Small island developing states (SIDS) and ICTs

Mid-term review of the Samoa Pathway

Acknowledgements

The present review was prepared by ITU expert Michael Minges, under the direction of the Environment and Emergency Telecommunications (EET) Division of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT).

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Executive Summary

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) can help mitigate many of the challenges affecting small island developing states (SIDS) and provide the foundation for digitizing and diversifying the economy. This is reflected in the Samoa Pathway report issued at the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States held in Apia, Samoa, in September 2014:

“We recognize that access by Small Island Developing States to appropriate reliable, affordable, modern and environmentally sound technologies is critical to achieving their sustainable development objectives and in fostering an environment that provides incentives for innovation and entrepreneurship and that science, technology and innovation are essential enablers and drivers for sustainable development.”

SIDS have made progress in terms of the universality and affordability of their ICT networks since the 2014 Samoa conference. Mobile broadband coverage has risen from 50 per cent of the population to 85 per cent and the price of 500 megabits of mobile data has virtually halved, falling from 15 per cent of gross national income (GNI) per capita to 8 per cent. Improved connectivity has provided the foundation for boosting Internet take-up. The percentage of individuals using the Internet rose 16 percentage points between 2014 and 2018, from 40 to 56 per cent (unweighted average), and over half the SIDS have an Internet penetration rate of over 60 per cent. By 2021, five more SIDS will be connected to fibre-optic submarine cables, leaving just three unconnected from global undersea networks. As infrastructure expands and affordability improves in the SIDS, other factors such as digital skills and awareness are becoming more significant constraints to Internet take-up.

Overall, SIDS are largely on track to achieve universality and affordability targets for Internet access by 2020. According to current trends, mobile broadband coverage will reach almost 90 per cent of the population, the average price of a mobile data package will be around 5 per cent of per capita income and secondary school enrolment is projected to rise modestly to 72 per cent. Internet usage is predicted to rise to 59 per cent of the population by 2020, with future growth predicated on improvement in coverage, affordability and school enrolment.

Disruptive and transformative technologies and services, such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, drones and mobile money, are being used to enhance sustainable development in SIDS. Their impacts have nevertheless been muted owing to largely limited application. Constraints include lack of technical, financial and human resources. There is a need to upgrade skills for applying digital technologies to development challenges and ensure better coordination between ICT specialists and different sectors of the economy. Digital technologies and applications, particularly social media, also pose risks, for example in terms of false information and misuse of personal information. Forward-thinking strategies, appropriate regulatory policies in areas such as data protection and regional cooperation to provide consistency and bargaining power when dealing with stakeholders are essential in order to anticipate and mitigate these dangers.

ICT is a major industry in virtually all the SIDS, generating direct and indirect economic impacts. The ICT sector tends to account for a higher share of gross domestic product (GDP) in small islands than in other countries. Telecommunication operators in the SIDS are often among the largest companies, contributing significantly to government tax revenues, and are leading sources of employment. The indirect economic impacts of ICTs are also significant, as shown by a number of recent studies.

SIDS nevertheless face various challenges that need to be overcome for a productive and sustainable ICT sector. Progress has been uneven and there is a major gap between the best-performing SIDS and the others. Prices remain high in a number of SIDS and the use of digital technologies to contribute to sustainable development is lagging behind.

The key recommendations of the study include:

• The regulatory environment needs to be strengthened to promote a dynamic and sustainable ICT sector. Over half the SIDS are in the second generation of regulation[1] and facing difficulties confronting disruption to their ICT markets. In some SIDS, greater competition needs to be stimulated, while in others market attractiveness needs to be strengthened through transparent and flexible regulation; in addition, sufficient spectrum needs to be made available for wireless broadband, and operators diversification into new business lines such as mobile money should be considered.

• Fibre-optic connectivity via submarine cable is now or will soon be available in all but three SIDS. This has dramatically increased international bandwidth and the potential for the development of ICT-enabled services. Yet most SIDS have been slow to seize this opportunity and to foster digital entrepreneurship and innovation. Creating the conditions required to increase the use of ICT domestically and facilitate trade is vital in order to enable transformation to digital economies and reduce brain drain.

• Timely and relevant statistics are essential for policy-making and to monitor and fine-tune strategies. The availability of up-to-date ICT indicators in the SIDS varies. A few countries produce detailed sector-specific reports, some carry out annual surveys on household and individual ICT usage, while others include topics like Internet usage and household availability of digital devices in regular household surveys. The Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority is notable for compiling supply-side telecommunication statistics for its five members. Most SIDS, however, collect ICT indicators sporadically, sometimes only as part of a decennial census. And in a handful of SIDS there are no official data for something as critical as Internet usage. It is imperative for SIDS to include ICT indicators in their national statistical systems.

• While SIDS share many characteristics, there are huge differences between them. This is apparent in ICT infrastructure, use and applications, where there are wide gaps. Some SIDS are far ahead, with advanced infrastructure and high levels of use, while others lag behind. Support should be tailored for these different groups. Where there is medium to high ICT take-up, the potential exists to incorporate more advanced digital technologies to tackle development challenges. For SIDS lagging behind in ICT, efforts are required to create an environment conducive to expanding network infrastructure and developing regulatory expertise. In all the SIDS, there is significant scope for making greater use of digital technologies for sustainable development in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

[1] To help analyse the evolution of ICT regulation worldwide, ITU has developed the ICT Regulatory Tracker to identify and measure progress areas as well as gaps. Countries included in the Tracker are split into score thresholds that relate to generations of regulation, for any given year. The generations have been identified as: G1: Regulated public monopolies – command and control approach, G2: Basic reform – partial liberalization and privatization across the layers, G3: Enabling investment, innovation and access – dual focus on stimulating competition in service and content delivery, and consumer protection, and G4: Integrated regulation – led by economic and social policy goals. (https://www.itu.int/net4/itu-d/irt/#/tracker-by-country/regulatory-tracker/2018)

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

List of tables and figures and boxes

1 Introduction

2 Access to and use of ICTs

3 Enabling environment

4 Development impacts

4.1 Sustainable development impacts

4.1.1 Agriculture and fishing

4.1.2 Climate, disaster and environment

4.1.3 Education

4.1.4 Financial inclusion

4.1.5 Health

4.1.6 Public services

4.2 Economic impacts

5 Tracking progress in the SIDS

6 Conclusions and recommendations

7 Statistical annex

8 References

List of tables and figures and boxes

Tables

Table 1-1: SIDS by ITU region and income grouping

Table 1-2: SIDS by income classification and population

Table 2-1: Households with a mobile phone (%), SIDS, 2018 or latest available data

Table 2-2: Number of undersea fibre-optic cables connecting to SIDS, July 2019

Table 4-1: Mobile money deployments, SIDS, 2010-2017

Table 5-1: Performance across the three dimensions of Internet use: access, affordability and skills

Table 7-1: Basic indicators, 2018

Table 7-2: Fixed-telephone subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

Table 7-3: Mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

Table 7-4: Active mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

Table 7-5: Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

Table 7-6: Percentage of population covered by at least a 3G mobile network

Table 7-7: Internet users (%)

Table 7-8: Mobile broadband prepaid prices (500 MB), 2017

Table 7-9: Net enrolment rate, secondary, both sexes (%)

Table 7-10: ICT Regulatory Tracker 2018

Table 7-11: E-Government Development Index (EGDI)

Figures

Figure 2-1: Mobile broadband coverage and subscriptions

Figure 2-2: Individuals using the Internet in SIDS and Internet use and net secondary school enrolment rate in SIDS, 2017

Figure 3-1: Generations of ICT regulation in the SIDS

Figure 3-2: Long-distance revenue in the North Pacific and Eastern Caribbean

Figure 3-3: Sales of incumbent operators, SIDS, 2014-2019

Figure 4-1: Bait-to-plate with blockchain in Fiji

Figure 4-2: University of South Pacific network

Figure 4-3: Mauritius Citizen Support Portal

Figure 5-1: Projections for universal and affordable access to the Internet, SIDS

Boxes

Box 4-1: Expanding ICT market scale with tourism

Box 5-1: Cabo Verde: Progressing connectivity and confronting challenges

1 Introduction

The United Nations recognizes small island developing states (SIDS) as a distinctive grouping. Most SIDS are in the Americas and Pacific regions, five are in Africa, and two are in Arab States (Table 1-1). They differ in demography, geography and wealth, but despite this heterogeneity SIDS are affected by common challenges arising from their small population bases and high climatic vulnerability:

“small size, remoteness, narrow resource and export base, and exposure to global environmental challenges and external economic shocks, including to a large range of impacts from climate change and potentially more frequent and intense natural disasters.”[1]

[1] https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/topics/sids

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) can help mitigate many of the challenges affecting SIDS. The development community is aware of the importance of ICTs in contributing to sustainable development in SIDS, as reflected in the SAMOA Pathway document issued at the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States held in Apia, Samoa, in September 2014:

“We recognize that access by Small Island Developing States to appropriate reliable, affordable, modern and environmentally sound technologies is critical to achieving their sustainable development objectives and in fostering an environment that provides incentives for innovation and entrepreneurship and that science, technology and innovation are essential enablers and drivers for sustainable development.” (UN 2014)

This document reviews progress in access to affordable and modern digital technologies since the 2014 Samoa conference. It was prepared as an input document to the September 2019 high-level review of progress made in addressing the priorities of SIDS through implementation of the SAMOA Pathway[1]. It provides examples to demonstrate progress made, showing how SIDS are using ICTs to help drive sustainable development, and includes a framework for tracking progress towards a universal and affordable Internet. The conclusions identify key challenges faced by SIDS in advancing connectivity. The Statistical Annex features key ICT indicators for the SIDS.

