecommunication Act of 1951 . There has been two amendments to this Act, once in 1994 and more recently in 2003. The Vision of the Division is for every citizen of Antigua and Barbuda to have access to Informa ti o n Communication Technology (ICT) services and the latest modern

conununications technology at affordable prices. The Mission of the Division is to foster the development of a harmonized and liberalized Tel ecommunications and ICT sector and to promote the publici social interest in this regard. The Division' s objectives are to: • Exponentially grow small and medium enterprises through active participation in an e-enabled society.

• Make tel e co mmunications a catalyst for economic growth and deve lopment in t he natio nal economy. The Division is headed by the Te lec ommun ications Officer Mr. Clement T. Samuel. It is located on the 4th floor of the State Insurance Business Complex on the comer of Long and Thames Streets.

• Make Antigua and Barbuda a regional center of information excellence to support development of: -

E-commerce Internet Gaming Internet marketing Software development E-education

r>.lr l ' h,,"~nl T. "alTlucI Tciccollullun icalions OlTlcer

Telecommunications Division

State Insurance Building. Long & Thames Street, St. John's, Antigua . Tel : 5625827

E-mail: teleinfo@telecom.gov.ag Website : www .telecom.gov.ag

HOT TOPICS

The Government's position on leT The current JCT strategy is designed to upg.rade the intellectua l capital of the Nation and to build an open and pluralistic society - one ill which all citizens and residents have access to information and knowledge. Innovations in ICTs have increased exponentially OUf capacity to connect with the global commun ity. In collaboration with Telecommunications Providers, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda pledges to make avaiJable to all Antiguans and Barbudans the benefits of the newteleCQmmunication and information technologies. It is up to the people of Antigua and Barbuda to harness the potential of th ese tecJmologies in their everyday lives. In cooperation with the Private Sector, the Mini s try of I nf orm a t ion, Broadcasting and Telecommunications pledges to bridge technologi cal differences and p ro m ote interconnectivity for all.

ICTFEST Time Again It i<; abollllhat time oryear again tor leI Fest. This year's launch took place on the 15th Augllsl at the Heritage Quay Hotel confere nce room. Modera tor of t he eve nt Te lecommun ic ati ons Officer Clement Samuel in hls openi ng remarks advised that ICT can be an economic enabler 10 the country. He stated that the theme of tile Fest this year is "ICT Solutions for Antigua and Barbuda 's Developmenl." Mrs. Anne Jonas, who is the Administrative Assistant to the Education Minister, Mr. Bertrand Joseph also spoke at the launch. She highlighted the success of last year's ICT Fest and her expectation is that this year' s event wili go beyond the excellence of last year's. She h opes that the 2007 Fest will be "euphoric". ICT Fest Consultant Salma Crump, a

The Government continues to positlOn Antigua and Barbuda to take full advantage of the explosion in wireless technologies. All citizens and residents alike will benefit from the societal impacts of lCTs. We are strongly committed to educating and empowering citizens to use ICTs. In Antigua a nd B arbuda , teleconmlUnications costs, including charges for access to cellular technology and high-speed Internet access, will continue to decrease, while affordability and accessibility to technology will both increase. The Government has resolved to do ali it can to lead the way to a truly open, incl usive and prospero us telecommun ications age.

newcomer to the fest ival's Organizing Comm ittee, said that she hopcs th at th is year, the Fest will have broader pwticipalion from the busi ness community and the publi c at large. In h is presentation, the Minister of Informati on, Broadcasting and Te lecomm un icati ons lIo n. Dr. Edmond Mansoor. announced that his Ministry, in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, will be embarking 0 11 a new initiative which will merge the Commun ity Access Centers programme with the EduMax Advantage programme to teach a number of courses at the Community Computer Access Centers which w路e strategically placed around the island. Cable & Wireless will assist with the launch ofthis new initiative. ICT Fest 2007 will be held fro m the 19th to the 20th September at the Multi-purpose Exhibition and Cultural Centre at Perry Bay, st. John's, Antigua.

