The experience in the Caribbean: future perspectives

Avril Reid, Librarian, CAREC, (PAHO/WHO)

Background

It is important to note that the English-speaking Caribbean includes independent states in addition to dependent territories of the United States and the United Kingdom. These countries are all at varying stages of development of Internet Services and activities. Some information professionals in the Region express the view that the Region is yet to experience the full impact of being on the superhighway, as many of the countries lack the necessary instruments that are required.

The Internet, however, is fast evolving in the Region. The mid- period of 1995 seems to have been the highpoint of activities in most countries of the English-speaking Caribbean. Some countries have had electronic access (e-mail and bulletin board systems) from as far back as 1990 and Internet access from 1994 with services increasing during 1995. Inherent problems of Internet access in the Region have been pretty much the same experience in most countries. Connectivity costs have been a major barrier to access, coupled with telecommunication problems, and in some cases there have been stumbling blocks at the national level. In at least one country in the Region, there are still major problems with connectivity with the existing telephone links. Another example from one country shows that prior to establishing an Internet access account with the local Internet Service Provider (ISP), one has to seek approval from a very senior government official. Early users of the Internet, were also willing to pay exorbitant prices to Internet Service Providers, most of whom enjoyed a monopoly on the market.

With heightened awareness of Internet activity in countries and the increase of Internet Service Providers, this problem has been addressed to some extent with costs decreasing. Some discussion with providers in Trinidad and Tobago did not reveal much information in the way of determining pricing policy for services. Some providers have a flat rate and others charge on a per usage basis. There is an attempt by the Internet Service Providers, however, to keep the competitive rates on an even keel.

Much criticism has been forwarded to the national telecommunications agencies for delays in establishing adequate connectivity in most countries in the Region. Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT), for example, had indicated plans for the installation of an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) line from early 1996 but this is yet to come to fruition. Access to a site in the US may take a couple of seconds whereas access to a site in the Region may take a couple of minutes. It is expected that a bandwidth of 512 Kbps will soon be available. In most countries of the Region, the available bandwidth ranges from 14,400 Kbps to 28,800 Kbps between the end-user and the Internet Service Provider. In some of the countries of the Region, such as Barbados, bandwidths of 56/64-128 Kbps are available to end-users at very high prices.

Activities and Services

There is a total of five (5) Internet service providers operating in Trinidad and Tobago, three (3) in Barbados and Jamaica and a total of approximately twenty (20) for the Region. Their presence and promotion of Internet activities as is the case throughout the Region, has revolutionized in particular, activities of the business community. Appendix 1 indicates the Internet Service Providers operating in the Region up to August 1996.

In most of the countries of the Region, the first Net providers were the subsidiaries of International Telecommunications companies such as Cable and Wireless. These were followed by computer companies or private service providers and technology professional societies. In some countries such as Grenada, Cayman Islands, Antigua, Dominica and St. Kitts, Cable and Wireless is the dominant party with the absence in some cases of private providers. There are an estimated 3000 dial- up users each in Barbados and in Trinidad and Tobago in a population of 256,000 and 1.3 million respectively.

The priority areas of focus of information on the Region during the early stages of Internet activity could be summarized as follows-:

• General information on countries and country profiles
• Tourism information
• Advertising of companies and organizations
• Weather
• News
• Shopping (recent development)
• Faculty information and general information from universities and learned societies

Within the last six months there has been a substantial increase in the number of web sites in the Region but these are more of a commercial nature. Business entrepreneurs are now taking advantage of the increase in activities by offering web page design and implementation services. Companies are beginning to advertise on the Net at a rapid pace, this is evident throughout the Region. File transfer protocol (FTP) is being used primarily by the business community to download relevant information for business transactions. Downloading software from the Net has also become a bonus attraction.

Research and other institutions are now beginning to create a presence on the Internet and acting as information clearing houses for their areas of research. Some Regional organizations such as the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC) are now focusing attention to creating sites on the web but there is still inadequate activity in this area with regard to other existing Regional organizations.

In the English-speaking Caribbean, however, access to the catalogues of medical libraries in the Region via the net is still not possible. This is an area which needs more attention in the immediate future. Links between medical libraries need to be further explored and also with links to Organizations such as The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). The Medical Sciences Library at Mt. Hope, Trinidad and Tobago, has established a presence on the Net as part of a joint project with the University of Toronto. Developments on this site include general information on the Faculty of Medical Sciences, courses offered, electronic mail links and descriptions of the MEDCARIB network and BIREME. There are also plans to have the catalogue of the Medical Sciences Library available on a server at Mt. Hope in the near future.

The University of the West Indies Main Library at St. Augustine Trinidad and Tobago, also has plans for the implementation of their Distance Education Teaching Project via the Internet.

The Central Library in Trinidad and Tobago, is developing an Intranet where information on special libraries, holdings and union catalogues will be accessible. Later this year, limited Internet access will be provided to members of the public.

The OAS supported Caribbean Academic Scientific and Technological Network (CuNET) has also established links in some countries of the Region.