Table 1-1: SIDS by ITU region and income grouping

Africa

Americas

Arab States

Asia & Pacific

Cabo Verde†

Guinea-Bissau§*

Mauritius‡

Sao Tome and Principe†*

Seychelles+

Antigua and Barbuda+

Bahamas+

Barbados+

Belize‡

Cuba‡

Dominica‡

Dominican Republic‡

Grenada‡

Guyana‡

Haiti§*

Jamaica‡

Saint Kitts and Nevis+

Saint Lucia‡

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines‡

Suriname‡

Trinidad and Tobago+

Bahrain+

Comoros†*

Fiji‡

Kiribati†*

Maldives‡

Marshall Islands‡

Micronesia†

Nauru‡

Palau+

Papua New Guinea†

Samoa‡

Singapore+

Solomon Islands†*

Timor-Leste†*

Tonga‡

Tuvalu‡*

Vanuatu†*

Note: § low income, † lower middle income, ‡ upper middle income, +high income.
Income classifications based on World Bank June 2019.
* Also LDC. Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Sao Tome and Principe are slated for graduation in 2020, 2024 and 2024 respectively.
Not included: Non-UN Member States, non-self-governing or non-independent territories: American Samoa, Anguilla, Aruba, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Commonwealth of Northern Marianas, Cook Islands, Curacao, French Polynesia, Guadeloupe, Guam, Martinique, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Niue, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Turks and Caicos Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Source: Adapted from UN-OHRLLS (http://unohrlls.org/about-sids/country-profiles/) and World Bank (https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519-world-bank-country-and-lending-groups) and based on ITU regions.

A majority of SIDS are classified as upper and high income. Just two are classified as low income yet they represent 20 per cent of the SIDS population. In order to present statistical trends for the SIDS as a whole, group averages in the review are weighted by the number of SIDS.

Table 1-2: SIDS by income classification and population

Population (2018)

Number of SIDS

Percentage of population

Percentage of SIDS

High income

9,533,650

9

15%

24%

Upper middle income

30,159,836

18

46%

47%

Lower middle income

12,635,430

9

19%

24%

Low income

12,997,485

2

20%

5%

SIDS

65,326,401

38

100%

100%

Source: World Bank.

2 Access to and use of ICTs

Basic ICTs, particularly wireless technologies, have proliferated throughout the SIDS. Already at the time of the 2014 Samoa summit, potential access to mobile communications was high in most SIDS, with basic mobile coverage nearly ubiquitous, and by 2018 second generation (2G) mobile population coverage in the SIDS was 94 per cent, close to the world average. In over half the SIDS, mobile phone availability in households exceeds 90 per cent[2], and in just six it is less than 75 per cent (Table 2-1). In contrast, fixed-telephone penetration in the SIDS was just 14 per 100 inhabitants in 2017.

Table 2-1: Households with a mobile phone (%), SIDS, 2018 or latest available data

>90%

<90% & >75%

<75%

Bahamas

Bahrain

Barbados

Belize

Cabo Verde

Dominica

Dominican Republic

Fiji

Guinea-Bissau

Jamaica

Maldives

Mauritius

Nauru

Samoa

Seychelles

Singapore

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent

Tonga

Trinidad and Tobago

Antigua and Barbuda

Comoros

Grenada

Guyana

Haiti

Palau

Sao Tome and Principe

Solomon Islands

Suriname

Timor-Leste

Vanuatu

Cuba

Kiribati

Marshall Islands

Micronesia

Papua New Guinea

Tuvalu

Source: ITU and national household surveys.

While low-speed mobile technology enables voice communications, text messaging and mobile money, broadband networks are essential for higher-level services such as telemedicine, online learning, climate monitoring and advanced electronic government services. Broadband triggers higher economic impacts as it is “always on”, with high-speed data transmission and low latency raising productivity and enabling new business models.

Mobile broadband coverage has improved significantly in the SIDS since 2014, up 35 percentage points and reaching 85 per cent of the population in 2018 (Figure 2-1, left). Mobile broadband subscriptions rose from one quarter of the population in 2014 to almost half by 2018, but lags behind the world average by 22 percentage points (Figure 2-1, right). High-speed mobile is the predominant broadband technology in the SIDS, surpassing fixed broadband penetration—9 per cent in 2018—by a factor of five.

Figure 2-1: Mobile broadband coverage and subscriptions

Source: ITU.

Some SIDs have attracted significant public and private investment for large-scale projects such as submarine cables. Notably in the Pacific, deployment of undersea fibre-optic cables has developed rapidly (ITU 2018b). At the time of the Samoa conference, all but eight SIDS were connected to at least one submarine cable network. Since then Palau obtained an undersea submarine connection in 2017, the Solomon Islands are scheduled to do so before the end of 2019, and three more SIDS will have submarine connectivity by 2021, leaving just three unconnected from global undersea fibre-optic networks (Nauru, Timor-Leste and Tuvalu) (Table 2-2).

Many of these projects are enabled by development assistance, recognizing that most SIDS face significant challenges of joining a cable whereas the economic impact would be immense. Development partners have also insisted on open access to the cables they support in order to promote lower pricing. At the same time, inclusive planning of recent regional networks has enabled some SIDS to obtain submarine connectivity through routing that passes close to their countries allowing them to connect via branching units (e.g. the Manatua cable running from Samoa to French Polynesia which will connect the Cook Islands and Niue).

Table 2-2: Number of undersea fibre-optic cables connecting to SIDS, July 2019

0

1

2

> 2

Nauru

Timor-Leste

Tuvalu

Planned:

Cook Islands (2020)

Kiribati (2021)

Niue (2020)

Solomon Islands (2019)

Belize

Cuba

Guinea-Bissau

Guyana

Marshall Islands

Micronesia

Palau

Sao Tome and Principe

Seychelles

Suriname

Tonga

Vanuatu

Antigua and Barbuda

Barbados

Cabo Verde

Comoros

Dominica

Grenada

Haiti

Maldives

Mauritius

Papua New Guinea

Samoa

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent

Bahamas

Dominican Republic

Fiji

Jamaica

Singapore

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Trinidad and Tobago

Source: ITU.

Satellite connectivity remains important, particularly for SIDS with no submarine cable access or where large segments of the population are far away from submarine landing stations. Satellite is also important for redundancy and can be more economical for operators that cannot obtain cost-based rates from submarine cable wholesalers. Continual advances in technology are making satellite connectivity faster and cheaper and a number of satellite projects exist. The ITU’s Pacific Satellite Connectivity Project, for example, is partnering with Kacific[3] to connect remote and rural island communities with reliable and affordable Internet. A new Kacific satellite system scheduled for launch at the end of 2019 will offer speeds of up to 60 Gbps. Affordability will be key here but pricing of services has not been announced yet.

Improved connectivity has provided the foundation to boost Internet take-up. The percentage of individuals using the Internet increased 16 percentage points between 2014 and 2018, from 40 to 56 per cent (unweighted average), and over half the SIDS have an Internet penetration rate of over 60 per cent (Figure 2-2, left). Weighted Internet usage in the SIDS—i.e. the total number of Internet users divided by the total population—exceeded half the population in 2018, equalling the world average. Internet penetration is above 60 per cent in half of the SIDS.

As infrastructure expands and affordability improves in the SIDS, other factors such as lack of digital skills and awareness is becoming a more significant constraint to Internet take-up. In Cabo Verde, for example, around half of those who do not use the Internet said the most important reasons were lack of need and not knowing how to use it, whereas less than a third mentioned costs and five per cent said that it was because it was not available.[4] There is a high correlation between education and Internet use (ITU 2018a). This link is apparent when comparing secondary school enrolment to Internet use in the SIDS (Figure 2-2, right). Internet use is generally high in the secondary school age group and reinforced by the presence of computer labs and digital literacy courses, pointing to the importance for countries to invest in education to bring more people online and offer them new opportunities.

Figure 2-2: Individuals using the Internet in SIDS and Internet use and net secondary school enrolment rate in SIDS, 2017

Note: In the left-hand chart, the “average” number of Internet users is calculated by dividing the total number of users by the total number of SIDS. “Median” refers to the figure at which half of SIDS are above and half below. “Weighted” refers to the total number of Internet users in the SIDS divided by the total population of the SIDS.

Source: ITU and UNESCO Institute of Statistics.

3 Enabling environment

An enlightened enabling environment is essential for SIDS to attract investment and protect consumers. This includes a regulatory regime that fosters private investment for deploying ICT networks in a competitive environment that often results in lower prices and better quality. Clear government strategies for applying ICTs across a spectrum of development challenges are also critical to ensure that digital technologies have the intended impacts.