VOIP and the current Law minutes by entities without a valid licence to operate in Antigua & Barbuda.

At a press conference held on July 12, 2007 the Telecommunications Officer Clement Samuel stated that the Telecommunication Division has noticed an increase in the usage of certain types of illegal services. He pointed out that some of these services includes VOlP, certain call back services and the landing of voice 3

Mr. Samuel pointed out that Antigua and Barbuda's Telecommunications laws strictly forbid the use of methods that bypass the national network to transact voice overseas calls. The law also clearly defl11es bypass as the use of any other telecommunications facilities or services for circumventing the APUA local exchange, and or the international gateway switch fot the making of caUs to a destination outside of Antigua and Barbuda. Mr. Samuel reminded the public of the penalties for persons convicted fo r engaging in bypass activity. Person may be liable to a fme of up to $50,000 or,

Continues on pg 7

100%

TELE FACTS

600%

500% 400 %, 300<:'/.":

200%

100%

The Intemet began in 1969 as a small though initia lly costly project backed by the United States GoveJ1lment. It was called the ARPANET because the agency that developed the system was called the Advanced Research Projects Age.ncy (ARPA). ARPANET began by connecting several computers at UC LA, Stanford and Utah universities.

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In the 1970's, rules fo r transmitti ng data over the Internet were devised. These rules are called Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TePIlP). In 1991 , Tim Burners Lee developed a technique for linking content on web pages. TIlese hvperlinks made it easy to use the world wide web and was instrumental for making the Internet the fastest adopted technology in human history. Tim Burners-Lee is often called the father of the world wide web.

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m I World Te/ecolflmllniL'lIlilJlJ IlId,calor.I' DllIUOOSi'

Hong Kong Diary (cont'd from pg 4) In the end I thought th is forum was a li fe c h a n g i ng experience. It gave me a broader picture of how the fl ow of lechnology plays a ~fliil1i vital role in the lives of young persons like myself

While the Internet remains a US-dominated network, annual growth is more than 50% in all regions of the world. The fo llowing charts show the recent growth of Internet users across the world.

Latin Amer Caribb ean, 9% \

Oceania

Au stralia

2% ,.Africa 3%

J,--L

It is important for us as young persons lo recognize that we are in an information and in f o rma tion • Improving the efficiency and age, technology has a major effect availability of telecommun ication services, on the pheno m e na o f their usefulness, and their globalization, which affects general availability to the almost every aspect of our lives.

public. Hong

Intemet Usage around the Wor1d 2007

World Regions ~frica

fA.sia Europe Middle East

Internet usage latest Data 33,545,600 436,758 ,162 321, 853,477 19,539,300

North America

232,655,287

latin Americanl Caribbean

109,961 ,609

Oceania/Australia WORLD TOTAL

KUlig. CitlllG

• Making telecommunication more affordable, so everyone can afford to have access. • Encouragi ng Government Ministers to becom e more innovative and encourage their people to be more involved i n telecommunicat ions by making inf o r mation technology mandatory in schools.

18,796,490 1, 173,109,925

There f ore, in forma tio-n technology must be taken seriously. Also, I would like to take this opportunity to encourage young persons to embrace technology. Using the computer as a source will help young persons to venture into avenues that will saturate their lives with positive activities that will in turn bring forth fruitful productivity .

MAKING leT POLICY

The new millennium has heralded ill the era of "global

1mplemcn(ation

- Bui lt on Best PraUlce anc! Ilarmoni7.ed Models

connectivity". As n~~\ ,1 before, the ability to create, share au

utilize k.11(lwledgc has become the driving force in shapmg the

fut ure "kno," ledge is the fl ew g lobCl I CUI rency" . A l l countr ies can improve social Clnd econom ic conditions by harness ing the power Of In formation and Comm unications Technologies (ICTs).

Financial Inuaslruc(ure - On-line bank ing - SecllIc e-payments

VOIP and the current Law (cont'd from pg 3)

Emerg ing Il a tions have the opport unity to catch up w ith " more developed nallons"

altematively, cou ld be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of up to two (2) years.

