69194 1 | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis 2 | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis © 2011 The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street NW Washington DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000 Internet: www.worldbank.org E-mail: feedback@worldbank.org All rights reserved The findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed herein are entirely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of infoDev, the Donors of infoDev, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank and its affiliated organizations, the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent. The World Bank cannot guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply on the part of the World Bank any judgment of the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. 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Cover design by infoDev To cite this publication: Anius, Diana, Broadband in St Kitts and Nevis: Strength in Depth. Washington, D.C: infoDev / World Bank. Available at http://www.infodev.org/publications iii | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis Table of Contents List of Boxes, Figures and Tables.........................................................................................................................v Preface......................................................................................................................................................................vi Acknowledgments...............................................................................................................................................vii Abbreviations and Acronyms.............................................................................................................................viii 1 Background ................................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Geography ......................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 History ................................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.3 Population.......................................................................................................................................................... 2 1.4 Education ........................................................................................................................................................... 2 1.5 Economy ............................................................................................................................................................ 3 1.6 Government ...................................................................................................................................................... 3 2 ICT Sector................................................................................................................................................................... 4 2.1 Policy and regulatory environment ................................................................................................................ 4 2.2 Service providers............................................................................................................................................... 5 2.3 ICT in the economy ......................................................................................................................................... 5 3 Broadband market ..................................................................................................................................................... 7 3.1 Retail services .................................................................................................................................................... 7 3.2 National and international backbones........................................................................................................... 8 3.3 Pricing................................................................................................................................................................. 9 3.4 Quality ................................................................................................................................................................ 9 4 Demand ..................................................................................................................................................................... 10 4.1 Current demand .............................................................................................................................................. 10 4.2 Computers ....................................................................................................................................................... 10 4.3 Education ......................................................................................................................................................... 10 4.4 Training ............................................................................................................................................................ 10 4.5 Universal access .............................................................................................................................................. 11 4.6 IT Business ...................................................................................................................................................... 12 4.7 Services and content....................................................................................................................................... 12 4.8 E-commerce .................................................................................................................................................... 13 4.9 E-Government ................................................................................................................................................ 14 5 Lessons learned ........................................................................................................................................................ 15 5.1 Success factors ................................................................................................................................................ 15 5.2 Challenges ........................................................................................................................................................ 16 Bibliography ....................................................................................................................................................................... 18 List of Contributors .......................................................................................................................................................... 19 iv | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis List of Boxes, Figures and Tables Boxes Box 4-1: PayKN ................................................................................................................................................................ 13 Figures Figure 1-1: Map of the Eastern Caribbean ..................................................................................................................... 1 Figure 1-2: Map of St. Kitts and Nevis ........................................................................................................................... 1 Figure 1-3: Adult literacy rate (% aged 15 and above), 2010 ....................................................................................... 2 Figure 3-1: Fixed broadband subscriptions, per 100 people, 2009 ............................................................................. 8 Figure 3-2: Fixed broadband subscription as % of per capita income, 2009 ............................................................ 9 Figure 3-3: Average broadband download speeds, Mbps, December 2010 .............................................................. 9 Figure 4-1: Percentage of SME‘s using VoIP for international calls, 2008 ............................................................. 12 Figure 4-2: Percentage of the population using Facebook, March 2011 ................................................................. 13 Figure 4-3: UN e-government Online Service Index, 2010 ....................................................................................... 14 Tables Table 1-1: Demographic statistics, 2001 ......................................................................................................................... 