The level of required regulatory expertise changes as markets become more complex and technology evolves. The ITU-ITC Regulatory Tracker is a tool for measuring progress in ICT regulation. Four generations of regulation are identified:

- First Generation (G1): Regulated public monopolies– command and control approach

- Second Generation (G2): Basic reform – partial liberalization and privatization across the layers

- Third Generation (G3): Regulations enabling investment, innovation and access – dual focus on stimulating competition in service and content delivery, and consumer protection

- Fourth Generation (G4): Integrated regulation – led by economic and social policy goals

In general, SIDS are not highly ranked for regulatory performance. Over half are in the first and second generations of regulation (Figure 3-1). This is partly a reflection of the small market size where competition tends to be limited as well as the resource constraints faced by regulators in a number of small island states. Just half a dozen SIDS are in the fourth generation of regulation. The Dominican Republic is notable for ranking in the top ten owing to early reform efforts such as enactment of a telecommunication law and creation of an independent regulatory agency that has produced a predictable and stable environment to attract investment.[5]

Figure 3-1: Generations of ICT regulation in the SIDS

Source: ITU, see https://www.itu.int/net4/itu-d/irt/#/tracker-by-country/regulatory-tracker/2018

SIDS have utilized different approaches to overcome the challenge of scarce resources available for ICT regulation. One option is a multisector regulator such as the Office of Utilities Regulation in Jamaica, which has responsibility not only for telecommunications but also for water and sewerage, electricity and transportation. A review of Jamaica’s multisector regulatory experience found that, though there are drawbacks, “… it offers an effective pragmatic solution[s] for small countries with limited financial resources, small technical skill pool and the risk of political intervention.”[6] Another approach is a regional regulator such the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL), the ICT regulatory body for Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.[7] Telecommunication regulators can also share responsibilities with other public agencies, as is the case in Fiji where the Competition and Consumer Commission is responsible for setting interconnection rates.[8]

Due to large diasporas and tourism, small islands have traditionally been more reliant on international calls and roaming compared to other countries. Telecommunication operators in a number of SIDS are witnessing a sharp decline in international traffic and roaming as users switch to over-the-top (OTT) applications. For example, the incumbent telecommunication operator in Micronesia witnessed a drop in call revenue of 24 per cent in 2018.[9] Other operators in the North Pacific have also witnessed falls in long-distance revenues (Figure 3-2, left). Similarly, in the Eastern Caribbean, international traffic minutes fell 25 per cent between 2014 and 2017 and overall revenues fell 7 per cent (Figure 3-2, right). While operators do earn revenue from data usage, this has been insufficient to make up for the large drop in traditional voice revenue. Operators will need to look for new business models and new sources of revenue such as mobile money, broadband television and business services such as cloud computing. This was also recognized by regulators participating in the ITU 18th session of the Global Symposium for Regulators, which adopted the Best Practice Guidelines on New Regulatory Frontiers.[10]

Figure 3-2: Long-distance revenue in the North Pacific and Eastern Caribbean

Note: FSMTC = Federated States of Micronesia Telecommunications Corporation, MINTA = Marshall Islands National Telecommunications Authority, PNCC = Palau National Communications Corporation.

Source: Operator financial statements and ECTEL (2018).

Ongoing sales of incumbent operators in SIDS are having an effect on the competitive environment and investment. Many incumbents in the SIDS are subsidiaries of large corporate groups that have recently effected numerous acquisitions and divestures (Figure 3-3). Over two dozen SIDS have been affected by sales of their incumbent operators over the last few years, far higher than any other country grouping, increasing unpredictability and affecting the ability of incumbents to compete effectively (Minges and Jensen, 2017). Sometimes the divestures have created situations where the same group owns more than one operator in a country, which affects competition. Governments in a few SIDS have taken steps to inject greater local ownership, for example by repurchasing shares in the incumbent, as in Cabo Verde[11], or listing the operator on the local stock market, as in the Maldives.[12] There has also been a rise in SIDS-SIDS investment, particularly in the Pacific where Fiji’s ATH has purchased telecommunication operators in American Samoa, the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Samoa and Vanuatu.

Figure 3-3: Sales of incumbent operators, SIDS, 2014-2019

Source: Updated from Minges and Jensen (2017).

4 Development impacts

Digital technology is having discernible impacts on sustainable development and the economy in small islands. ICTs are contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in numerous ways and across different domains, with various technologies helping to improve healthcare, monitor the climate, enhance disaster management, expand online learning opportunities, extend financial inclusion, and more. The ICT sector is an important contributor to gross domestic product (GDP) in many SIDS, producing measurable indirect impacts and enabling innovation and entrepreneurship.

4.1 Sustainable development impacts

ICTs offer a range of solutions across a spectrum of areas relevant to SIDS that can accelerate progress towards achieving the SDGs. A number of recent examples are highlighted below, illustrating how cross-cutting digital technology is being used by SIDS in areas relevant to many of the 17 SDGs.

4.1.1 Agriculture and fishing

Digital technology can enhance rural livelihoods, which is important for many SIDS with sizable rural populations where farming and fishing are major occupations. Benefits accrue from access to larger markets; more timely and transparent pricing information for inputs and outputs; better production techniques due to easier access to relevant information; and the use of sensors to monitor climate, soil and sea conditions and track livestock and fish.

Safety for fishers in the Eastern Caribbean is being enhanced through a mobile application providing early warning of risky weather and sea conditions with users able to share their information about local conditions.[13] Blockchain technology along with radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags and quick response (QR) codes are being used in Fiji to trace the tuna supply chain (Figure 4-1) to promote sustainable and ethical fishing.[14] A “farm-to-table” example of blockchain is being deployed in Papua New Guinea for smallholder farmers to track their pigs using RFID tags and a smartphone app, verifying the animals have received the correct diet and were administered the proper vaccines.[15]

Figure 4-1: Bait-to-plate with blockchain in Fiji

Source: https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/02/28/betting-on-blockchain-to-put-truly-sustainable-seafood-on-dinner-plates

4.1.2 Climate, disaster and environment

Small islands are naturally prone to disaster caused by earthquakes and severe weather events, and are being affected by climate change resulting in increased extreme weather events such as tropical cyclones and hurricanes, floods and landslides, prolonged drought and wildfires. Connectivity can help address these events by providing remote communities with access to early warning systems and real-time weather information. Remote sensing, geographic information systems (GISs), social media and drones are just some of the ICT tools being used in SIDS for risk assessment of hazards and for monitoring the impact of climate change. In Vanuatu, drones were used for rapid damage assessment following Cyclone Pam in March 2015 (ITU 2019b). In Palau, artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to analyse location data such as weather, energy costs and physical characteristics to accelerate transition from expensive and polluting diesel fuel to renewable energy.[16]

4.1.3 Education

Online access and tools are important for education and are particularly relevant for small islands separated by large distances and with small population (and student) sizes and limited schools, teachers and learning materials. The use of satellite and fibre-optic connectivity for tertiary distance education has enabled the University of the South Pacific (USP), headquartered in Suva, Fiji, to extend its presence to a dozen countries in the region; half of its students use distance education, including audio/video conferencing and Internet access (Figure 4-2). Network capacity has been progressively increased, as the highest attrition rates are in countries with poor bandwidth. New submarine cables in the region are enabling USP to acquire dark fibre supporting advanced distance-learning applications and link students and international educational research networks. The Caribbean has a similar example: the University of the West Indies Open Campus provides online learning to some 23 000 students in 17 Caribbean countries across more than forty locations.

Figure 4-2: University of South Pacific network

Source: https://asiapacificreport.nz/2018/03/27/nz-to-give-6-million-boost-for-uspnet-communications-upgrade/

4.1.4 Financial inclusion

Improved connectivity is enhancing financial inclusion for some SIDS. Of particular relevance is mobile money, which can overcome the lack of formal banking options, especially in remote areas. In Guinea Bissau and Papua New Guinea, for example, mobile money agents outnumber commercial bank branches by a factor of 64 and 131, respectively.[17] Currently, there are 23 mobile money services in operation in 15 SIDS (Table 4-1).[18] Mobile money has proven particularly popular in the South Pacific where it has been launched in Fiji, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. These countries have large diasporas and mobile money enables users to transfer funds overseas at considerably less cost than using banks or traditional money transfer companies. If all funds remitted from overseas to the South Pacific in 2014 had used mobile money services it would have saved consumers USD 26 million in transfer fees (Minges and Stork, 2015).

