The quarterly Caribbean Spectrum Management Task Force Meeting entered its second day at IberoStar, Rose Hall Beach in Jamaica today (February 7).

The meeting, hosted by the University of the West Indies (UWI), in collaboration with the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) and the Spectrum Management Authority of Jamaica (SMA), and which got under way yesterday, will come to a close tomorrow.

The task force was gathering physically for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic at a meeting aimed at facilitating discussions on the regional harmonisation of spectrum management policies to bolster national development and strengthen intra-Caribbean ties.

At the start of the three-day event, Norman Dunn, state minister in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, gave the opening remarks. Later today, Robert Nesta Morgan, minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for information, is slated to give the keynote address at a networking session.

The SMTF is a multi-stakeholder team of Caribbean regulators and users of the electromagnetic spectrum, including telecommunication service providers, broadcasters and system developers, coordinated by the CTU since 2006 to foster regional harmonisation of spectrum management policies and practices and relevant capacity-building initiatives.

Lloyd Waller, professor of digital transformation policy and governance in the Department of Government at The UWI Mona, and one of the event organisers, said the university was thrilled to be facilitating the conference.

“With spectrum demand continually increasing in this new digital era, it is crucial to discuss how to optimise the use of this resource,” Waller said in his remarks.

“Jamaica is looking to be a digital society by 2030, and forums like this, where we can discuss how to use the spectrum effectively, will undoubtedly bring us closer to that goal. We are positive about the outcome and look forward to ongoing collaboration.”

The CTU is an inter-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting and supporting the development of the Caribbean information and communications technologies (ICT) sector for the region’s socio-economic development. The SMA is an agency of the Ministry of Science, Energy, and Technology and is the national regulator for the radio frequency spectrum.

Dr Maria Myers-Hamilton, managing director at the SMA, said the forum was significant as “digital technology has become an integral part of the lives of our citizenry and, by default, economic growth and development of any nation”.

Added Myers-Hamilton: “The recent pandemic inevitably spotlighted the vital critical role of access to digitalisation in the average citizen’s livelihood – it is therefore imperative that all Caribbean nations seek to implement and support regulation and/or policies that will scaffold the future-proofing of our digital landscape as a region.

“The primary objective of this symposium is to assemble all key stakeholders – public and private interest groups to share various perspectives on connectivity as it relates to governments, businesses, media, safety, health and institutions of higher education, coupled with both local and regional non-profit organisations (NGOs) – the endgame being a harmonisation approach on the way forward regarding policy and regulatory reforms that will ultimately enhance the lives of our Caribbean people.”

Additionally, the ongoing work of the SMTF and Spectrum Management Steering Committee will address crucial current matters arising.

Rodney Taylor, secretary-general of the CTU, remarked: “The Caribbean Telecommunications Union is pleased to partner with the University of the West Indies, Mona, to host this event. The CTU is committed to fostering a regionally harmonised spectrum management environment which can lead to increased efficiency in usage of radio frequencies, facilitate the further development and deployment of advanced technologies and encourage greater regional cooperation, creating a more connected Caribbean.”

While the workshop is primarily being held in-person, there are limited facilities for the participation of various stakeholders via Zoom.