2 Table 2-1: Service providers in St. Kitts and Nevis....................................................................................................... 5 Table 2-2: Telecom services sector, St. Kitts and Nevis............................................................................................... 6 Table 3-1: The Cable broadband/television subscriber data ....................................................................................... 7 Table 3-2: ADSL broadband monthly subscription, St. Kitts and Nevis, April 2011 ............................................. 9 v | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis Preface Access to affordable broadband has become a priority for many countries, which is perceived as important for social and economic development. The interaction of individuals, communities, and organizations with broadband has contributed to the development and enhancement of social networks, access to and generation of new knowledge, and the creation of diverse innovative processes. The World Bank commissioned this study of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector and specifically broadband within the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis. It forms part of a series of case studies carried out to analyze broadband in a representative sample of developing economies as background research for the World Bank Broadband Strategy Toolkit. The study analyses the environment within the small island developing state that facilitated the uptake of broadband technologies and applications, to the extent that St. Kitts and Nevis has the highest fixed broadband subscription rate among all countries of the Latin America and Caribbean region, and even higher than some developed economies. This achievement can be attributed in part to the small physical size of St. Kitts and Nevis that has enabled faster rollout of the physical infrastructure, facilitated more effective marketing, and promoted maximum impact for government-led ICT initiatives. Among the Caribbean islands however smallness is certainly not unique. The study therefore explores other factors that have contributed to high broadband penetration. The phrase ―strength in depth‖ is borrowed from the world of soccer, the most popular sport on the island. The phrase is used to underscore the point that the strength of the island‘s achievement in the broadband sector, lies in its commitment to nurturing the foundational components of the broadband ecosystem. Promotion of basic education and digital literacy, building technology awareness, facilitating access to ICT, and encouragement of a competitive telecommunications environment are but a few examples of the country‘s core strengths. However, as in any ecosystem, sustainability and growth can be threatened by internal weaknesses. As of the date of this report, mobile broadband has yet to be launched and the lack of appropriate legislation is holding back the development of interactive e-commerce and e-government applications. Other challenges included the high cost of services, an unstable power supply and quality of service issues. Chapter 1 of the report provides a socio-economic overview of St. Kitts and Nevis. Chapter 2 examines key policies and laws that govern the ICT sector, identifies key institutions and service providers and presents data on the size of the telecommunications market. Chapter 3 looks at the broadband market including penetration, pricing and quality. Chapter 4 reviews factors that have an impact on broadband demand. Chapter 5 summarizes the country‘s success factors as well as remaining challenges impeding the realization of a sustainable broadband ecosystem. In order to provide regional context, the report provides comparative data for other Eastern Caribbean countries, specifically Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. vi | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis Acknowledgments This report was drafted by Diana Anius based on interviews conducted in St. Kitts and Nevis between December 2010 and January 2011 as well as the documents referenced in this study. The author wishes to acknowledge the support of Ms. Cheryl Hector of the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) and Mr. Christopher Herbert of the Department of Technology, Government of St. Kitts and Nevis. The report was drafted with significant contributions by Michael Minges, who directed the case studies for the Broadband Strategies Toolkit. The project was carried out under the supervision of Tim Kelly (infoDev) and Carlo Rossotto (TWICT), with the Telecommunications Management Group Inc. (USA) providing overall project coordination. Philippe Dongier, Sector Manager (TWICT) and Valerie D‘Costa, Program Manager (infoDev), provide overall management guidance for the development of the toolkit. Samhir Vasdev edited the report and prepared it for publication. This case study is one of an initial series of seven that will contribute to the Broadband Strategies Toolkit, an online resource for policy-makers and regulators, especially in developing countries (see www.broadband- strategies.org).. The case studies are generously funded by the Korean Trust Fund (KTF) on Information and Communications for Development (IC4D). The KTF is a partnership between the government of the Republic of Korea and the World Bank Group whose purpose is to advance the ICT4D agenda to contribute to growth and reduce poverty in developing countries. vii | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis Abbreviations and Acronyms ADSL - Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line CARICOM - Caribbean Community ECTEL - Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority GDP - Gross Domestic Product GOSKN - Government of St. Kitts and Nevis GPRS - General Packet Radio Service ICT - Information and Communication Technologies ISP - Internet Service Provider Kbps - Kilobits per second LIME - Landline, Internet, Mobile, Entertainment Mbps - Megabits per second NTRC - National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission OECD - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OECS - Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States SKN - St. Kitts and Nevis UNDP United Nations Development Programme USF - Universal Service Fund UWI - University of the West Indies VoIP - Voice over Internet Protocol Wi-Fi - Wireless Fidelity viii | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis 1 Background Kitts and Nevis are fairly easy to navigate with 1.1 Geography each island having one main road that passes The twin island Federation of Saint Kitts and through the major communities usually located on Nevis is located in the northern part of the the coastline. Leeward Islands of the Caribbean (Figures 1-1 and 1-2). Figure 1-2: Map of St. Kitts and Nevis Figure 1-1: Map of the Eastern Caribbean Source: The World Factbook. 1.2 History European settlement of St. Kitts and Nevis began in the early 17th century. In 1623 St. Kitts became Source: World Bank. the first British colony of the Caribbean region, The country has a total landmass of 267 square and was nicknamed ―the mother colony of the kilometers making it the smallest independent West Indies.‖1 The island repeatedly alternated country in the Western Hemisphere. St. Kitts, between British and French rule. The Treaty of formally known as Saint Christopher, is the larger Paris awarded both islands to the British in 1783. of the two islands. The island of Nevis is located In 1967 Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla became southeast of St. Kitts across a two mile wide a self-governing associated state of Great Britain. channel and can be reached by ferry in 15 In 1980 Anguilla seceded and became a separate minutes. Administratively St. Kitts is divided into nine 1 The island of St. Kitts was the first on which an English parishes, and the island of Nevis into five settlement was made, and served as the base for colonization parishes. The administrative capital for both of the other Caribbean islands. Some historical texts refer to islands is Basseterre located on St. Kitts with a St. Kitts as the ―mother colony‖, see: J.O. Cutteridge. 1947. population of around 13,000. The capital and Geography of the West Indies and Adjacent Lands. Other texts main town of Nevis is Charlestown. Both St. refer to the island as the ―cradle‖ of the British West Indian colonies, see: Rev. C. Jesse. 1964. Outlines of St. Lucia’s History. 