Table 4-1: Mobile money deployments, SIDS, 2010-2017

Country

Mobile money operator

2010-13

2014

2015

2016

2017

Fiji

Vodafone

Digicel

Guinea-Bissau

MTN

Haiti

Digicel

Haitipay

Papua New Guinea

Digicel

NationWide MicroBank

ANZ

Samoa

Digicel

Tonga

Digicel

Vanuatu

Digicel

Guyana

GT&T

Singapore

SingTel

Solomon Islands

ANZ

Dominican Republic

Orange

Timor-Leste

BNU

Dominican Republic

Claro

Seychelles

Airtel

Jamaica

National Commercial Bank

Maldives

Ooredoo

Guinea-Bissau

Orange

Jamaica

GK

Maldives

Dhiraagu

Source: GSMA, Mobile money deployment tracker

4.1.5 Health

Connectivity benefits the health sector in various ways, improving the speed and accountability of administrative processes, increasing efficiency, lowering costs and offering new ways to deliver medical services and medicine. Mobile phones are used to remind patients to take their medicines, online health information is made available to citizens, and diagnostic information is transmitted over broadband networks for experts to analyse. Better connectivity among health institutions helps remote clinics to access expertise that may only be available at far-away hospitals. Benefits are substantially improved with high bandwidth and fibre-optic cables, making it possible to transmit high-quality images. The SickKids-Caribbean Initiative connects the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, to six Caribbean countries, enabling telemedicine to improve outcomes for children suffering from cancer.[19] In Vanuatu, where the limited number of roads across its 80 islands means that one in five children miss out on essential childhood vaccinations, drones are starting to be used to deliver medicine to remote areas.[20]

4.1.6 Public services

Improved connectivity makes government processes more efficient, enabling online and mobile-based delivery of public services, saving citizens and businesses time and money. Examples of the application of digital technologies for public services in the SIDS include business and voter registration, single window trade and a citizen portal. Tonga illustrates the impact that implementation of an online system can have on the time taken to register a company. Following the launch of its free online company registration system in December 2014, the number of days to register a business fell from 14 days to one (Minges and Jensen, 2017). Another example of the use of ICTs in government was seen during the 2014 elections in the Solomon Islands. Citizens were photographed and fingerprinted using a biometric voter registration (BVR) system. An SMS-based information campaign was used to inform the public about candidates, voting procedures and the locations of polling stations. The Electoral Commission cited the importance of the BVR system for registering over 80 per cent of the eligible voting population (Minges and Stork, 2015). Trade processes become more efficient and transparent by moving them online. In Barbados, the Electronic Single Window was launched in 2017 to track, manage and store digital versions of over 200 documents from traders, shippers and government.[21] The Citizen Support Portal (Figure 4-3), launched in 2017 in Mauritius, is an online service allowing citizens to directly transmit their requests and share concerns and ideas; those without access to the Internet can go to a Citizen's Advice Bureau where staff register input to the portal.

Figure 4-3: Mauritius Citizen Support Portal

Source: https://www.csu.mu/statistics-details/14/statistics.html

4.2 Economic impacts

ICT is a major sector in virtually all the SIDS, generating direct and indirect economic impacts. The ICT sector tends to account for a higher share of GDP in small islands than in other countries. Telecommunication operators in small islands are often among the largest companies, contributing significantly to government budgets through taxes, and are leading sources of employment. Tourism is an important contributor to the telecommunication sector in SIDS by expanding the market for ICT services (Box 4-1).

Box 4-1: Expanding ICT market scale with tourism

Tourism is vital for the economies of many small islands and ICT plays an important role. Tourists have a direct impact on mobile operators’ revenues, expanding the market and creating scale, and contributing to financial sustainability. Some 49 million tourists visited the SIDS in 2017, whose populations in comparison total 65 million, and in 14 SIDS the number of tourists outnumbered the population.[1] Most tourists bring their phones and by using roaming or buying a local SIM card they contribute to telecom operators’ revenues. A survey of Chinese travellers found that 94 per cent bring their mobile phones, with a third purchasing local SIM cards during their visits and 31 per cent using international roaming.[2] In the Seychelles, the average overseas visitor spends SCR 297 (USD 22) a day on telecommunications, a figure equivalent to the average monthly amount spent by a Seychelles household.[3]

[1] Derived from statistics on tourism arrivals at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.ARVL

[2] Hotels.com. 2015. Chinese International Travel Monitor. https://www.hospitalitynet.org/file/152005665.pdf

[3] National Bureau of Statistics. 2016. Visitor Expenditure Survey 2015-Q4. http://www.nbs.gov.sc/download-archive/resources/uploads/2016/03/VES-2015-Q4.pdf

The indirect economic impacts of ICTs are significant. ITU’s global study on the economic contribution of broadband, digitization and ICT regulation in 2018[22] found evidence that broadband technologies and effective ICT regulation can have a positive impact on the growth of national economies and prosperity. Following this report, a series of regional econometric modelling reports have been prepared for all regions.

The econometric modelling for the Americas (ITU 2019) suggests that an increase of 10 per cent in mobile and fixed broadband penetration would yield an increase of 1.2 per cent in mobile and 1.9 per cent for fixed in GDP per capita for the Americas region[23]. In the case of Africa, the econometric modelling reports that 10 per cent increase in mobile and fixed broadband penetration represents an increase in GDP per capita of 2.5 per cent for mobile and 0.3 per cent for fixed[24]. Furthermore, the econometric modelling for Asia and Pacific found that the 10 per cent increase in mobile and fixed penetration yields an increase in GDP for mobile of 0.5 per cent and for fixed 1.6 per cent[25].

Another ITU study analysing the economic impact of broadband in the most vulnerable nations (i.e. SIDS, least developed countries (LDCs) and landlocked developing countries (LLDCs)) found that mobile broadband generated a 2.5 to 2.8 per cent increase in GDP per capita per 10 per cent increase in penetration and a 2.0 to 2.3 per cent increase for fixed broadband (ITU 2019b). The study concludes that the economic impact of both fixed and mobile broadband is greater in low-income countries than in other, higher-income countries.

Pricing of services remains a key enabler for adoption of broadband. Based on the results from these studies, it was calculated that a 10 per cent drop in prices would boost adoption by more than 0.9 per cent for mobile broadband in the Americas region, and 3.1 per cent in the African region.

Other studies also illustrate the economic impact of international connectivity. Deployment of a fibre-optic submarine cable to Samoa was found by the World Bank to generate a total economic impact of USD 235 million over 25 years, far more than the USD 34 million investment.[26]

Improved international connectivity has the potential to develop offshore software industries, contributing to export earnings and employment. A World Bank report estimates that Pacific islands have the potential to create thousands of ICT services export jobs as a result of recent submarine fibre-optic connectivity (Beschorner et al., 2015). The World Bank estimated the potential for creating 400-1 200 direct and 1 460-4 400 indirect jobs in offshore services due to the deployment of submarine cable to Samoa.[27]

Some SIDS, such as the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Mauritius and Singapore, have been successful at exporting computer services. The potential for ICT-enabled services needs to be spread to other SIDS. One way to do this is through government strategies—in countries such as Mauritius and Singapore this started years ago—that take a holistic approach by ensuring that all the components for an ICT-enabled outsourcing industry are in place.[28] Another way to transfer the skills required to build up offshore software services is by attracting software companies and entrepreneurs. This is the goal of Vanuatu, which hopes to leverage its submarine fibre connectivity to become a fintech hub and attract experts, with the potential to generate 3 000 jobs.[29]

5 Tracking progress in the SIDS

It is useful to have a framework to gauge how well prepared SIDS are to leverage digital technologies to contribute to sustainable development. ITU has developed a methodology to track progress towards achieving SDG Target 9.c, “to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet”. Although this target was aimed at LDCs, it is relevant for and can be applied to the SIDS too. The framework consists of three key indicators related to the goal of bringing people online:

i) percentage of the population covered by a 3G network (measuring universal access to the Internet);

ii) mobile data price as a proportion of per capita income (measuring affordability); and

iii) net secondary school enrolment (proxying for the capability to use the Internet beyond simple tasks).

Imbalances among these three indicators can affect Internet access, take-up and use, constraining the ability of SIDS to leverage ICTs to advance sustainable development.

The progress made by individual SIDS in achieving SDG Target 9.c varies. A number of SIDS have made rapid advances towards achieving universal and affordable access to the Internet, as measured by mobile population coverage and the price of a monthly mobile Internet package. Some two dozen SIDS equal or exceed the world average for population coverage with 3G mobile broadband networks (90 per cent). While most SIDS have launched 4G/LTE (long-term evolution) networks, coverage is still relatively low with just a dozen SIDS able to provide a signal to over half the population. Around a dozen SIDS (of those with available data) have mobile broadband prices meeting the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development target (less than 2 per cent of gross national income (GNI) per capita).[30] The weighted average of net secondary school enrolment stood at 55 per cent in 2017, which is lower than the world average of 66 per cent. This figure is misleading, however, since a few highly populated SIDS have low enrolment rates; over half the SIDS have rates above 70 per cent, which is also the unweighted average. Nevertheless, improvement is slow, with the average rising by just one percentage point every few years.

Overall, the SIDS are largely on track to achieve the universality and affordability targets for Internet access by 2020 (Figure 5-1). Mobile broadband coverage will reach almost 90 per cent of the population, the average price of a mobile data package will be around 5 per cent of per capita income and secondary school enrolment is projected to rise modestly to 72 per cent. Internet usage is predicted to rise to 59 per cent of the population by 2020, with future growth predicated on improvement in coverage, affordability and school enrolment.

Figure 5-1: Projections for universal and affordable access to the Internet, SIDS

Note: Projections are shaded.

Source: ITU, UNESCO Institute of Statistics.