- even leapfrog them. The cost of no t

participati ng in the global inJormation society is great even as

A t the press conference, the Telecomm un ication s Officer opined that with the passage of the new Telecommunications Act, severa l of the now illegal bypass services w ill pro bably be allowed. He however pointed out that these services w ill be offered only by authorized and licensed entities w ithin A ntigua and Barbuda.

the gap between connected a nd disconnected societies continues to widen. What then do policy makers need to look at when formulati ug rCT policy? Here are a few suggestions: 1. ICT's in Homes and Communities - Community Access Centers / lntem et Cafes / Mobi le Information Un its

- A ctive Stud ent / Youth Participation

- 'fax and Fiscal incentives to stimulate ICT up-take

2. Learning and H R Development - School Connectivity - including libraries - ICT Teacher T raining and Curriculum Development - rCT Train ing fo r Adults - via Comm unity Access Centers 3. e-Government - As a catal yst for broad ICT adoption - A ll appropriate Govemmellt Information and Services onlin e

- Supported by P ublic Sector Modem izationlRefon n

When questioned about the timetable for the new T elecommunications A ct becoming effective, Mr. Samuel adv ised that this was a matter for the legislators to decide. He, however, pointed out that the existing laws were archaic and are in urgent need of upgrading.

4. leT-Driven Econom ic D evelopment - Development of an ICT Sector - l CT as a Tool for increased Trade and Operational Effi ciencies - Support for other Key Sectors e.g . Tourism, F isheries, Agr iculture 5. e-Health - Connectivi ty of all Health C are Institutions -- for better pat ient care - Manag e ment and Ac cess to e s sential H e alth Care lnfonnation

- Tele-Illedicine

6. Technical Infrastructure - Increased Competitiveness in the Telecommunications Sector - Ongoing Infrastruct ure Enhancements maximum & affordable band width - Integrated Fo undation for e-Govemment (B ackbone and Portal) 7. Legislation & Reg ulations - Full Re view of "e-Enabling Legislation" to facil itate

The Telecommunications Consultant

lIe has in excess of 20 years experience in the field of IllforJllatioll Cornnm nicatinns Technology.

Mr. Newman began his career in Ule United States of America working with one of the regional "baby" Bell companies. Upon his return to the Caribbean, he worked as a Management Consultant primarily Ddn.:o Newman

involved in the reengineering of Financial Telec<1nlnlllnrcations Consultant

Compan ies. He then became the first Mr. Dc lreo Newman is the regulator in Telecommunications in Ja maica Te lecommWlications COllsujtant. assisting with the development of the 11len

11cdgmg Office of Ut ili/lcs Regulation lle then moved into consultancy with rcglOMI Governmenls as an adv isor in botb pulicy and regul ation. Mr. Newman has been wilh the Telecommunications Division for the past two years where he provides advise and to the M i nistry on d i r e ction t e le com m u n icat i on m at t er s. Hi s qualifi cations include an advanced degree in Econometrics and post graduate work in Bebavior Choice.

Commonwealth Secretariat Consultant person of Mr. Roger de Peiza who is an expert in the area ofICT for Development (ICT4D).

Mr. de Peiza has extensive international ex perience in JCTs and has provided consultin g services for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Commonwealth Se cretariat and the Inter-American Development BanJe

Roger de PeiLa

ICT Consultant

The Commonwealth Secretariat is providing assistance to Antigua and Barbuda to develop its national ICT policy and strategic plan . This assistance comes through the

A native of T rinidad and Tobago, Mr. de Peiza headed his country ' s National E-Commerce Secretariat and had assisted in shaping T&T' s ICT policy and strategy. Prior to this his work extended to ICT and diplomacy wh ilst he was on an extended assignment in southern Africa. A certified Project Management Professional (PMP) since 2001 Mr. de Peiza was also a professor for several years in Information Technology M anagement and Project Management at Ryerson University in

Toronto, Canada . Mr. de Peiza's work wil l be informed by assessments of the state of e-readiness of the public sector, the busi ness comm un ity and households. The assessment of the public sector is ongoing and very shortly a business survey and a national household e-readiness survey will be conducted.