1 | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis territory. St. Kitts and Nevis, the only federation of the economy. St. Kitts and Nevis accounted for in the Caribbean, gained independence on 19 20% of all remittances among Eastern Caribbean September 1983. In 1998, 62 per cent of Currency Union members during 1991-2009 and Nevisians voted for secession but narrowly fell they contributed 7.1% of the country‘s GDP in short of the required 67 per cent. 2009.5 1.3 Population 1.4 Education The most recent estimated population was 51,970 The literacy rate for the federation is 98%, highest in 2009.2 Demographic statistics from the 2001 in the Eastern Caribbean (Figure 1-3). The Census are shown in the table below:3 implementation of universal secondary school education in the 1970s—where all final grade Table 1-1: Demographic statistics, 2001 primary school students, irrespective of ability, are Total St. Kitts Nevis transferred to a secondary school—has Population 46,325 35,217 11,108 contributed to high literacy. Households 15,680 11,848 3,832 Household Figure 1-3: Adult literacy rate (% aged 15 and above), 3.0 3.0 2.9 size 2010 Population distribution 100 76 24 Saint Kitts & Nevis 98 (%) Grenada 96 Population density (per 174 202 119 Saint Lucia 95 km2) Saint Vincent 88 Population under 20 38 40 35 Dominica 88 years (%) Source: Caricom. National Census Report: St. Kitts & Nevis. 80 85 90 95 100 The majority of the population is of African Source: United Nations Development Program. descent and the official language is English. Some There are twenty-four public primary schools and Kittitians and Nevisians also speak an English- seven public secondary schools. St. Kitts and based creole. Nevis has the best teacher to student ratios in the The federation has historically had high rates of Eastern Caribbean. emigration. This has led to a large Diaspora The Student Education Learning Fund (SELF) residing in the United States, Canada, and the provides textbooks to students at no cost and also United Kingdom. There were around 20,000 covers secondary school examination fees. people born in St. Kitts and Nevis living in those Students may withdraw from secondary school in three countries in 2000-01 or almost 40% of the the fourth form (grade 11) and enroll in a program country‘s population.4 It is therefore no surprise at the National Skills Training Programme (NSTP) that remittances account for a significant portion or at the Advanced Vocational Centre (AVEC). 2 See the Caricom Regional Statistics at: http://www.caricomstats.org/Files/Databases/Population/ 5Benjamin-Mack, Seana. ―Remittances Issues in the Eastern MP.htm Caribbean Currency Union 1991 to 2009‖ presented at the 3 Caricom. 2009. National Census Report: St. Kitts and Nevis. The World Bank, Canadian International Development Agency www.caricomstats.org (CIDA) and University of the West Indies Knowledge Sharing Forum 4 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and on Remittances, March 24-25, 2010. University of the West Development. ―Country-of-birth database.‖ Indies, Mona Campus, Jamaica. www.oecd.org/dataoecd/18/23/34792376.xls http://go.worldbank.org/2AYU03ZUF0. 2 | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis Graduating secondary school students can pursue protected under the 1985 Confidential post-secondary studies at the Clarence Fitzroy Relationship Act. Bryant College located in St. Kitts or the Sixth Form College in Nevis. The two-year program There is no tax on personal income. A 17 per prepares students for the Caribbean Advanced cent Value Added Tax (VAT) was introduced in Proficiency Exam.. November 2010. The University of the West Indies (UWI) Open The IMF estimated Gross Domestic Product Campus provides distance education programs to (GDP) per capita at US$ 9,918 for 2011 (12,502 in students in St. Kitts and Nevis.6 Approximately purchasing power parity).7 130 students attend the Open Campus in St. Kitts The Federation is home to the Eastern Caribbean and 30 on Nevis with video conferencing to other Central Bank (ECCB). Established in 1985, the campus sites. The country is also home to several ECCB is responsible for the common currency offshore higher educational institutions. used on the region. Also located on St. Kitts is the Eastern Caribbean Stock Exchange (ECSE), a 1.5 Economy regional securities market established by the The economy has traditionally been agriculture- ECCB. based and particularly the production of sugar. In July 2005, after successive losses in the sugar Almost 550,000 tourists visited St. Kitts and Nevis industry due to low global prices, high production in 2009. Recent investment has fuelled growth of costs, and changes in the European Union Sugar the tourism sector with a 57 per cent increase in Protocol, the government shut down the St. Kitts visitors between 2006 and 2009.8 Sugar Manufacturing Corporation and the production of sugar for export virtually halted. 1.6 Government The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis has a The country has since diversified into other unicameral National Assembly consisting of sectors such as light manufacturing, fishing, and eleven elected members and three senators. The non-sugar agricultural production and the services ruling Labour Party led by Dr Denzil Douglas, the sector particularly tourism and financial services. longest-serving Prime Minister among the Eastern St. Kitts has the largest electronics assembly Caribbean islands, occupies six of the seats and industry in the eastern Caribbean region. Five has been in power since 1995. electronics manufacturing companies, most The island of Nevis has its own administration, established in the Government Industrial Park, legislation and premier; three elected produce a range of electronic components for representatives from Nevis serve in the National export. Assembly. As a member of the Commonwealth, St. Kitts and Nevis has a well-developed offshore the Queen of England is the formal head of state banking and financial services sector. It is of the federation. estimated that more than 15,000 offshore companies are registered in Nevis alone where they are free from taxation and privacy is 7 International Monetary Fund (MF). World Economic Outlook Database. April 2011. 6The UWI Open Campus is an online campus with over 40 8 See ―Tourism Data‖ on the ECCB web site at: physical locations throughout the English-speaking http://www.eccb- Caribbean. See: http://www.open.uwi.edu. centralbank.org/Statistics/index.asp#tourismdata 3 | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis 2 ICT Sector 2.1 Policy and regulatory The Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications environment Authority (ECTEL), established in 2000, is the joint regulatory authority for Dominica, Grenada, The National ICT Strategic Plan was published in St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and 2006 covering sector goals over the next five the Grenadines. The three executive branches of years.9 The Plan outlines a road map for the regional body are: (a) the Council of Ministers leveraging ICT for social and economic progress comprised of the five Ministers responsible for including the development of human resources, telecommunications in the respective territories; promoting the integration of technology within (b) the regional directorate headquartered in St. government, and facilitating public-private sector Lucia, acting in an advisory capacity to member partnerships. Other policies are specific to key states on regulatory issues; and (c) the National areas such as a ten-year strategic outlook for Telecommunications Regulatory Commissions integrating ICT within the educational curriculum (NTRCs) established in each member state. outlined in the 2009 White Paper on Education Development and Policy.10 The NTRC in St. Kitts and Nevis consists of five government-appointed Commissioners who are Commitment extends to the highest level of non-full time staff and the regulator‘s staff headed government with the Prime Minister consistently the Director. The NTRC is mandated to monitor emphasizing the use of ICTs for socio-economic compliance of telecommunication licensees, development and to universal Internet access: manage the universal service fund, monitor anti- “…I want to emphasize the pledge of my Government that competitive practices, provide support to the Internet access must become a human right for the people of St. sector minister, approve interconnection Kitts and Nevis…every citizen of this country, every resident and agreements, and liaise with ECTEL on relevant every visitor of this country must have the right to access the telecommunications issues. Internet once they are here in St. Kitts and Nevis.