SIDS have been classified into three categories according to their performance on Internet universality and affordability and secondary school enrolment (Table 5-1). The leading group consists of eleven nations with 90 per cent or more broadband mobile population coverage that meet the Broadband Commission affordability target (i.e., mobile data price less than two percent of per capita GNI) and whose net secondary school enrolment exceeds the SIDS average. This group, mainly comprised of Caribbean countries along with Bahrain, Seychelles and Singapore, have connectivity that ranks among the top in the world. They are also relatively wealthy, consisting of all the high-income SIDS (except Palau) and four upper middle-income SIDS. In addition, they mostly have an advanced regulatory environment: all of the countries are deemed to belong in the most advanced generation of regulation (except the Dominican Republic, which is not included owing to its relatively low secondary school enrolment rate).

The middle group consists of nineteen heterogeneous countries, with a mix of Caribbean, Pacific and three of the four lusophone SIDS. In general, this group is performing well but lags behind in a single area. For example, the constraint in Cabo Verde (Box 5-1) is school enrolment, in Cuba it is mobile broadband coverage, and in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines it is affordability. Remedying the one area of weakness would push many up into the higher group.

The lowest group consists of eight SIDS. Five of the countries in this group are also LDCs. In the other three, market structure is the major constraint. In the North Pacific countries of the Marshall Islands and Micronesia, the mobile market is a monopoly and in the third, Papua New Guinea, the leading operator dominates the market with a share of subscriptions of over 90 per cent.[31] Lack of competition in these SIDS affects prices and infrastructure investment.

Table 5-1: Performance across the three dimensions of Internet use: access, affordability and skills

High

Medium

Low

1.  Antigua and Barbuda

2.  Bahamas

3.   Bahrain

4.   Barbados

5.  Jamaica

6.  Mauritius

7.  Saint Kitts and Nevis

8.  Saint Lucia

9.  Seychelles

10.  Singapore

11.  Trinidad and Tobago

1.  Cabo Verde

2.  Dominica

3.  Dominican Republic

4.  Fiji

5.  Guyana

6.  Maldives

7.  Palau

8.  Samoa

9.  Tonga

10.  Belize

11.  Cuba

12.  Grenada

13.  Nauru

14.  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

15.  Sao Tome and Principe*

16.  Suriname

17.  Timor-Leste*

18.  Tuvalu*

19.  Vanuatu*

1.  Comoros*

2.  Marshall Islands

3.  Haiti*

4.  Kiribati*

5.  Micronesia

6.  Guinea-Bissau*

7.  Papua New Guinea

8.  Solomon Islands*

Note: Based on the average rank across three indicators: 3G coverage (% of population), price of 500 of MB mobile data (% of GNI per capita) and net secondary school enrolment. In the leading category, all countries have the same score, whereas in the middle and lower categories countries are listed by score. * Least developed country (LDC).

Box 5-1: Cabo Verde: Progressing connectivity and confronting challenges

Cabo Verde has improved its ICT connectivity over the last decade and largely achieved universal and affordable access to the Internet. More than 90 per cent of the population has mobile broadband coverage and the price of 500 MB of mobile data is equivalent to 1.2 per cent of GNI per capita, well below the Broadband Commission target of two per cent. Over half the population uses the Internet, a milestone reached in 2016.

The regulator ANAC (National Agency for Communications) was created in 2006 and mobile competition introduced the following year. 3G mobile broadband was launched in late 2011. Cabo Verde is deemed to belong in the third generation of ICT regulation.[1] It connected to the Atlantis-2 fibre-optic submarine cable as far back as 2000 and established a second connection to the West African Cable Systems (WACS) in 2012. It will soon be connected to a third cable (EllaLink) in 2020, with the CEO of the incumbent operator CVT commenting “Cabo Verde enjoys a unique geopolitical position in the Atlantic, equidistant between Europe and Latin America and close to Africa with a stable and solid commitment to order and democracy, all of which makes it the ideal hub for interconnecting these territories…”.[2] Financial assistance for connecting to EllaLink was provided by the European Investment Bank.[3] A domestic fibre-optic network connecting major islands was completed in 2011.

The country has faced challenges relating to its ICT market. In 2012 mobile operator T+ was purchased by Unitel, posing competitive concerns given that both Unitel and CVT were partly owned by Portugal Telecom. Subsequently, Portugal Telecom sold its stake in lusophone operators to Brazil’s Oi in 2014, leading to legal disputes.[4] In 2019, the Cabo Verde Government purchased Oi’s stake in CVT.[5] OTT has impacted the incumbent with roaming and international call revenue falling sharply and over a quarter of mobile traffic generated by OTT, forcing CVT to sharply reduce expenses.[6] Uncertainty over CVT and indirect competition from OTT has delayed the introduction of 4G/LTE technology. The resolution of CVT’s ownership and freeing up of the 800 MHz frequency band following the digital TV switchover in 2018 led to the launch of 4G/LTE in June 2019.

Another challenge Cabo Verde faces is that of ensuring increased Internet usage. After rising an impressive 60 per cent between 2014 and 2017, usage dropped by a percentage point in 2018. Over half of Cabo Verdeans not using the Internet gave the reason as not knowing how to use it. One of the best ways of boosting Internet usage is through schooling, yet net secondary school enrolment has been stuck at 65 per cent since 2014. Efforts are needed to get more youth into secondary school.

[1] https://www.itu.int/net4/itu-d/irt/#/country-card/CPV

[2] EllaLink. 2018. “Cabo Verde Telecom and EllaLink sign agreement for connectivity to Cabo Verde on the EllaLink Submarine Cable System.” Press Release, 13 December. https://ella.link/2018/12/13/cabo-verde-telecom-and-ellalink-sign-agreement-for-connectivity-to-cabo-verde-on-the-ellalink-submarine-cable-system/

[3] https://www.eib.org/en/press/all/2019-171-eib-backs-high-speed-cabo-verde-internet-and-telecom-connection

[4] https://www.telegeography.com/products/commsupdate/articles/2015/10/14/lawsuits-fly-in-each-direction-over-unitel-ownership/

[5] https://macauhub.com.mo/2019/05/22/pt-grupo-brasileiro-oi-encaixa-263-milhoes-de-dolares-com-venda-da-participacao-na-cabo-verde-telecom/

[6] http://www.grupocvt.com.cv/node/689

6 Conclusions and recommendations

SIDS have made progress in terms of the universality and affordability of their ICT networks since the 2014 Samoa conference. Mobile broadband coverage has risen from half of the population to 85 per cent and the price of mobile data has virtually been halved from 15 per cent of GNI per capita to 8 per cent. Technologies such as AI, blockchain and drones have been introduced to enhance sustainable development in areas such as clean energy, agriculture and disaster assessment. Progress has nevertheless been uneven and there is a big gap between the best-performing and other SIDS. Prices remain high in a number of SIDS and the use of digital technologies for contributing to sustainable development is lagging behind.

The regulatory environment needs to be strengthened to promote a dynamic and sustainable ICT sector. Over half the SIDS are in the second generation of regulation and facing difficulties confronting disruption to their ICT markets. In some SIDS, greater competition needs to be stimulated, while in others market attractiveness needs to be strengthened through transparent and flexible regulation; in addition, sufficient spectrum needs to be made available for wireless broadband, and operators diversification into new business lines such as mobile money should be considered.

Social media and disruptive technologies such as AI and Big Data, blockchain and drones offer advantages for disaster management, agriculture and fishing, health and other areas. However, their impacts have been muted owing to largely limited application. Constraints include lack of technical, financial and human resources. There is a need to upgrade skills for applying digital technologies to development challenges and ensure better coordination between ICT specialists and different sectors of the economy.

Digital technologies and applications, particularly social media, pose risks, for example in terms of false information and misuse of personal information. Forward-thinking strategies, appropriate regulatory policies in areas such as data protection and regional cooperation to provide consistency and bargaining power when dealing with stakeholders are essential in order to anticipate and mitigate these dangers.

Fibre-optic connectivity via submarine cable to the global Internet is now or will soon be available in all but three SIDS. This has dramatically increased international bandwidth and the potential for the development of ICT-enabled services and industries in areas including software development, contact centres and back-office support. Yet most SIDS have been slow to seize this opportunity and to foster digital entrepreneurship and innovation. Creating the conditions required to increase the application of ICT domestically and facilitate trade is vital in order to enable transformation to digital economies and reduce brain drain.

Timely and relevant statistics are essential for policy-making and to monitor and fine-tune strategies. The availability of up-to-date ICT indicators in the SIDS varies. A few countries such as Mauritius produce detailed sector-specific reports covering economic indicators, infrastructure and prices as well as household, individual and business usage. Some countries such as Singapore carry out annual surveys on household and individual ICT usage, while others include topics like Internet usage and household availability of digital devices in regular household surveys. The Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) is notable for compiling supply-side telecommunication statistics for its five members. Most SIDS, however, collect ICT indicators sporadically, sometimes only as part of a decennial census. And in a handful of SIDS no surveys including ICT questions are carried out and there are no official data for something as critical as Internet usage. It is imperative for SIDS to include ICT indicators in their national statistical systems and there are a number of manuals available to guide them.[32]

While SIDS share many characteristics, there are huge differences between them. This is apparent in ICT infrastructure, use and applications, where there are wide gaps. Some SIDS are far ahead, with advanced infrastructure and high levels of use, while others lag behind. Support should be tailored for these different groups. Where there is medium to high ICT take- up, the potential exists to incorporate more advanced digital technologies to tackle development challenges. For SIDS lagging behind in ICT, efforts are required to create an environment conducive to expanding network infrastructure and developing regulatory expertise. In all the SIDS, there is significant scope for making greater use of digital technologies for sustainable development in order to achieve the SDGs.