Mr. de Peiza notes that existing projects must be incorporated into the strategic plan as we move forvvard . However contributions from the national community to the formulation of the rCT policy will be welcomed. Members from Government, Business, NGO' s, CBO's., academ ia, the military and other member s of the public will be invited to participate in a round table proce ss to de velop an ICT policy that is tm ly national in scope.

The functions of the Telecommunications Division The main tasks of the Telecommunications Division include administering and executing the Govemment's telecommunications policies. Its daily regulatory functions include among other things: •

Managing, planning, allocating and assigning of frequencies in keeping with the International Telecommunications U nion, Radio Regulations and Government Policy;

•

Ensuring that the radio frequency spectrum is effectively mon itored and coordinated employing the utmost efficient frequency utilization in and for the economic interest and benefit of Antigua and Barbuda;

•

Preventing harmful interference to other users;

•

Administering a National Numbering Plan with procedures in p lace for the efficient and appropriate issuance and utilization of this resource;

•

Issuing and renewing of licenses upon validation of payment into the Inland Revenue department of the appropriate fees ; and

•

Protecting the rights of all telecommunications u sers and consumers.

DIGITAL SCENES FROM AROUND THE CARIBBEAN

Cruising down Faclory Ruad, 2007, .r';1 }n/m ',I , Allfigllu

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Pull 01 Spain. Trmidml

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Ruins. ,\!ol/fego Bay, Jamaica

Galley BU!'. Al1li~lm

Please email your original digitalimagesorartworkto teleinfo@telecom.gov.ag. We welcome your contributions.

leT SEPTEMBER EVENTS Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM): Assessment of the Telecommunications Sector in CARICOM - Appropriate Strategies for a Single Market. Sept. 10th - 13th lTU: Caribbean Region Seminar: Issues in Telecommunication Economics and Financing

Jolly Beach Resort, St. John' s, Antigua

Sept. 17th - 18th CANTO: Business Transformation / Change Management in a Competitive Environment

Jolly Beach Resort, St. John's, Antigua

Sept 19th - 20th

3rd Annual ICT Fest: ICT Solutions for Antigua and Barbuda' s Development

Multi-purpose Cultural and Exhibition Center, Perry Bay, St. JOMS, Antigua

Sept. 24th - 26th

5th Annual Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization Conference

Ritz Carlton Resort, Rose Hall, Montego Bay, Jamaica

Can you spot the differences? "I here are at least 5.

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Fest 2007

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to leT Fa'it 2007

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1 wireless fidelity

nitemative to copper wire

Apple's latest innovation

modulator-demodulator

this is an element on a network which holds information or applications to be accessed by users 12 telephone over the Internet 13 coffeR and the Internet 17 audio, video, animation, graphics andl text 22 any kind of commercial transaction carried out over electronic networks 23 Every computer needs this system to function 24 a broadb.md cell relay networking techno logy out you may also find one at your bank

27 plain old telephone system

28 where electronic means are u!'>ed to simulate (l

physical W[)y of doing things

4 6 8 11

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DOWN 2 they provide access to the Internet

3 transmission speeds in excess of 1,.."bps

5 term used to des(;ribe N(ltscape Navig<ltor or

Microsoft Internet Explorer

6 the internet but only in your office

7 a way of instantly sending letters overseas

9 it monitors data traffic and ca n prevent potential

security breaches

10 junk mail 13 the integration of computers, telephones, recordinq and broadcast technologies 14 International Telecommunication Union 16 The E:lJrOpean st;lndard for digital cellular phones 16 Nintendo game that gives a iot of exercise 17 Part of the electromagnetic spectrum between radio and light waves 18 SMEs are Small and Medium-sized 19 help yOll with your searches 20 n set of rules 21 used for managlOg highly (ltructured data 25 malicious software 26 binary digits

Telecommunications Division State Insurance Building. Long & Thames Street, st. John's, Antigua. Tel : 5625827