� 11 The Telecommunications Act of 2000 is the principal A number of institutions are involved with ICT legislation governing the sector.13 A key regulatory policy and regulation. Policy development and event was full liberalization of the implementation rests with the ministry responsible telecommunications sector in 2001. This ended for Information Technology and the exclusive rights of Cable & Wireless to operate Telecommunications. 12 telecommunications facilities and services in the ECTEL states.14 9 Government of St Kitts and Nevis. 2006. National ECTEL has drafted a regional Electronic Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Strategic Plan. http://unstats.un.org/unsd/dnss/docViewer.aspx?docID=2 Communications Bill intended to reform 297. legislation under the original Telecommunications 10 Available at: http://www.moeskn.org/index.php?option=com_docman&t Act such that all electronic communications will ask=doc_download&gid=17&Itemid=138 11 Office of the Prime Minister. St. Kitts Denzil Douglas at Universal Service Fund Launch. September 10, 2010. 13 Saint Christopher and Nevis. 2000. The Telecommunications http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kql- Act. The Act and other relevant legislation governing the h9fjqWI&feature=youtube_gdata_player. telecom sector are available from the ECTEL web site at: 12 Currently the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sports, http://www.ectel.int/actsandregulations.htm Information Technology and Telecommunications and Post. 14 See the ―Agreement‖ of April 7, 2001 between the ECTEL http://www.gov.kn/ct.asp?xItem=1813&ctNode=62&mp=1 member states and Cable & Wireless available at: . http://www.ectel.int/aboutectel_agreement.htm 4 | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis be covered (excluding content regulation).15 The  Wireless Ventures (Digicel), a pan- draft Bill is currently undergoing public Caribbean mobile operator, launched in 2005 consultation throughout the region. and provides service in both islands.20  Winstreme offers fixed wireless Internet 2.2 Service providers services on the island of Nevis only. It is a privately owned company that launched in The following service providers are present in the 2007. telecommunications market in St. Kitts and Nevis:  UTS-Cariglobe (Chippie) offers mobile telecommunication services in both islands.21  LIME (Landline, Internet, Mobile, It is a joint venture between UTS (Netherland Entertainment), formerly Cable & Wireless, Antilles) and CariGlobe (a local company) and is a regional telecommunications service launched services in 2005. provider offering mobile, fixed line,  21st Century Telecoms was issued a license broadband, and cable television services in to provide mobile services within the both St. Kitts and Nevis and throughout the federation; however as of January 2011, the Caribbean.16 Cable & Wireless has a long company has not as yet launched its network. history in the country. St. Kitts and Nevis Telecommunications Ltd. (SKANTEL) was Table 2-1: Service providers in St. Kitts and Nevis formed in 1985 as a joint venture between Launched Services Ownership provided Cable & Wireless and the government and LIME/C&W 1985 fixed, 77% foreign; rebranded as Cable & Wireless in 1999. In mobile, 23% public 2007, the government sold its shares and broadband under an agreement made with Cable & The Cable 1984 broadband, 69% Wireless, five per cent of the shares were sold cable tv Government; via public offering to citizens, residents and 31% foreign domestic corporate entities of St. Kitts and Caribbean 2006 broadband, (move to Nevis. In 2001 Cable & Wireless was issued Cable cable tv nationalization) a 15-year non-exclusive license under the new Telecommunications Act terminating its Digicel 2005 mobile 100% foreign existing 25-year exclusive license.  The Cable offers broadband, cable television, and telephone services to consumers in St. Winstreme 2007 broadband 100% local Kitts.17 Established In 1984, The Cable, is UTS- 2005 mobile 60% foreign; partly government-owned. Cariglobe 40% local  Caribbean Cable Communications Note: The Cable operates in St. Kitts while Caribbean Cable provides telephone, cable television and and Winstreme operate in Nevis. All others operate on both broadband Internet services on the island of islands. Nevis. Established in 2006 the company is headquartered on the neighboring island of 2.3 ICT in the economy Anguilla.18 In 2009, after contentious discussions over proposed rate increases, the The telecommunications services sector was Nevis Island Administration moved towards worth EC$ 120 (US$44) million in the year ending nationalization of the company. As of May March 2009 (ECTEL 2010). It contributed about 2011 the dispute has not been resolved.19 8% to GDP, a figure that has fluctuated between 7.7% and 9.4% over the last five years (Table 2-2). 15 The draft Electronic Communications Bill is available at: http://www.ectel.int/elec_communication_bill_pr.html The telecommunications services sector directly 16 See company website at http://www.time4lime.com/kn. 17 See company website at http://www.thecable.net m_docman&task=doc_view&gid=811&Itemid=344&zoom_ 18 See company website at http://ccc2.caribcable.com/nevis highlight=nevis 19 The case was taken before the Eastern Caribbean Supreme 20 See company website at Court – see http://www.digicelstkittsandnevis.com http://www.caribbeanlawonline.com/index.php?option=co 21 See company website at http://www.uts.an 5 | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis employed 136 people in 2009, down sharply from the 178 in 2008 and an indication of the impact of the financial crisis. Likewise, investment in telecommunications declined dramatically between 2008 and 2009 from EC$ 23 to EC$ 8 million. Table 2-2: Telecom services sector, St. Kitts and Nevis Years ending March 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Telecom 98 91 123 125 120 revenues EC$ million Telecom $36 $33 $45 $46 $44 revenues US$ million Telecom 9.1% 7.7% 9.4% 9.0% 7.8% revenues as % of GDP Investment 38 23 22 23 8 EC$ million Investment $14 $8 $8 $9 $3 US$ million Direct 140 159 157 178 136 employment Note: GDP data from IMF. Converted to US$ using exchange rate of EC $2.7169 = US $1.00. Source: Adapted from ECTEL. 6 | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis 3 Broadband market Source: The Cable. 3.1 Retail services Four service providers offer broadband services: Caribbean Cable Communications, the sole LIME, The Cable, Caribbean Cable cable television service provider on the island of Communications, and Winstreme. The latter two Nevis, provides broadband Internet services using companies operate solely in Nevis, The Cable cable modem technology. offers service on St. Kitts and LIME provides service on both islands. Winstreme provides fixed wireless broadband service for residents of Nevis. The subscriber LIME is the only Internet service provider base is less than 200 customers (including a serving both islands. It introduced dial-up access significant number of medical students who reside in the 1990s. In 2001, Asymmetric Digital on the island). The company has installed three Subscriber Line (ADSL) service was launched. towers on the island where the customer premise Around one percent of businesses still subscribe equipment consists of an outdoor directional for dial-up Internet access primarily for the antenna to the base station. purpose of retaining prior email addresses. LIME also offers Wi-Fi through several hotspots and has As of March 2010, the number of fixed Internet installed WiMAX for rural locations in Nevis. subscribers in St. Kitts and Nevis was 14,577 of which 99% were broadband connections. This In 2003, The Cable launched cable broadband puts the fixed broadband subscription rate at 28 Internet services to subscribers in St. Kitts. The per cent. In 2009, St. Kitts and Nevis had the company has seen a gradual increase in the highest fixed broadband penetration in the Latin number of broadband subscribers to almost 4,000 America and Caribbean region and even surpassed as at the end of December 2010 (Table 3-1). The the OECD average (Figure 3-1). Cable is installing a fiber-to-the-home network in a new property development at Christophe Harbor, the first of its kind in St. Kitts. The project is due for completion at the end of 2011. Table 3-1: The Cable subscriber data Cable TV Cable TV Broadband basic Tier subscribers subscribers subscribers 1999 8,304 6,517 - 2000 8,599 7,449 - 2001 8,912 8,456 - 2002 9,076 8,728 - 2003 9,721 10,158 1,562 2004 10,016 10,586 1,805 2005 