7 Statistical annex

Table 7-1: Basic indicators, 2018

Population, total

Population density (people per sq. km of land area)

Rural population (% of total population)

Surface area
(sq. km)

GNI per capita, Atlas method (current US$)

Antigua and Barbuda

96,286

219

75

440

15,810

Bahamas, The

385,640

39

17

13,880

Bahrain

1,569,439

2,017

11

778

21,890

Barbados

286,641

667

69

430

Belize

383,071

17

54

22,970

4,720

Cabo Verde

543,767

135

34

4,030

3,450

Comoros

832,322

447

71

1,861

1,320

Cuba

11,338,138

109

23

109,880

Dominica

71,625

96

30

750

7,210

Dominican Republic

10,627,165

220

19

48,670

7,370

Fiji

883,483

48

44

18,270

5,860

Grenada

111,454

328

64

340

9,780

Guinea-Bissau

1,874,309

67

57

36,130

750

Guyana

779,004

4

73

214,970

4,760

Haiti

11,123,176

404

45

27,750

800

Jamaica

2,934,855

271

44

10,990

4,990

Kiribati

115,847

143

46

810

3,140

Maldives

515,696

1,719

60

300

9,310

Marshall Islands

58,413

325

23

180

4,740

Mauritius

1,265,303

623

59

2,040

12,050

Micronesia

112,640

161

77

700

3,580

Nauru

12,704

635

20

11,240

Palau

17,907

39

20

460

16,910

Papua New Guinea

8,606,316

19

87

462,840

2,530

Saint Kitts and Nevis

52,441

202

69

260

18,640

Saint Lucia

181,889

298

81

620

9,460

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

110,210

283

48

390

7,940

Samoa

196,130

69

82

2,840

4,190

Sao Tome and Principe

211,028

220

27

960

1,890

Seychelles

96,762

210

43

460

15,600

Singapore

5,638,676

7,953

719

58,770

Solomon Islands

652,858

23

76

28,900

2,000

Suriname

575,991

4

34

163,820

4,990

Timor-Leste

1,267,972

85

69

14,870

1,820

Tonga

103,197

143

77

750

4,300

Trinidad and Tobago

1,389,858

271

47

5,130

16,240

Tuvalu

11,508

384

38

30

5,430

Vanuatu

292,680

24

75

12,190

2,970

SIDS

65,326,401

498

49

1,211,428

8,756

Source: World Bank.

Table 7-2: Fixed-telephone subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2014