E-mail: teleinfo@telecom.gov.ag Website: www .telecom .gov.ag

SOME ICT COMPANIES IN ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA Telephone Services ANTIGUA PU BUC UTILITIES AUTH ORrTY PCS

LONG STREET

ST. JOHN'S

D1GICEL

FRIARS HI LL ROAD

ST. JOHN'S

CABLE & WIRELESS

CLARE HALL

ST. JOHN'S

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA BROADCASTING SERVICE

OLD PA RHAM ROAD

ST. JOHN'S

FAMI LY RADIO

NEWGATE STREET

ST. JOHN'S

VARIETY RADIO

onos

ST. JOHN'S

UNO BROADCASTING

LONG STREET

ST. JOHN'S

RlDDIM RADIO

ST. MARY'S STREET

ST JOHN'S

RED HOT RADIO

CARLISLE ESTATE

ST GEORGE'S

OBSERVER RADIO & HITZ FM

HIGH STREET

ST. JOHN'S

GRENVIlLE RADIO LTD (ZDK RADIO & SUN FM)

LOWER ALL SAINTS RD

ST. JOHN'S

DULCINO RADIO BARBUDA

LONG STREET

ST. JOHN'S

CARIBBEAN RADIO LIGHTHOUSE

BOLANS

ST MARY'S

CARIBBEAN RELAY COMPANY

GUNTHROPES

ST GEORGE'S

CRUSADER PUBLICATIONS & BROADCASTING

REDCLIFFE STREET

ST. JOHN'S

CATHOLIC DIOCESE RADIO

UPPPER CHURCH STREET

ST. JOHN'S

NICE RADIO

LIGHTFOOT

ST. PETERS

ABUNDANT LIFE

CODRINGTON

BARBUDA

JAIl. FM

UPPER FORT ROAD

ST. JOHN'S

Radio Stations

Computer Hardware/Software/Sales ANTIGUA COM PUTER TECHNOLOGY CO. LTD.

OLD PARHAM RD

ST. JOHN'S

COMNETT LTD

REDCLIFF QUAY

ST. JOHN'S

COMPUTER RESET

OLD PARHAM ROAD

ST. JOHN'S

CYBER CENTER

NEWGATE STREET

ST. JOHN'S

ILLUMI NAT

ST MARY'S STREET

ST. JOHN'S

INTERNET CONNECTIONS

HIGH STREET

ST. JOHN'S

NAPKA SYSTEMS

OLD PARHAM ROAD

ST. JOHN'S

PEGASUS TECHNOLOGY LIMITED

NORTH STREET

ST. JOHN'S

Int ernet Service Providers CABLE & WIRELESS (ANTIGUA) LTD.

CLARE HALL

ST. JOHN'S

THE IMAGE LOCKER

DOCKYARD

ST PAUL'S

ANTIGUA PUBUC UTILmES AUTHORITY

CASSADA GARDENS

ST GEORGE'S

OLD PARHAM RD

ST. JOHN'S

ANTIGUA COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY CO. LTD.

Television Stations CABLE NETWORK SERVICES (CTV)

HIGH STREET

ST. JOHN'S

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA BROADCASTING SERVICE

CROSS STREET

ST. JOHN'S

KARIB CABLE

CHURCH STREET

ST. JOHN'S

THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS DIVISION'S STAFF

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with the Telecommunications Division IDr the past seven (7) years and is the Assislanl Telecommunications O fricer.

He is tasked with assisting the Telecommunications O fficer in such matters as spectrum m anagement, iss u anc e of licenses and ad ministration of the Te leconununications O ffice.

William Henry

Assistant Telecommunications Mr. Henry is also our primary contact person for amateur Officer

radio operators. Mr. William Henry has worked Sandra Tucker

FieJdIR.e search Officer

contact person for the collection of country data for the International Te lecom m unicat io n Union (IT O). She assists with e足 readiness assessment and PC Help Desk support in the Telecommunication Office.