10,275 11,037 2,213 2006 10,545 11,789 2,089 2007 10,485 13,194 2,220 2008 11,238 14,942 2,906 2009 11,871 17,028 3,429 2010 11,974 17,196 3,761 7 | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis Figure 3-1: Fixed broadband subscriptions, per 100 enabled. The company also estimates that almost people, 2009 80 per cent of Blackberry users utilize data 0 20 40 60 80 services. Blackberry users account for approximately 30 per cent of the subscriber base. Bermuda 62 Sweden 41 In January 2011, Digicel launched its ―Data Canada 30 Bundle of Joy‖ package which gives non- United States 28 BlackBerry prepaid customers with a data St. Kitts and Nevis 26 Japan compatible handset the opportunity to purchase 25 Australia 25 weekly, fortnightly, or monthly data packages. Malta 24 OECD 24 3.2 National and international New Zealand Singapore 23 23 backbones Barbados 22 Both The Cable and LIME have deployed fiber Dominica 22 rings around the island of St. Kitts. Nevis is Grenada 13 St. Vincent 11 connected to St. Kitts via microwave. According Chile 10 to service providers the establishment of a Mexico 9 wireless link presented a more cost effective St. Lucia* 9 option than laying fiber between the two islands. LAC 7 In 2011 LIME applied for a license to implement Note: * 2009. Source: World Bank. a second microwave link between the two islands due to limited capacity. Towers are located on the southeast peninsula of St. Kitts offering direct Three mobile operators, LIME, Digicel, and UTS- line-of-sight to an antenna on the north end of Cariglobe (Chippie) provide mobile service. Nevis at the narrowest point separating the two LIME has the largest market share at just under islands (approximately one mile). Attenuation 50%. from factors such as the effects of severe weather In March 2009, St. Kitts and Nevis registered a and mist (due to the mountainous topography of mobile penetration rate of 148 per cent, the the island) and the passage of a cruise ship highest rate among the ECTEL member states. impacts service quality. This is up from 60% in March 2005. Prepaid Cable & Wireless (along with France Telecom and service far surpasses the number of post-paid AT&T) installed the Eastern Caribbean Fiber mobile subscriptions. System (ECFS) in 1995, an undersea system that Despite the high cellular penetration, mobile connects all of the islands of the Eastern broadband services have not been launched with Caribbean including St. Kitts and Nevis. mobile data service provided through EDGE and In 2007 Global Caribbean Network (GCN), was GPRS technologies. LIME is in the process of awarded a contract to build an undersea fiber upgrading to Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution optic cable network between Guadeloupe and (EDGE). Both Digicel and Chippie have Puerto Rico supported by financing from the deployed General Packet Radio Services (GPRS) European Union. Total overall network capacity networks. of the cable is 1.2 Tbps. The Cable leases an According to Digicel, approximately 22 per cent STM-1 (155 Mbps) from GCN. of its subscriber base use Internet services. This is Both the ECFS and GCN cables land at the same typically through mobile handsets that are data site at Lime Kiln in St. Kitts. 8 | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis Figure 3-2: Fixed broadband subscription as % of per 3.3 Pricing capita income, 2009 An entry-level ADSL subscription from LIME costs US$ 37 per month for a 2 Mbps Dominica 12.0 download/512 Kbps upload connection (Table 3- 2). Cable modem prices are higher; for example St. Vincent 7.9 Caribbean Cable charges US$40 for a 512 kbps St. Lucia 6.4 download subscription. Grenada 6.2 Table 3-2: ADSL broadband monthly subscription, St. Kitts and Nevis, April 2011 St. Kitts & Nevis 4.0 Down US$ Up- EC$ US$ -load per load Mbps Mbps kbps 0 5 10 15 MEGA 99 $37 2 $19 512 Source: ITU. Consumers can also access the Internet through MEGA 149 $56 3 $19 512 Wi-Fi enabled laptops or handsets. Data packages PLUS are offered through service providers Consumers MEGA 249 $93 6 $16 768 typically pay about US$ 20 per month for 25 MB MAX daily usage, and US$ 0.10 for each additional 1 MEGA MB used over this base amount. 309 $116 8 $14 1,024 EXTREME Source: LIME. 3.4 Quality Tests are not carried out by the NTRC to measure Fixed broadband prices are more affordable in St. the quality of broadband services. OOKLA Kitts and Nevis compared to other East reported that the average download speed for St. Caribbean nations (Figure 3-2). However prices Kitts and Nevis was 2.2 Mbps in December are relatively high by international standards 201023 only average when compared to other East especially when adjusted for purchasing power Caribbean countries (Figure 3-3). parity (PPP). For example the average monthly subscription price for connections below 2.5 Figure 3-3: Average broadband download speeds, Mbps, Mbps advertised download speed was USD PPP December 2010 27 in the OECD in September 2010 compared to USD PPP 46 in St. Kitts and Nevis. 22 Grenada Dominica Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent 0.0 2.0 4.0 22 See: ―4f. Average monthly subscription price for connections below 2.5 Mbps advertised download speed‖ on Source: OOKLA Net Index. the OECD Broadband statistics portal at: www.oecd.org/ sti/ict/broadband. The 2011 PPP exchange rate for St. Kitts and Nevis is from the IMF World Economic Outlook database. 23 http://www.netindex.com/ 9 | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis 4 Demand 4.1 Current demand going maintenance and upgrade of the equipment.25 St. Kitts and Nevis has a relatively high degree of Internet penetration. There are an estimated In line with the Prime Minister‘s call for the 38,000 Internet users or almost three quarters of provision of a computer to every student of high the population at March 2009.24 Penetration has school age in order to promote digital literacy26, more than doubled since March 2002. the government launched the I-literacy one-2-one laptop initiative in 2010. During the first phase of 4.2 Computers the project (scheduled for completion in 2011), As far back as 2001, (the latest year for which data Hewlett Packard devices will be provided to fifth is available), a relatively high proportion of form secondary school students. The government households already had computers – 20 per cent has partnered with Microsoft to provide low cost on the island of Nevis and 18 per cent in St. Kitts. software on the specially designed touch-screen laptops. The government has also received In 2001 Cable & Wireless launched a bundled PC proposals from service providers for the package for consumers in order to make it easier implementation of a community wireless (Wi-Fi) for individuals to get onto the Internet. As part of network where students would have access to the package computers (with high-speed Internet broadband Internet from their respective homes access at discounted prices) could be acquired on a ‗pay-as-you-go‘ basis. from the company on hire purchase. This led to an upswing in computer penetration and Secondary school students typically use the labs as according to Cable & Wireless, resulted in an part of the educational curriculum, particularly in almost 30 per cent increase in the number of preparation for the secondary school leaving Internet subscriptions. examination in Information technology. However the full integration of ICT into the teaching Another factor impacting computer ownership is curriculum remains unfulfilled. The Ministry of the exemption of customs duties on data Education has indicated that a curriculum is being processing equipment. developed which in part aims to integrate computers as teaching tools. 4.3 Education In 1998, the government embarked on a program 4.4 Training to implement computer labs in every school. The Community residents have access to ICT training program was initially targeted at secondary school through several initiatives. One focuses on adult students preparing for the school-leaving training at community centers or schools (typically examinations, but was subsequently extended to after school hours) throughout the islands. The all levels. Both LIME and The Cable offer free centers are typically outfitted through public Internet access to primary and secondary schools. private partnerships. The government typically One of the challenges to the project remains on- 25 There is a central Support Unit within the Ministry of Education for basic maintenance and troubleshooting of computer issues. However staff at the unit is limited. 