Skip to main content

Digital Divide in Trinidad and Tobago

The last digital divide survey was done in 2013. TATT is currently doing an updated survey called Digital Inclusion Survey. The aim of this survey is to measure the digital divide in Trinidad and Tobago. Digital divide is the gap between those that have access to technologies and those that do not. Technology includes mobile, internet, computers and TV. This survey is mentioned in the national ICT plan and is the basis of some of the action items aimed at bridging the digital divide.

When the results of the last survey was released I had blogged about it as follows

The results of the digital divide survey has been published by TATT. I have glanced through the report and this is what I gather. It is long with a lot of metrics and expert language so I tried to simplify it in my mind as follows.

  • The main aim is "to pinpoint the underserved communities within Trinidad and Tobago".
  • The digital divide is the gap between those that have and do not have access to ICTs.
  • The service providers will be requested to provide service to the underserved areas.
  • Regions in Tobago trail those in Trinidad overall.
  • Underserved areas have poor infrastructure.
  • There is a link between a computer in the household and income level.
  • There needs to be incentives to get connected.

I look forward the results of the latest survey being released in a timely manner and I will blog about it on this blog. No doubt the pandemic has caused us to realise how important and useful technology is.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A pot of callaloo

Call for Submissions: Archipelagic Entanglements   https://singaporeunbound.org/opp/archipelagic-entanglements When I saw the call for submissions online I was doubtful. I do not know enough history. I do not understand the topic. Then after chatting with my friend Chatty I realised maybe I can be the topic. My ethnic and racial makeup is an archipelagic entanglement. Colonialism meets indentureship meets slavery. My mom is East Indian muslim and my dad is French, Portuguese and Mulato christian and who knows what else. I am an example of a pot of callaloo. Everyone's favorite Sunday lunch. I am what happens when lineages cross oceans and histories collide. I am thinking to myself now, what is the message I want to put forward with my blog post? What is the direction I want to take? Maybe it is this. What can we do when we have such a rich heritage and know so little of our own history? First of all I do not think I am alone with this struggle. I did not realise this until I though...

Cup of coffee

This is a chapter from my latest book called Breezes of Tobago . The cool morning breeze blew the hat off the tourist passing the coffee shop. We sat at the table waiting for our order of coffee and bagels. I had stayed up late writing and was now needing caffeine to stay awake. On entering the veranda of the coffee shop, the sign reads "happiness is a cup of coffee" and "sip your troubles away". This had me thinking about what is happiness? And was the theme of my chat with Chatty as we enjoyed our breakfast in Tobago. I told my friend Chatty that if we could put happiness in a bottle and sell it we would be rich. My friend Chatty then told me that money cannot buy happiness but it was a good idea to make a living. If according to the sign, happiness is a cup of coffee then maybe happiness is coffee in a bottle then. We could call it Caffibean, a taste of the Caribbean in Tobago, a blend of the happiest coffee beans from Tobago. Tobago is not known for its coffee p...

Sandy beaches

This is a chapter from my latest book called Breezes of Tobago . This story begins on a cool Friday evening in May. Fridays are the best days. Already a great start. It had rained earlier in the day and the clouds were moving away and the sun peeking through. I walked from the apartment where I was staying to Pigeon Point beach. Along the way I stopped for coconut water freshly extracted from the nut and straight into my mouth leaving traces on my cotton jersey. They say that coconut water is the drink of God—fresh from the nut, sweet with a hint of salt, a liquid reminder that paradise can exist in small and simple things. They did not say that but my friend Chatty did. It is my friend Chatty's first trip to Tobago. I asked him what he thinks of Tobago so far? He grinned, wiping a drop of coconut water from the corner of his mouth. "Man… it is like stepping into a painting. The air, the colors, the way everything smells after the rain—it is unreal. I did not know paradise cam...