Ms. Tucker has been with Telecoms for one year. She is responsible fo r development and maintenance of database for the Telecommunications Division and the Community Access Centers. Sandra is also the haron Daniel -PeHew Public Relations Officer

She has 23 years experience in the lCT field, the majority of which was as a Switching! Translations Engineer on the NEAX61 and DMS 100/200 and 300 at the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company.

behind the publication of this newsletter.

Coral ie Joseph

Compliance & Accounts

Officer

Ms. Joseph is the Compliance and Accounti ng Offi cer res p on s i bi li t y for a d m ini st r ation o f Divisions accounts . Joseph's appointed to pos ition carne into effect January 1st, 2007.

with the th e Ms. the from

Her duties includes inventory control, distribution of stores. She is also the Division's receptionist. Khem Hughes

Te lecommunications

Engineer

Mr. Hughes came on board in January of 2007. His tasks include but is not limited to the monitoring

Avril Cox

Executive Secretary

She was formerly a news reporter at ABS Television and was a host of the interview segments before the News. She holds an associate degree in Media Studies.

Mrs . D aniel-Pe llew is the Di v is ion ' s PRO . Sh e is responsible for handling all public re1ations matters for the Division and is a driving force

Mrs. Daniel-Pellew j oined the Division in June of 2007. Before this she functioned as PRO at the IT Center. The staff of the Division takes th is opportunity to welcome her on board.

hcmJlita Joseph Executive Assistant

Ms . Jose ph is the Executi ve A ssistant to the Minister. She has been with us for the past three years.

and administration of the electromagnetic spectrum, the setting to technical standards, type approvals, investigation interference, assisting with the upkeep of the national numbering plan and canying out of annual inspection of broadcast stations. Mr. Hughes holds a Bachelors in Engineering (B.Eng) in Telecommuni足 cations. He pursued his studies in Pinae del Rio, Cuba at the Uni versidad de Pinar del Rio, Hermanos Saiz.

Telecomm un i cat io ns Officer. Ms. Cox also assists in the day to day operations of the Division. She provides overall ad min is t rative support.

Ms. Cox's tasks are to coor d i nate meetings, conferences and perform secretarial duties to the

Ms . Cox func tio n ed pr evi o usly as th e Administrative A ssistant to the Hon. Dr. E dmond A. M ans oor, Mini ster o f Information, Broadcasting and Telecommunications.

INSIGHTS ON THE leT REGIONAL TRAINING WORKSHOP

The Caribbean Regional Training wOIkshop was hdd at the .Io lly Beach Resort Antigua from the 2nd to 6 1h July, 2007.

financ ial software pac\"age. Pm1 icipants at rhe conference also d iscussed l e T, health issues sllch as HIV/A LDS and health related sofiware developed to reduce the stigma associated with the di sease in the Caribbeall and elsewhere.

This workshop was spon sored by the Commonwea lth Secretariat, Caribbean Insti tute of Media and Com munication (CAR IMAC) a nd N e t wo r k in g Sy s tems Solutions of Antigua. The pmticipants at the workshop included representatives from Guyana, Trinidad, Barbados, Dominica, Anguilla, Antigua, Belize, St. Vincent and The Grenadines, St. Lucia, Haiti, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, and Turks and Caicos. In the o p e ning session each representative had an opportunity to share infonnation on their country's experiences pertaining to ICT. Country presentations included information such as the number of telecommunication companies, the number of mobile users, and t he state of their tel ec o m mu n i c ation sector. This p r es e n t ed a n opportunity for participants to learn from what others are doing in the region.

Topics discussed at the conference could be categorized as follows: • Software development in the Caribbean • ICTs in Government - lessons learnt • lCT for Development - solutions such as ICT and HIY Antigu a a n d B arbuda, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Haiti made presentations on software development and other business products which have already been launched. Networking Systems Solutions (NSS) of Antigua and Barbuda is about the launch its Bill Payment system. NSS has a scheduled release date for the month of September, so look out for their announcement soon. One of the

innovative

Caribbean

In the next issue of this newsletter furthe r details of what took place at the ICT Re gional T r ai n ing workshop will be expanded upon.

