Talk is not cheap

THE EDITOR: Talk is not cheap. What we have to realise is that all the talk of Vision 2020 means nothing when Vision now is so poor. In order to have 2020 vision we have to see both near, medium and far. Government is responsible for creating the environment for the business sector to be able to do what needs to be done to make profits, resulting in job creation and general prosperity for the nation. Will a skilled carpenter/joiner produce the best furniture without the right tools? I have been trying to practise my profession of Information Technology in an environment where tools are largely unavailable in this country.

The glue that now binds this world is the internet. The internet is used to drive many types of businesses, the Financial and Communication Sectors being the most obvious. In Trinidad and Tobago, we have internet access in name only. The average home or business user has very little choice in the speed and type of connection. The costs are not practical, and as a result the many innovations that are now taking place in e-Business has passed us by. When we compare ourselves with neighbouring islands, we lag behind, much less other aspiring developing nations. High speed internet access in Trinidad is regarded as 256K download and 64K upload, in South Korea it is 54MB download and upload for a smaller monthly fee. To put it in perspective, that is approximately 200 times faster downloads in South Korea as in Trinidad and Tobago, or what will take one minute to download in South Korea will take 1 hour 20 minutes to download in Trinidad and Tobago.

Bear in mind that the 256K connection in Trinidad and Tobago costs $1,788.25 per month as opposed to $1 per month for the same speed in South Korea. Even next door in Barbados, you can get 1544K for $660 per month. As an IT Professional, I need high speed internet as much as a surgeon needs a scalpel, to practise my profession. Indeed, many professionals need high speed internet in order to advance themselves, engineers, doctors, calypsonians, teachers....the list goes on and on. What we have then is a total failure by government to ensure that adequate infrastructure exists. That holds true for not only the internet service, but communication in general. The ability to drive on good roads with as little traffic as possible will also add up to increased benefits. Think of the stress and aggravation to get into and out of Port-of-Spain every working day, think of the time wasted. Part of the problem in this nation is that we have the same old heads with their tired ideas constantly in charge of everything, we just keep juggling the same old people around. Let us make the paradigm shift from old thinking to visionary thinking and action. Talk is not cheap, as it is costing us our real advancement and progress.

PRADEEP LATCHMAN
IT Consultant