26 See the Labour Party Manifesto available at http:// The number of estimated Internet users is based on 24 progressnotpromises.com/pdf/2010_Manifesto_Final_Sprea multiplying the number of subscribers by three. ds_lo_res.pdf 10 | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis develops the physical infrastructure, local development of e-Government services. Students businesses provide the needed hardware and of the Government Youth Empowerment software (or provide financial support), and through Skills (YES) programme have also service providers such as The Cable and LIME received certification training. provide free broadband access. The programs are designed to improve digital literacy of participants 4.5 Universal access particularly adults and seniors within rural The Universal Service Fund (USF) was established communities. by ECTEL in order to promote access to affordable telecommunications services ―including Training is usually provided by community voice telephony and Internet access, as well as development officers and/or facilitated by the broadband connectivity at the community, National Skills Training Programme (NSTP).27 household and individual levels.‖29 The fund is Computer training ranges from a general financed by contributions from introduction course to instruction in business telecommunications service providers. 30 A pilot application software such as QuickBooks. USF project for the disadvantaged community of According to the NSTP, demand for computer Dieppe Bay is expected to upgrade access to ICTs training with the organization was particularly high in the area‘s community center (located within a during the period 1998 – 2004. A subsequent school). downturn in computer training classes is partly attributed to the provision of training by other Individuals have access to computers at entities. community centers where service providers provide broadband access at no cost. Computer The International Computer Driving License and Internet facilities are also provided in public (ICDL) is a widely used standard for assessing areas such as the Charles A. Halbert Public individuals in various computer skills including Library where broadband access is available to the word processing, spreadsheets and databases. The public at a price of about US$ 6 (fixed) and US$ 2 courses, typically four to six weeks long, are (Wi-Fi) per day. designed to provide end-users with the skills necessary for ―proficient use of information and LIME has five Wi-Fi hotspots within St. Kitts communication technology.‖28 In St. Kitts, ICDL with three in the Basseterre region including one training is offered by a number of organizations at Port Zanté offering free service primarily including the National ICT Centre, private targeted to arriving cruise ship passengers. Other companies, the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College, hotspots can be found at the local airport (free and community access centers. The National ICT service), the general post office located near Port Centre estimates that on average more than 50 Zanté (housing three computers and a paid service users complete ICDL training per month. of US$4 per hour) and at most hotels (for a fee of, an average, US10 per day). The government has promoted the training of government employees for achievement of the 29 See the ―Council Approved USF Regulations.‖ ICDL certification as a complement to further November 13, 2007. http://www.ectel.int/pdf/USF%20APPROVED%20regulati ons.pdf 27 The NSTP was launched in 1986 through a regional OECS 30 Contributions are as follows: (a) in the first year of license, project. The Programme was institutionalised in 1992 and 0.25% of gross annual revenue; (b) in the second year of falls under the Ministry of Education. See website at: license, 0.5% of gross annual revenue; and (c) from the third http://ministryofeducartionstkittsnevis.web.officelive.com/d year of license onwards, 1.0% of gross annual revenue. See: efault.aspx Telecommunications (Universal Service Fund Contribution) Order, 28 See the certification authority website at 2008. http://www.ectel.int/Telecoms%20Regulations/ http://www.ecdl.org. St.%20Kitts/Universal_Service_Fund_Order_4_of_2008.pdf. 11 | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis 4.6 IT Business demand for computers and broadband applications such as VoIP, instant messaging and According to a 2008 ECTEL survey of social networking. 82 businesses in St. Kitts and Nevis (ECTEL 2009), 93 per cent used the Internet. Although “…One of the things which I think prompted this (high broadband providers have installed fiber in high- uptake of computers) is the large Diaspora so persons took density areas such as Basseterre, most small advantage of tools such as MSN Messenger which was cheaper businesses indicated that an ADSL or cable than making a call...�132 modem connection is used as it was adequate for their processes and the cost of subscribing to fiber Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is used was too high. extensively throughout the country as a cheap alternative to fixed telephone international calling. Young entrepreneurs have launched ICT-based Over a fifth of SMEs use VoIP for international companies offering a range of services as resellers calls, the highest rate in the region (along with St. of hardware equipment to providers of more Vincent and the Grenadines) (Figure 4-1). Many advanced software services such as online small businesses also use low cost Internet payment systems. Protocol private branch exchanges. The Small Business Development Act was passed Figure 4-1: Percentage of SME’s using VoIP for international calls, 2008 in 2009 to provide support to small and medium size enterprises including exemption from or St. Kitts 22% reduction in customs duties on imported St. Vincent 22% equipment or machinery such as computers. One priority activity identified under the Act involves Dominica 13% support for small businesses engaged in ICT St. Lucia 9% services. Grenada 9% Business process outsourcing is not extensive. 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% There is one call center, Clear Harbor, located on the island of Nevis.31 Source: ECTEL, ―Use of ICT by SMEs‖. With little exception businesses host their servers Facebook is popular with some 21,000 users at outside of St. Kitts and Nevis. This is primarily March 2011 or almost 40% of the population. St. attributed to: (a) high costs for local dedicated Kitts and Nevis has the highest Facebook access for business and (b) the perception that the penetration in the Eastern Caribbean (Figure 4-2). quality of service for advanced services is not adequate, and (c) an unreliable electricity infrastructure exists. 4.7 Services and content St. Kitts and Nevis has a high level of international communications due to the large Diaspora and tourism. This has generated high 31 The Clear Harbor call center (with two other centers in Dominica and Grenada) provides service to external companies and employs in excess of 100 individuals on the 32Interview with Glen Phillip, Minister of Information island of Nevis. Technology and Telecommunications. 12 | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis Figure 4-2: Percentage of the population using information on local events, shopping, nightlife, Facebook, March 2011 accommodation and more. The one-hour St. Kitts & Nevis 38.5 program has been made available online.33 Grenada 33.5 4.8 E-commerce St. Vincent 32.7 Lack of requisite legislation governing electronic Dominica 26.9 transactions and consumer protection serve as an impediment to electronic commerce. As a result, St. Lucia 26.7 there are hardly any local sites offering e- 0 10 20 30 40 50 commerce and the general population purchases products online from nearby markets such as the Source: ictDATA.org. United States rather than locally. Likewise, people abroad cannot purchase from local sites since services such as electronic hotel reservations Video conferencing facilities are used by several systems are typically outsourced to external organizations and businesses. For example the companies. Eastern Caribbean Institute of Banking (ECIB) provides professional development courses via There has been an uptake of online banking video conferencing for persons in the financial services including bill payment as most financial sector within the region. The Government institutions do not provide physical locations National ICT Centre also offers video outside of the central Basseterre or Charlestown conferencing services at reasonable rates to the areas. general public. Box 4-1: PayKN One of the most