2015

2016

2017

Antigua and Barbuda

20.1

20.0

22.3

23.5

Bahamas

32.9

31.3

31.0

28.8

Bahrain

21.3

20.4

19.6

20.1

Barbados

47.9

52.6

49.0

42.2

Belize

6.5

6.6

6.1

5.5

Cabo Verde

11.3

11.9

12.0

11.9

Comoros

3.1

1.9

1.6

2.1

Cuba

11.1

11.3

11.5

11.8

Dominica

22.6

28.1

18.1

17.5

Dominican Republic

11.8

12.4

12.6

12.4

Fiji

8.6

8.1

8.3

8.4

Grenada

25.7

25.3

25.0

30.1

Guinea-Bissau

Guyana

20.9

20.1

18.3

17.5

Haiti

0.4

0.1

0.1

0.1

Jamaica

8.9

8.8

10.8

10.3

Kiribati

1.8

1.3

0.6

0.7

Maldives

5.5

5.2

4.9

4.7

Marshall Islands

4.5

Mauritius

29.6

30.2

30.9

32.7

Micronesia

6.8

6.5

6.6

6.6

Nauru

Palau

33.8

33.8

Papua New Guinea

1.9

1.9

1.9

1.9

Saint Kitts and Nevis

36.1

36.4

31.8

31.3

Saint Lucia

18.6

19.7

20.0

19.6

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

21.9

22.7

18.7

18.3

Samoa

6.1

5.9

5.0

4.3

Sao Tome and Principe

3.6

3.3

2.9

2.7

Seychelles

22.7

22.8

22.1

20.7

Singapore

36.7

36.4

35.5

34.9

Solomon Islands

1.3

1.3

1.2

1.2

Suriname

15.5

16.6

15.9

15.8

Timor-Leste

0.3

0.2

0.2

0.2

Tonga

11.3

12.4

10.3

13.6

Trinidad and Tobago

21.3

19.9

19.9

18.8

Tuvalu

13.8

18.2

18.0

17.9

Vanuatu

2.2

1.8

1.7

1.6

SIDS

14

15

14

14

Source: ITU

Table 7-3: Mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2014

2015

2016

2017

Antigua and Barbuda

121

176

178

180

Bahamas

82

80

92

89

Bahrain

174

184

210

158

Barbados

108

118

117

115

Belize

49

59

61

64

Cabo Verde

117

115

112

112

Comoros

50

55

57

58

Cuba

22

29

35

40

Dominica

102

106

107

102

Dominican Republic

80

84

82

81

Fiji

99

108

116

114

Grenada

110

112

111

105

Guinea-Bissau

64

70

71

77

Guyana

74

71

76

83

Haiti

64

68

60

57

Jamaica

105

109

113

107

Kiribati

27

36

45

40

Maldives

163

177

190

206

Marshall Islands

29

29

30

Mauritius

131

140

144

145

Micronesia

22

22

22

Nauru

83

87

88

Palau

91

112

Papua New Guinea

43

45

47

49

Saint Kitts and Nevis

121

134

140

139

Saint Lucia

107

106

99

99

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

105

104

103

105

Samoa

55

62

77

63

Sao Tome and Principe

67

95

89

85

Seychelles

162

158

161

177

Singapore

149

149

150

147

Solomon Islands

65

72

70

76

Suriname

169

136

145

141

Timor-Leste

113

111

118

120

Tonga

64

69

75

100

Trinidad and Tobago

146

156

159

148

Tuvalu

35

60

68

71

Vanuatu

60

66

81

83

SIDS

92

96

102

99

Source: ITU

Table 7-4: Active mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

Country

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Antigua and Barbuda

30

31

41

47

47

Bahamas

40

47

51

66

59

Bahrain

Barbados

44

55

45

45

44

Belize

10

12

51

38

38

Cabo Verde

49

66

67

70

66

Comoros

38

38

Cuba

14

Dominica

29

42

41

71

91

Dominican Republic

30

40

50

55

59

Fiji

42

48

54

130

143

Grenada

3

29

33

89

89

Guinea-Bissau

7

8

9

Guyana

26

26

Haiti

10

28

30

Jamaica

38

52

55

49

52

Kiribati

1

1

1

Maldives

42

54

62

63

63

Marshall Islands

Mauritius

32

37

52

59

65

Micronesia

Nauru

10

23

33

35

35

Palau

Papua New Guinea

6

6

9

11

11

Saint Kitts and Nevis

19

73

79

66

66

Saint Lucia

29

35

39

41

43

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

34

39

49

79

79

Samoa

6

10

23

26

26

Sao Tome and Principe

13

18

25

34

34

Seychelles

13

19

23

76

82

Singapore

143

145

148

147

145

Solomon Islands

13

11

13

19

18

Suriname

71

66

47

47

47

Timor-Leste

30

35

61

34

30

Tonga

19

50

56

59

59

Trinidad and Tobago

28

33

47

46

47

Tuvalu

Vanuatu

26

19

22

45

45

SIDS

23

30

35

45

47

Source: ITU

Table 7-5: Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2014

2015

2016

2017

Antigua and Barbuda

10.88

10.01

9.17

8.82

Bahamas

20.19

20.94

21.41

21.97

Bahrain

21.52

18.45

16.29

14.31

Barbados

27.43

27.54

32.44

24.2

Belize

2.81

4.84

5.01

5.42

Cabo Verde

3.62

3.11

2.88

2.74

Comoros

0.21

0.21

0.21

0.18

Cuba

0.07

0.07

0.13

0.29

Dominica

14.82

20.72

21.06

20.86

Dominican Republic

5.77

6.52

7.21

7.58

Fiji

1.4

1.43

1.37

1.34

Grenada

17.69

18.5

19.4

20.62

Guinea-Bissau

0.08

0.06

0.04

0.03

Guyana

5.92

6.99

7.4

8.34

Haiti

0.01

0.01

0.27

Jamaica

5.3

7.97

9.93

8.27

Kiribati

0.45

0.1

0.06

0.07

Maldives

4.86

5.54

6.85

8.37

Marshall Islands

2.59

1.89

1.88

1.88

Mauritius

14.48

15.67

16.84

19.44

Micronesia

2.97

3.14

3.02

3.58

Nauru

Palau

5.26

5.75

Papua New Guinea

0.17

0.19

0.21

0.22

Saint Kitts and Nevis

26.09

30.17

29.92

28.91

Saint Lucia

15.98

16.04

16.73

17.77

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

13.46

15.49

19.94

22

Samoa

1.05

1.08

1.11

0.86

Sao Tome and Principe

0.58

0.67

0.71

0.72

Seychelles

12.68

14.32

14.89

16.07

Singapore

27.05

26.85

25.99

25.85

Solomon Islands

0.23

0.24

0.27

0.19

Suriname

8.47

9.52

12.75

12.64

Timor-Leste

0.08

0.08

0.08

0.26

Tonga

1.7

2.31

2.8

2.78

Trinidad and Tobago

18.32

20.48

18.72

23.87

Tuvalu

4.13

4.09

4.06

4.02

Vanuatu

1.77

1.62

1.66

1.64

SIDS

8.1

8.7

9.2

9.3

Source: ITU

Table 7-6: Percentage of population covered by at least a 3G mobile network

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Antigua and Barbuda

98

98

99

99

99

Bahamas

98

98

98

98

98

Bahrain

98

98

100

100

100

Barbados

64

80

100

100

100

Belize

82

89

95

95

93

Cabo Verde

77

87

88

91

94

Comoros

73

77

90

90

Cuba

47

67

Dominica

60

95

95

95

Dominican Republic

80

99

99

99

99

Fiji

30

68

96

96

94

Grenada

69

75

82

82

82

Guinea-Bissau

20

30

30

30

Guyana

93

93

93

Haiti

40

58

60

60

60

Jamaica

60

90

95

95

98

Kiribati

22

19

20

48

48

Maldives

83

100

100

100

100

Marshall Islands

Mauritius

90

93

95

99

99

Micronesia

15

Nauru

98

98

98

98

98

Palau

88

88

88

88

Papua New Guinea

35

35

61

64

64

Saint Kitts and Nevis

62

90

100

100

100

Saint Lucia

37

37

70

97

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

100

100

100

100

100

Samoa

75

86

85

91

91

Sao Tome and Principe

13

19

90

93

93

Seychelles

90

90

90

90

99

Singapore

100

100

100

100

100

Solomon Islands

50

19

19

25

45

Suriname

12

80

100

100

100

Timor-Leste

96

96

97

97

96

Tonga

45

86

95

95

95

Trinidad and Tobago

75

85

89

94

99

Tuvalu

19

20

48

48

Vanuatu

24

51

80

98

98

SIDS

52

67

78

85

86

Source: ITU

Table 7-7: Internet users (%)

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Antigua and Barbuda

68

70

73

76

81

Bahamas

77

78

80

81

82

Bahrain

87

93

98

96

96

Barbados

75

76

80

81

82

Belize

54

60

67

68

70

Cabo Verde

37

44

50

59

58

Comoros

8

10

13

17

21

Cuba

27

35

40

53

55

Dominica

58

65

67

70

71

Dominican Republic

50

54

64

68

70

Fiji

46

55

66

67

69

Grenada

52

61

70

71

72

Guinea-Bissau

7

8

8

9

10

Guyana

34

43

53

56

60

Haiti

7

14

21

29

32

Jamaica

40

42

46

58

60

Kiribati

20

21

22

23

24

Maldives

69

73

78

83

85

Marshall Islands

16

20

24

29

35

Mauritius

47

50

54

57

61

Micronesia

15

22

33

35

36

Nauru

36

37

38

42

45

Palau

39

39

46

58

70

Papua New Guinea

7

8

10

11

12

Saint Kitts and Nevis

68

76

77

78

80

Saint Lucia

40

43

47

51

52

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

47

52

56

66

70

Samoa

21

33

53

61

70

Sao Tome and Principe

24

26

28

30

34

Seychelles

54

61

70

72

75

Singapore

79

80

79

84

87

Solomon Islands

8

9

11

14

17

Suriname

42

53

65

66

66

Timor-Leste

18

20

22

24

27

Tonga

33

37

41

45

50

Trinidad and Tobago

60

64

67

71

75

Tuvalu

27

29

31

33

35

Vanuatu

19

22

24

26

29

SIDS

40

44

49

53

56

Source: ITU

Table 7-8: Mobile broadband prepaid prices (500 MB), 2017

Economy

Mobile-broadband,
prepaid handset-based (500 MB)

Monthly data allowance
(MB)

Tax rate included
(%)

GNI p.c.,
USD,
2017

as % of
GNI p.c.

USD

PPP

Antigua and Barbuda

1.13

13.33

16.45

3072

15.0

14,170

Bahamas

0.44

10.75

9.42

2048

7.5

29,170

Bahrain

0.63

10.64

17.37

4096

20,240

Barbados

1.16

15.00

12.23

1536

17.5

15,540

Belize

4.10

15.00

26.32

2400

12.5

4,390

Cabo Verde

1.44

3.58

7.66

500

15.0

2,990

Comoros

15.19

9.62

600

760

Cuba

1.12

8.00

600

8,541

Dominica

3.50

20.37

27.92

1536

15.0

6,990

Dominican Republic

1.98

10.93

23.35

1024

30.0

6,630

Fiji

2.80

11.59

18.65

3200

9.0

4,970

Grenada

3.68

29.63

39.81

3000

15.0

9,650

Guinea-Bissau

12.49

6.87

16.40

600

15.0

660

Guyana

1.56

5.81

9.15

500

16.0

4,460

Haiti

4.39

2.78

6.35

1000

10.0

760

Jamaica

1.38

5.47

8.78

800

16.5

4,750

Kiribati

6.62

15.33

1800

2,780

Maldives

0.86

6.82

8.80

500

6.0

9,570

Marshall Islands

3.80

15.00

4,740

Mauritius

0.67

5.68

10.07

800

15.0

10,140

Micronesia

10.03

30.00

2048

3,590

Nauru

2.78

23.66

1800

15.0

10,220

Palau

1.94

25.00

2000

15,500

Papua New Guinea

6.25

12.54

15.29

600

10.0

2,410

Saint Kitts and Nevis

1.03

13.70

17.93

1024

17.0

16,030

Saint Lucia

1.72

12.59

16.15

3072

15.0

8,780

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

5.49

32.00

44.46

6144

15.0

6,990

Samoa

4.63

15.82

21.53

2080

15.0

4,100

Sao Tome and Principe

3.12

4.60

7.37

900

5.0

1,770

Seychelles

1.23

14.51

22.93

600

15.0

14,180

Singapore

0.16

7.24

8.52

1024

7.0

54,530

Solomon Islands

17.43

27.89

28.06

3277

10.0

1,920

Suriname

3.99

20.03

46.19

7168

8.0

6,020

Timor-Leste

2.68

4.00

6.13

800

1,790

Tonga

2.17

7.25

9.82

500

15.0

4,010

Trinidad and Tobago

1.33

19.59

23.42

16,620

Tuvalu

1.65

7.46

500

5,430

Vanuatu

3.10

7.53

6.90

800

12.5

2,920

Note: PPP=Purchasing Power Parity. For Cuba, GNI not available so GDP used. Data for Marshall Islands refers to “Wi-Fi access via mobile phone.” Data for Tuvalu refer to 2018. Data for Trinidad and Tobago refer to 2016.

Source: ITU. GNI p.c. and purchasing power parity values are based on World Bank data.

Table 7-9: Net enrolment rate, secondary, both sexes (%)

2014

2015

2016

2017

Antigua and Barbuda

73

74

74

Bahamas

82

Belize

69

70

72

70

Barbados

99

99

96

96

Comoros

45

43

Cabo Verde

64

65

65

64

Cuba

87

86

87

87

Dominica

86

93

Dominican Republic

67

68

69

70

Fiji

82

84

85

85

Micronesia

53

54

57

52

Guinea-Bissau

20

Grenada

82

85

87

76

Guyana

60

Haiti

20

Jamaica

72

72

73

74

Kiribati

68

Saint Kitts and Nevis

86

Saint Lucia

81

78

80

Maldives

64

Marshall Islands

64

63

Mauritius

85

84

85

Nauru

72

67

Palau

95

95

Papua New Guinea

33

Singapore

100

Solomon Islands

33

33

34

33

Sao Tome and Principe

62

65

Suriname

56

59

Seychelles

82

89

90

Timor-Leste

44

49

55

59

Tonga

75

76

Trinidad and Tobago

82

Tuvalu

75

81

70

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

86

84

90

91

Vanuatu

49

Samoa

80

77

77

SIDS

72

73

75

76

Note: In some cases, the earliest available data is shown in 2014.

Source: UNESCO Institute of Statistics and Ministries of Education.