Parllupmll.v "llhe ICT WorhlwI'

software applications that was highlighted was the downloadable steel pan and reggae ring tones and local computer wall papers.

REMINDER

Cable and Wireless used these extensively during the recently completed Cricket World Cup. This software was produced by ELLI MAC Ltd, a fInn operating in Trinidad and Tobago. These products can be viewed at this website: http://caribbean.wap.com. Polmae Thompson, a representative from Me Systems Limited, Jamaica, pointed out that each time we topped-up our cell phones, we were in fact utilizing the software that her company produces. Mr. Carl Darbouze, CEO Turbo Systems S.A., Haiti, discussed ICT and efficient management. He presented the software made by his company, which is being used by the Haitian government. His company's Integrated Financial Management Systems is a Public Accounting application that covers Revenues, Budget and Expenditure monitoring. Mr. Darbouze also discussed two other systems: the Turbo Business Management System (TBMS) and International Money and Goods Transfer Management System (IMTS). IMTS is a web-based application for companies wishing to send money and goods around the world. TBMS is a multi language integrated administrative and

Unauthorized use of Spectrum is Illegal The Telecommunications Division in the

Ministry of Information, Broadcasting &

Telecommunications wishes to remind the

public that under the Telecommunications

Act 1951 (CAP. 423) anyone who uses the

Radio Frequency must have the required

licence lauthorization from the

Telecommunications Division andlor the

Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda.

All illegal users may be subject to

fInes, jail term and seizure of equipment.

By Order

of the Telecommunications Officer

YOUTHS AND TECHNOLOGY

Antigua and Barbuda at the ITU World Youth Forum. Cheny-Ann Casimir was one of two young persons chosen to represent Antigua and Ba rb u d a at th e I nter n at io na l Telecommunications Union's (lTU) Ann ual World Youth Forum in I-long Kong. Loy Weste was the other person chosen to attend the event which was held in December of 2006 .

Photograph ofMiss. Casimir viewing an exhibitiun allhe ITU World Youth Forum

Cherry-Ann' s selection was based on an essay entitled "How to apply leT to improve living conditions for people around the world."

She spoke of her experience at the Youth fonHn as very rewarding. There were many lectW'es on how tec hno logy was being utilized in the 150 countries represented and how to bridge the dig ita l divide. An exhibition on advancem ents in technology was also a highlight of the Forum. Cherry-Ann, who likes to write, penned the following article after her stay in Hong Kong. It is based on what she leamed fl'om the different lecturers.

Hong Kong Diary Today, teohnology is seen as an essential tool in youth development. This was extremely evident to me after I attended an Intemational Te lecommunication Union's (lTU) Wor ld Y ou th Fo r um on Telecommunications held in Hong Kong.

gap not only within the rura l and urban areas but also am ong schools in Antigua and Barbuda. Therefore, it is important to instill technology in the lives of young persons from an early age. This will allow them to understand the pivotal role that technology plays in Antigua and Barbuda and its impact not only on their lives, b ut also on our country as a participant in global affairs. During, the forum there were interactive sessions where the youths expressed their views and brought up issues that were hindering the development of telecommunications in their country. Fortunately, Antigua and Barbuda was at an advantage when c-OOlpared with countries in Africa and India where persons would walk for miles, j ust to use a publ ic phone.

T he theme of the forum was "Bridging the Digital Di vide". This means that Lhere are countries that in1tr have fo il access to the benefits that telecomm unications has to offer: on the other hand there are countries with limited or no access to technology.

Some of the issues raised were:

These countries mentioned below, are said to be developing or u nderdeveloped (Africa, Brazil, Haiti and many more). The goals of the ITU are In enable the growth and susta inable uevelopment of telecommunications and information networks. They also hope to facil itate universal access so that people everywbere, espec ia Jly the youths, can participate and benefit from the global infonnat ion economy and society, thus advancing everyone's "right to communicate".