popular local sites is Kittitian entrepreneur Dion Benjamin started SKNVibes.com, launched by a group of six PayKN, the first centralized online payment service in St. Kitts and Nevis. The company Kittitians in 2002. The site serves as a community formally launched services in November 2009. portal targeted to local residents as well as In addition to online bill payment services Nevisians and Kittitians of the Diaspora. A host (e.g., electricity, water, and phone), the of residential, community, and government company also provides services such as an information on St. Kitts and Nevis is accessible online loan payment mechanism for students from the portal including news, music, classified attending university outside of St. Kitts to ads, streaming videos, as well as services such as make loan repayments at local banks. On email. In 2003, the company signed up with the St. average more than 50 payment transactions Kitts and Nevis National Bank as its merchant are processed per week. bank for online payment services such as top-up According to Benjamin: ―Unfortunately we payments for mobile phones and community have not been able to convince banks of the services such as online obituary notices. necessity of the service…(in the case of one According to Greg Gilbert, the company‘s CEO, bank) we physically have to cross the street to the site registers more than two million visitors the bank in order to make a loan payment for per month and its popularity has led some students who have made their online payment government agencies to block access to it by through us.‖ employees. The company employs nine people. The St. Kitts and Nevis Visitor Channel launched in 2008 and offers residents and visitors 33 http://www.stkittsvisitorchannel.com/ 13 | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis 4.9 E-Government agency sites. The lack of requisite legislation (such as an Electronic Transactions Act), low demand Most government departments are connected to a by the general public, and perceived costs for wide area network via a fiber optic network online payment services are factors that contribute installed by The Cable. The establishment of the to the lack of online transactional services. The National Information and Communication government has placed emphasis on improved Technology (ICT) Centre has centralized a service delivery by providing training to employees number of services including hardware to enhance their ICT capabilities. maintenance and hosting of government applications such as the email system. The Centre The United Nations e-Government framework is also home to a small business incubator for measures the delivery of online services.35 The start-up ICT-based businesses. rank of St. Kitts and Nevis is below other ECTEL members, ranking only above Dominica, (Figure The government has several computerized back 4-5). This reflects the lack of interactive e- office applications. The Health Information Government services in St. Kitts and Nevis. System provides health providers online access to patient records at the primary hospital. It is Figure 4-3: UN e-government Online Service Index, 2010 expected that the system will be rolled out to other healthcare facilities such as community Grenada 0.187 health centers. Other services include the Vehicle St. Vincent 0.130 Registration System and the Human Resources St. Lucia 0.111 application. These applications are accessible by the relevant government departments to facilitate St. Kitts 0.102 service delivery. Dominica 0.051 The web site of the office of the Prime Minister34 0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 has a wide range of resources including access to Source: UN E-Government Development Database. audio files of the weekly ―Ask the Prime Minister‖ radio program, downloadable government application forms, and video files of events/speeches of the Prime Minister (also available on the Office‘s YouTube channel). The Prime Minister has also committed to strengthening links to Kittitians in the Diaspora and utilizes technology through bi-monthly postings of his ―Video Messages for the Diaspora‖ that are also available on the official Facebook page of the Office of the Prime Minister. Transactional e-Government services are not 35 The Online Service Index is based upon a four-stage widely available for the public. The central model, which is ascending in nature and builds upon the government portal (www.gov.kn) is primarily previous level of sophistication of a state‘s online presence. The model defines four stages of E-Government informational in nature, with some application Development according to scale of progressively forms available for download from individual sophisticated citizen services. As countries progress, they are ranked higher in the Model according to a numerical classification corresponding to the four stages. See: 34 http://www.cuopm.org http://www2.unpan.org/egovkb/ 14 | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis 5 Lessons learned The success of St. Kitts and Nevis in the uptake Education of fixed broadband serves as an example for other developing countries and small island developing At 98%, St. Kitts and Nevis has one of the highest states. Some of this success can be attributed to literacy rates in the region. Universal secondary geography: the small land area and population of education has contributed to this achievement. the islands contributed to faster rollout of The availability of computers at all primary and infrastructure, wider reach for marketing, and secondary schools and initiatives for teaching maximum impact of ICT policy initiatives. In adults how to use ICTs have boosted digital addition broadband is more affordable than other literacy, raising awareness and driving broadband countries in the Caribbean due to high per capita demand. income coupled with lower broadband prices. Diaspora However geography and income alone do not The large number of Kittitians and Nevisians explain the broadband success of St. Kitts and abroad contributes to demand for international Nevis. This chapter reviews various supportive communications. This has stimulated usage of factors stimulating broadband growth in the broadband services such as VoIP, instant country. It also identifies bottlenecks impeding the messaging and social networking. realization of a sustainable broadband ecosystem. Access 5.1 Success factors Competition Even prior to the advent of high speed Internet, citizens had access to other ICTs to the extent Unlike other islands, more than one service that the creation of a Universal Service Fund more provider existed in the market prior to full than a decade later served to enhance existing telecommunications liberalization giving the informal universal access policies already in place. country a head start over other Caribbean This included ongoing development of countries. After liberalization in 2001, new community centers outfitted with computer labs entrants in the broadband market provided yet to provide access and training to rural additional alternatives to the incumbent. communities and equipping every primary and secondary school with computers. Regional Coordination The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis promoted As a member of the regional regulatory agency, and secured funding for initiatives such as the ECTEL, St. Kitts and Nevis has benefitted from construction of community access centers and mutual efforts for reform of the installation of computer labs within schools. The telecommunications sector. Examples include goal of the recently launched I-literacy is to development of harmonized policies which facilitate access to laptops by students within the ushered in liberalization of the sector in 2002, school and home environment; it is anticipated joint agreements with the incumbent service that the presence of the technology within the provider Cable & Wireless which ended its home will promote awareness by other members exclusivity in the market and negotiations with of the household. Exemption of customs duties foreign investors which has led to the introduction on computer equipment has also been a boost to of a second submarine cable system. the sector. The Government National ICT Centre 15 | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis houses a small business incubator providing following challenges need to be overcome to facilities such as access to computers and ensure a sustainable broadband ecosystem. broadband for small start-up enterprises. Broadband prices are a concern. Competition Government as leader among service