Global tech giant supports Antigua and Barbuda for ICT Week

Global technology giant Huawei has demonstrated its commitment to supporting the establishment of the Single ICT Space by participating in the CTU’s ICT Week and Symposium – Antigua and Barbuda on March 21, 2017.

“The establishment of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Single ICT Space is a complex undertaking, which presents many challenges, but with political will and commitment to drive the process, it can be accomplished.” Stated Secretary General of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) Bernadette Lewis, during her presentation of the Roadmap for the CARICOM ICT Space. Ms. Lewis was addressing the 28th Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community on February 17, 2017 in Georgetown, Guyana.

She underscored that the challenges can be overcome through regional cooperation involving diverse stakeholders. “It also entails public awareness and education as there are many technological solutions for the challenges we face as a region and we need to expose all sectors of the society to them – from Governments to the man on the street.”

Following her address and ensuing discussions, the Conference approved the Roadmap.

Huawei will present its Smart Caribbean Conference, to explain how new technologies can be effectively applied to improve the quality of citizens’ lives and provide ICT solutions for the challenges in education, healthcare and national security in the Single CARICOM ICT Space. Huawei’s conference is one of many activities of the Week, designed to raise awareness and educate on the single ICT Space and technologies that would make it a reality.

“As a leading, global ICT company, with almost two decades of operations in the Caribbean and Latin America region, Huawei truly appreciates that Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) continue to play a fundamental role in the socio-economic development of the Caribbean,” said Charles Che, Regional Director of Government and Enterprise Business for Huawei Latin America and Caribbean, who will be speaking at the Smart Caribbean Conference.

Mr. Che continued: “Globally, urbanization, digitization and recent global unrests have become the driving force for Safer and Smarter Nations. New technologies are reshaping the ICT infrastructure as security, social and economic risks have become a common problem on a global basis. Many countries are seeking ways to resolve these challenges by adapting the use of ICT. Many countries want to improve social and economic opportunities for their citizens and sustainably increase their GDP. Investing in ICT infrastructure can make that happen, however, the key successful factor for a Safer and Smarter Caribbean is Collaboration. We are happy to fully support, in any way we can, the Caribbean Government’s commitment to the CARICOM Single ICT Space.”

As the platinum sponsor for this event, Huawei will use its extensive global knowledge and experience in developing Smart Cities to share its vision for developing ICT in the Caribbean region in all sectors. Participants will learn how cloud computing, virtualization, Big Data, Geographic Information System, the Internet of Things, and the ecosystem Software Development Kit and other cutting-edge technologies can be used to create comprehensive, end-to-end Smart Caribbean solutions.

In a Smart Caribbean, there can be more data-driven decisions by government and private sector, increasing efficiencies, reducing costs, connecting more people and improving the lives of all citizens.

The Government of Antigua and Barbuda, in collaboration with the CTU will host these events at the Sandals Grand from 20th to 24th March 2017 in Antigua and Barbuda.

The CTU is extending an invitation to Ministers of Finance, Education, ICT/Telecommunications Health, National Security, representatives from Caribbean Government ICT and Telecommunications sectors, Central Bank Governors, ICT and Finance Stakeholders, Executive representatives of Regional inter-governmental organizations, Civil Society and Academia.

This Conference is open for online registration via https://form.jotform.co/62924196675872

For further information, please visit ctu.int/smart-caribbean-conference.

The Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) is an inter-governmental organization dedicated to supporting the development of the Caribbean information and communications technologies (ICT) sector. Its Member States are: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, The Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, The Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Turks and Caicos and Trinidad and Tobago. Its non-Member States are: American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN), Bureau of Telecommunication and Post (Curacao), Cable & Wireless Business (Jamaica), Dauphin Telecom (Guadeloupe), Digicel (Trinidad) Ltd., Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL), Gauss Research Laboratory, Inmarsat Inc., International Amateur Radio Union – Region 2 (IARU-R2), Internet Society (ISOC), International Amateur Radio Union – Region 2 (IARU-R2), Latin American and Caribbean Internet Addresses Registry (LACNIC), Microsoft (Trinidad and Tobago) Ltd., Puerto Rico Telecommunications Regulatory Board, and Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT).

Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. Our aim is to build a better-connected world, acting as a responsible corporate citizen, innovative enabler for the information society, and collaborative contributor to the industry. Driven by customer-centric innovation and open partnerships, Huawei has established an end-to-end ICT solutions portfolio that gives customers competitive advantages in telecom and enterprise networks, devices and cloud computing. Huawei’s 180,000 employees worldwide are committed to creating maximum value for telecom operators, enterprises and consumers. Our innovative ICT solutions, products and services are used in more than 170 countries and regions, serving over one-third of the world’s population. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employees. For more information, please visit Huawei online at huawei.com/