A recent development in Trinidad and Tobago has been the establishment of a forum for medical information for members of the public via the Net. This page which is called XDoctor focuses on common health problems in the Region. A layman's approach is provided and it is probably the first of its kind in the Region. This site has potential for further development. Services are becoming more widespread and competitive. Businesses are beginning to offer training at competitive prices. Specialized seminars and exhibitions are now being held in Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica, targeting the medical, banking, tourism and technology sectors and focusing on access, advertising and commerce, creating web pages and more recently, security issues on the Net.

Not all activities are being targeted to the private sector. The public sector is becoming involved in Internet activities, though at a limited level. In Barbados, for example, a seminar was held recently, targeting high school principals on "Internet challenges to educationą.use of the Internet for teaching and development."

Another example from Barbados also shows that since the launch of Internet services there, the Barbados External Telecommunication Company Ltd. (BET) has made access available to all primary and secondary schools. In Trinidad, Interserv Ltd, an ISP, has created home pages for three leading secondary schools in the capital. This development needs to be promoted throughout the Region to increase awareness at this level.

Wow.net Ltd, in Trinidad and Tobago, has started offering services which include an Internet cafe. This type of development also offers a very competitive rate of US$3 an hour. There is also the opportunity at the cafe for discussion within a learning environment and surfing the Internet was free of charge a few months ago.

One important perspective of this type of service is that " John Public" without access to a computer and available facilities can now access the Net at a very affordable rate. This type of activity, has far reaching implications for the future for a wider base of the community having access to the Internet.

In Trinidad and Tobago there is now a popular radio programme which dedicates six hours of air time for open discussions on Internet activities. One of the daily newspapers in Trinidad and Tobago, the Express, contributes a weekly segment on the Internet which has been a very successful and informative tool especially for those who are still in the dark as to what exactly is happening on the information superhighway and who still find the cost of access to the Internet prohibitive. The Daily Nation in Barbados has been publishing a column over the past two years dealing with superhighway issues. The Regional newspaper Caribbean Week has also produced some feature columns on the Internet. These media houses cited above have also created a presence on the Net. The future of the information superhighway for the Caribbean Region, therefore does look promising in some areas.

Some samples from the home pages of Internet Service Providers in the Region have been attached in Appendix 2. Some of the language styles used to advertise the services in some cases are indigenous to the Region and gives a feeling of identifying with a sort of Regional lane on the wider highway.

In the Region there is still a need to be able to access current statistical and demographic data from countries, and also published reports in full text. Sites which have a Regional approach as a whole and which encompass all the very small countries and the larger ones in one link also need to be developed. With specific reference to health information, there is need for some initiative for accessing the catalogues and full text publications of the participating centres of the MEDCARIB network, for example. Medical Librarians in Trinidad and Tobago are developing a project for the dissemination of health information for patients and lay persons at the institutions of the Regional Health Authorities throughout the country and also at the main Public Library. With endorsement from health officials for this project, the Internet could also be used as a tool for disseminating health information. CAREC also plans to develop a web site to provide health information which is pertinent to its twenty-one member countries in the Region.

Areas of focus for the future

• Market the benefits of the Internet especially at the National policy Level
• Widen the user base and focus on those without access to a PC
• Place more emphasis on the needs of the users and not just on the development of hardware capabilities.
• Establish "piggy-back " services of leased phone lines offered by larger and civic organizations to facilitate smaller organizations.
• Address the issue of high cost of leased lines for Internet access and limitations on bandwidth into and out of the Region as a whole
• Maintain an affordable level of Internet connectivity to lessen the gap of those who have access and those who cannot afford access.
• Establish linkages between Regional organizations, libraries, institutes of higher learning research bodies and existing databases in the Region.
• Increase reliability in service

As the theme of the Congress indicates, we are at varying crossroads in the Region. Hopefully with the above considerations addressed by the relevant bodies, the ride on the superhighway will soon be less bumpy for us all in the English-speaking Caribbean.

August, 1996.

Bibliography

OAS Hemisphere-wide networking initiative (Caribbean Region). 1992.

Cable and Wireless: http://www/cwi.net/2

Carib Net: http://www.carib-link.net

Caribbean University Network: http://www.oas.org/EN/PROG/RED/cunet

Carib Surf: http://www.carib.surf.com

Info Channel: http://www.infochan.com

Interserv: http://www.trinidad.net

MIT Caribbean Index: http://www.mit.edu

Telecommunications of Jamaica (TOJ): http://www.toj.com

Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) http://www.tstt.net.tt

Wow. Net Ltd: http://www.wow.net

Abstract

The paper focuses on information superhighway issues in the English-speaking Caribbean Region in countries ranging from as far north as Jamaica to as far south as Trinidad and Tobago. Most of the references and examples are drawn from Trinidad and Tobago and also Barbados from which more detailed information was received. A brief background to the development of Internet activities in the Region and associated problems is provided and some of the activities are highlighted.