providers has reduced the cost of broadband. However, they are more than one and The Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis has half times greater on a purchasing power basis continuously emphasized the role of the Internet than broadband prices in the OECD. in supporting the economic development goals of the country. The government has promoted Political uncertainty impacts network demand for services both by residents and the investment affecting service quality and the Diaspora through a range of multimedia content competitive environment. Government ownership available for download from the government‘s of The Cable and the ongoing dispute over site, as well as availability of content on social Caribbean Cable Communications are but two networks such as Facebook and YouTube. The examples. government has also invested in ICT training for its employees. Quality of service requirements for mass-market broadband has not been addressed. Greater Public-private partnerships confidence in the reliability of the network would enhance the types of services offered by Partnerships between the government and private businesses. In the case of Nevis, the use of radio sectors have gone a long way in developing links for backbone connectivity impacts service computer literacy levels among the general quality. population and in ensuring that persons even from a very young age had access to the Internet. The regulatory agency (NTRC) suffers from a Nearly every government-led ICT initiative has lack of resources, impeding its capability. For received support from the private sector. For example it lacks a website and is unable to fulfill example, service providers have ensured every its mandate of administering the .KN domain. school and public community center receive free Perceived weaknesses of the agency may serve as a Internet access. In training initiatives the private deterrent to investors. sector has provided equipment at little or no cost to government. The policy and regulatory framework needs continuous review as the environment changes. 5.2 Challenges Legislation currently lags market developments. Laws covering data protection, privacy and While St. Kitts and Nevis has been successful in electronic transactions are yet to be implemented. boosting fixed broadband penetration, this This is impeding the development of e- accomplishment is riddled by contradictions. The commerce and e-government applications. country has the highest fixed broadband penetration in Latin America and the Caribbean Implementation of national policy by a central but has yet to launch mobile broadband. St. Kitts agency responsible for its execution is necessary and Nevis has the highest Facebook penetration for the government to achieve its long-term in the Eastern Caribbean but the UN ranks its broadband strategies. Strengthening oversight is online e-government level as the second lowest in necessary in order to bring about change, that region. These contradictions serve as particularly for monitoring quality of service, and impediments to effective broadband growth. The ensuring that costs for Internet access are 16 | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis reasonable. A balance between sector regulation The establishment of an Internet Exchange and stimulating broadband development is crucial. point (IXP) would facilitate better optimization of international bandwidth usage since most local Policies concerning innovation are needed in Internet traffic is routed to North America. order to facilitate greater demand for new and Discussions at the national level concerning the advanced services; this includes facilitating establishment of a domestic IXP have so far not support for sectors that are dependent on been fruitful. broadband such as ―software-as-a-service‖ companies. The enhancement of public private Mobile broadband has yet to be deployed. One partnerships to involve higher education or reason is that most of the island of St. Kitts is well tertiary institutions may encourage wider research served by fixed line connections. However the and development activities. Implementation of availability of mobile broadband can serve to education policies that serve to promote the use expand inter-modal competition, provide more of the Internet as a tool for educational delivery convenience for consumers and increase the types and for fostering innovation can also support of services offered by local businesses. more advanced activities. Reliability of the supporting infrastructure, The country domain name (.KN) is important particularly electricity has limited exploitation of in branding St. Kitts and Nevis. The resource is the network for advanced services such as the currently under utilized as a marketing tool that provision of hosting facilities. would stimulate additional demand for new and advanced services at the local level. 17 | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis Bibliography Carana Corporation. 2002. St. Kitts and Nevis: ICT Assessment. http://www.carana.com/ecict/ECICT/reports& deliverables.htm#Task14c. Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL). 2009. Use of ICT by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the ECTEL Member States. http://www.ectel.int. —. 2010. Annual Telecommunications Sector Review: Period ended March 2009. http://www.ectel.int/. Government of St Kitts and Nevis. 2006. National Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Strategic Plan. November. http://unstats.un.org/unsd/dnss/docViewer.aspx?docID=2297. Kim, Yongsoo, Kelly, Tim and Raja, Siddhartha. 2010. Building broadband: Strategies and policies for the developing world. World Bank. http://blogs.worldbank.org/ic4d/node/514. Ministry of Education. 2009. White Paper on Education Development and Policy 2009 - 2019. http://www.moeskn.org/ index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=17&Itemid=138. 18 | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis List of Contributors The following persons were interviewed in the preparation of this report: Caribbean Governance Consultants Inc. - Natalie John Eastern Caribbean Institute of Banking and - Analdo Bailey, Director Financial Services (ECIB) eCaribbean - Rodney Browne - Johnathan Bass, Corporate Secretary/Financial Controller LIME (formerly Cable & Wireless) Lionel Evans, Technology Manager Avenelle Warde - Nigel Carty, Minister Ministry of Education Qinton Morton, Education Planner Ministry of Health - Elvis Newton, Permanent Secretary - Rosalyn Hazelle, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Industry and Commerce Andrew Satney, Trade Officer Ministry of Information Technology and - Glenn Phillip, Minister Telecommunications Ministry of Tourism - Diannille Taylor - Christopher Herbert, ICT Development National ICT Centre Coordinator/Acting Director National Skills Training Programme - June James, Director National Telecommunications Regulatory - Patricia Mourillon, Director Commission PayKN - Dion Benjamin, CEO - Greg Gilbert, Chief Executive Officer SknVibes.com Stachio Williams, Chief Financial Officer St. Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Commerce - Howard Richardson St. Kitts and Nevis Hotel and Tourism - Michael Head, Manager Association St. Kitts and Nevis National Development Bank - Lenworth Harris St. Kitts Investment Promotion Agency - Statistics Department, Government of St. Kitts - Ms Beverly Harris, Director The Cable - William Ewing The IT Facility - Russell Williams University of the West Indies Open Campus - Susan Owen, Head UTS-CariGlobe (Chippie) - Ken Hodge, Manager Winstreme Ltd - Steele Douglas Wireless Ventures/Digicel - Sean Latty 19 | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis About infoDev infoDev is a global development financing program among international development agencies, coordinated and served by an expert Secretariat housed at the World Bank Group, one of its key donors and founders. It acts as a neutral convener of dialogue—and as a coordinator of joint action among bilateral and multilateral donors—supporting global sharing of information on ICT for development (ICT4D), and helping to reduce duplication of efforts and investments. infoDev also forms partnerships with public and private sector organizations who are innovators in the field of ICT4D. infoDev is housed in the Financial and Private Sector Development (FPD) Vice Presidency of the World Bank Group. For additional information about this study or more general information on infoDev, please visit www.infodev.org/publications. 20 | Broadband in St. Kitts and Nevis