The Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on December 17, 2020 with the Central Statistical Office (CSO) to provide technical assistance in the rollout of the Authority’s Digital Inclusion Survey (DIS). The Authority is also happy to announce that it has engaged the professional services of an independent consultant, Kairi Consultants Limited, to conduct the 2021 DIS on it’s behalf.
In attendance and signing on behalf of CSO was Mr. Andre Blanchard, Director of Statistics (Ag), Ms. Lystra-Ann Johnson, Managing Director, Kairi Consultants Limited signed on behalf of that company and Mrs Cynthia Reddock-Downes, Chief Executive Officer on behalf of TATT.
This 2021 DIS will build on the two previous Digital Divide Surveys conducted by the Authority in 2007 and 2013 which were geared towards the assessment of the digital divide within Trinidad and Tobago.
The digital divide is broadly defined as the gap that exists between those who have access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and those who do not.
The Authority aims to expand on the concept of digital inclusion, which goes beyond the traditional assessment of the digital divide, by considering the factors necessary for the citizens of a country to use ICTs effectively, such as their skills, motivation and trust.
This DIS forms one of the critical components in the GoRTT’s National ICT Plan 2018-2022 and the Authority’s Strategic Plan (2019 – 2022) which is aligned to the following strategic theme: “Universal Service, Connectivity and Digital Inclusion.” To execute this strategic objective, the Authority aims to measure the digital divide and identify those geographical areas and population groups that are unserved or underserved vis-a-vis accessing and affording basic telecommunications services.
The results of the overall DIS are intended, inter alia, to provide the ICT data that is necessary for international reporting and benchmarking, guiding the GoRTT’s ICT policy formulation and the Authority’s regulation of the sector, as well as inform the choice of universal service and digital transformation initiatives to be implemented in Trinidad and Tobago going forward.