• Limited access to the services telecommunication companies

provided

• The high cost of technology • Lack of innovation from ministers

people and government

• Barriers that are hjndeJing investment within countries

There are many benefi ts of bridging the technologica l gap in our country. Learning about technology is the first step to creating new technology and updating the entire infrastructure of our country.

• And the views by the young persons being ignored by ministers of govern1l1ent. Solutions were given to help bridge the digital divide some of these included:

An education in Technology and Telecommunications can help young people gain fi rst ha nd know ledge o f basic skills. These skills could include creating websites. construct ing networks, creating applicat ions. understanding how computers communicate with each other and a host of other useful infonnation known by youths around the world.

• Starting JeT clubs especially in the rural areas of developing and underdeveloped countries • Providing technical Telecommun ications assistance to developing countries, and promoting the development of telecommunications for people everywhere

However, in order to fulfiU these goals. we must acknowledge the

Continues on pg 5 4

PROFILES OF THE MINISTRY'S LEADERSHIP

The Minister

The Permanent Secretary

in Information and Our Mi nister of C om m u ni ca t io n Tnform a l i on, Broadcasting & Technology in the region. I Ie is the Telecommunica tions is the Hon. driving fo rce be Dr. Edmond A. hind the Connect Antigua initiative Mansoor. He is a medical doctor which includes the by profession Community Com but has a pas puter Access Cen ters (CAC) that are sion for using Information and being established Communication in several commu nities throughout Technology as a IIIIn Dr I dmpml ManM'<'t tool for the eco the island, the ICT Bus project which provides nomic social and cultural de

velopment of our beloved An

mob ile computer services to many of the country's primary schools tigua and Barbuda.

and the Community TecImol ogy A man of action, Minister

Officers project which provides Mansoor has shown tremen

technical support and training to dous commitment to making

students and citizens around the our country the "best in class"

country.

Mrs. Ceci ly Phi lip is the A ct i n g P e r m an e nt Secretary (PS) of the Ministry . She was appointed to this position the f o rmer a fte r Permanent Secretary Mrs. Cora Richards, opted for Go ver n ment the Severance Package in November of2006. Prior to becom ing the Acting P.S she had as the fu n ctioned Pr incipal Assistant Secret a ry for approximately four (4) years. As the PS, Mrs. Philip is the administrative head of the Ministry. Her portfolio

Teiecommunica1ions Offi cer

The Telecommunic ations Division wishes to take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Ceci ly Ph ili p for her continued support.

and was called to the bar in London, UK in November of2005. As the b ead of th e Telecommunications Division Mr. Samuel's responsibilities include the daily administration of the office, as well as the enforcement of the country's Telecommunications laws as def in ed by the Telecommunications Act of 1951 and its subsequent amendments in 1994 and 2003 .

Mr. Samuel is a self-motivated professional. He has in excess of 23 years experience in the management of Human R esources and Telecommunications Engineering.

('killen! i Samuc)

includes the IT Center, ABS Radio and Television, the Public Information Division and the Telecommunications Divis ion.

YOUR FEEDBACK

The Telecommunications Officer Mr. Clement T. Samuel was appointed as the Telecommunications Officer by the Governor Gen eral in November 2005 . Mr. Samuel began his career as an engineer with Cable & Wireless over 20 years ago. He subsequently went on to pursue a degree in law

\!1r.; (~Cl" Ptlilip Permanent Secretary (Ag.)

In his spare time Mr. Samuel is an avid horticu ltu ralist who is committed to protecting, enhancing and beautifying the environment. H e speciaJ izes in building Koi ponds and designing exotic tropical landscapes. 2

The Telecommunications Division wants to hear

from you. We welcome feedback on what you

have read in this newsletter. We also welcome

contributions 011 how lCTs are being used in your

personal or business activities.

You may send your comments, letters or mticIes

to:

TeleInfo

Telecommu nications Division

4th Floor

State Insu r ance Business Complex

Long & Thames Street

St. Joh n's, Antigua

or you ma.il email us at:

teleinfo@telecom.gov. ag