Table 7-10: ICT Regulatory Tracker 2018

Country

Regulatory Authority

Regulatory Mandate

Regulatory Regime

Competition Framework

Overall

World Rank

Generation

Antigua and Barbuda

8

12

8

13

41

174

2G

Bahamas

19

19

26

25

89

35

4G

Bahrain

17

18

26

26

87

46

4G

Barbados

17

13

18

21

69

123

2G

Belize

17

19

20

7

63

141

2G

Cabo Verde

17

20

23

21

81

79

3G

Comoros

17

19

24

22

82

73

3G

Cuba

2

12

14

5

33

179

1G

Dominica

11

16

20

26

73

106

3G

Dominican Republic

19

20

28

28

95

8

4G

Fiji

13

14

19

17

63

138

2G

Grenada

14

17

20

23

74

99

3G

Guinea-Bissau

10

10

8

18

46

168

2G

Guyana

18

18

15

11

62

143

2G

Haiti

14

20

10

15

59

151

2G

Jamaica

19

13

19

28

79

90

3G

Kiribati

13

19

4

12

48

167

2G

Maldives

13

20

12

8

53

161

2G

Marshall Islands

2

7

4

3

16

186

1G

Mauritius

18

21

15

27

81

81

3G

Micronesia

4

4

8

190

1G

Nauru

10

12

6

23

51

163

2G

Papua New Guinea

16

20

12

11

59

151

2G

Saint Kitts and Nevis

5

15

6

20

46

168

2G

Saint Lucia

16

18

24

27

85

62

4G

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

17

18

18

27

80

85

3G

Samoa

14

17

22

13

66

130

2G

Sao Tome and Principe

16

17

21

21

75

95

3G

Seychelles

6

12

16

28

62

143

2G

Singapore

17

22

26

27

92

26

4G

Solomon Islands

9

14

8

4

35

177

1G

Suriname

15

17

18

10

60

149

2G

Timor-Leste

13

21

3

5

42

172

2G

Tonga

1

11

15

23

50

165

2G

Trinidad and Tobago

18

19

22

26

85

61

4G

Tuvalu

4.5

5

10

189

1G

Vanuatu

17

15

14

26

71

114

3G

Source: ITU, at: https://www.itu.int/net4/itu-d/irt/#/tracker-by-country/regulatory-tracker/2018

Table 7-11: E-Government Development Index (EGDI)

Rank

Country

Sub-Region

EGDI

Online Service Component

Telecom Infrastructure Component

Human Capital Component

90

Antigua and Barbuda

Caribbean

0.5906

0.4583

0.5617

0.7518

72

Bahamas

Caribbean

0.6552

0.7014

0.5393

0.7249

46

Barbados

Caribbean

0.7229

0.6667

0.6719

0.8301

132

Belize

Central America

0.4115

0.3333

0.2247

0.6765

112

Cabo Verde

Western Africa

0.498

0.4861

0.3926

0.6152

182

Comoros

Eastern Africa

0.2336

0.0972

0.0871

0.5166

134

Cuba

Caribbean

0.4101

0.2986

0.1455

0.7862

93

Dominica

Caribbean

0.5794

0.6111

0.4775

0.6497

95

Dominican Republic

Caribbean

0.5726

0.6597

0.3655

0.6927

102

Fiji

Melanesia

0.5348

0.4583

0.3562

0.7899

89

Grenada

Caribbean

0.593

0.4931

0.4658

0.8202

187

Guinea-Bissau

Western Africa

0.1887

0.0764

0.1028

0.3869

124

Guyana

South America

0.4316

0.4306

0.2541

0.6102

163

Haiti

Caribbean

0.3047

0.4444

0.1078

0.362

118

Jamaica

Caribbean

0.4697

0.3194

0.3941

0.6957

153

Kiribati

Micronesia

0.345

0.2986

0.0773

0.6591

97

Maldives

Southern Asia

0.5615

0.4931

0.5159

0.6754

149

Marshall Islands

Micronesia

0.3543

0.2292

0.1037

0.7301

66

Mauritius

Eastern Africa

0.6678

0.7292

0.5435

0.7308

161

Micronesia

Micronesia

0.3155

0.1458

0.1118

0.6889

158

Nauru

Micronesia

0.3324

0.1319

0.3033

0.5619

111

Palau

Micronesia

0.5024

0.3264

0.3346

0.8462

171

Papua New Guinea

Melanesia

0.2787

0.2708

0.0875

0.4778

71

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Caribbean

0.6554

0.5347

0.6825

0.7491

119

Saint Lucia

Caribbean

0.466

0.2847

0.411

0.7022

104

Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines

Caribbean

0.5306

0.4514

0.4583

0.682

128

Samoa

Polynesia

0.4236

0.3403

0.2064

0.7241

154

Sao Tome and Principe

Middle Africa

0.3424

0.1389

0.3053

0.583

83

Seychelles

Eastern Africa

0.6163

0.6181

0.5008

0.7299

7

Singapore

South-Eastern Asia

0.8812

0.9861

0.8019

0.8557

169

Solomon Islands

Melanesia

0.2816

0.2431

0.1285

0.4732

116

Suriname

South America

0.4773

0.2917

0.4595

0.6808

142

Timor-Leste

South-Eastern Asia

0.3816

0.3125

0.2937

0.5387

109

Tonga

Polynesia

0.5237

0.4722

0.2951

0.8039

78

Trinidad and Tobago

Caribbean

0.644

0.6389

0.5735

0.7195

144

Tuvalu

Polynesia

0.3779

0.2222

0.2693

0.6422

137

Vanuatu

Melanesia

0.399

0.4375

0.192

0.5675

Source: UN. 2018. United Nations E-Government Survey.

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United Nations (UN). 2014. “SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway.” https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sids2014/samoapathway.

World Bank. 2015. Project Appraisal Document: Pacific Regional Connectivity Program Samoa Connectivity Project. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/813211467999714829/pdf/PAD1264-PAD-P128904-IDA-R2015-0150-1-Box391454B-OUO-9.pdf.

[1] The Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States was held from 1 to 4 September 2014 in Apia, Samoa. The conference resulted in the adoption of the Small Island Developing States Accelerated Modalities of Action–or SAMOA Pathway. On 27 September 2019, the United Nations General Assembly held a one-day high-level review of the progress made in addressing the priorities of SIDS through implementation of the SAMOA Pathway. See: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sids/samoareview

[2] To put that figure into perspective, penetration of cellphones in United States households was 91% in 2018. See: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/wireless201812.pdf

[3] https://kacific.com

[4] Instituto Nacional de Estatística. 2019. Acesso e Utilização das Tecnologias de Informação E Comunicação - IMC 2018. http://ine.cv/condicoes-de-vida/

[5] https://1e8q3q16vyc81g8l3h3md6q5f5e-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Case-Study-Dominican-Republic.pdf

[6] UNCTAD. 2009. “A Decade of Regulation – Jamaica’s Experience with the Multi-Sector Model.” Services, Development and Trade: The Regulatory and Institutional Dimension. Geneva, Switzerland, 17-19 March. https://unctad.org/Sections/wcmu/docs/c1mem3p33_en.pdf

[7] https://www.ectel.int/about-ectel/

[8] https://fccc.gov.fj/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Final-FCCC-Interconnection-Rates-Authorisation_10-June-2019.pdf

[9] Federated States of Micronesia Telecommunications Corporation. 2018. Financial Statements. http://www.fsmopa.fm/files/fy2019/FSMTC_fs18%20[FINAL%2012.28.18].pdf

[10] GSR-18 Best Practice Guidelines on New Regulatory Frontiers to achieve digital transformation (https://www.itu.int/net4/ITU-D/CDS/GSR/2018/documents/Guidelines/GSR-18_BPG_Final-E.PDF)

[11] https://macauhub.com.mo/2019/05/22/pt-grupo-brasileiro-oi-encaixa-263-milhoes-de-dolares-com-venda-da-participacao-na-cabo-verde-telecom/

[12] https://www.dhiraagu.com.mv/Investor_Relations_The_Government_of_Maldives_launches_Dhiraagu_IPO_Prospectus.aspx

[13] “PPCR Caribbean Introduces Early Warning System for Fishers in SVG.” Press Release, 9 March 2018. https://caribppcr.org.jm/caribbean-fisherfolk-get-new-early-warning-system/

[14] Jeremy Nation. 2018. “WWF Blockchain To Track Sustainable Tuna From Bait To Plate.” ETHNews, 9 January. https://www.ethnews.com/wwf-blockchain-to-track-sustainable-tuna-from-bait-to-plate

[15] FAO. 2019. “Pig farmers in Papua New Guinea capitalize on blockchain technology.” e-agriculture, 18 June. http://www.fao.org/e-agriculture/news/pig-farmers-papua-new-guinea-capitalize-blockchain-technology

[16] Adele Peters. 2018. “This island nation is making the fastest-ever shift to renewables.” Fast Company, 17 July. https://www.fastcompany.com/90203041/this-island-nation-is-making-the-fastest-ever-shift-to-renewables

[17] IMF. “Mobile Money Note 2019.” http://data.imf.org/?sk=E5DCAB7E-A5CA-4892-A6EA-598B5463A34C&sId=1460040555909

[18] https://www.gsma.com/mobilemoneymetrics/#deployment-tracker

[19] Adler, Ellie, Cheryl Alexis, Zulaika Ali, Upton Allen, Ute Bartels, Cassandra Bick, Jacqueline Bird-Compton, et al. 2015. “Bridging the Distance in the Caribbean: Telemedicine as a Means to Build Capacity for Care in Paediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders.” Studies in Health Technology and Informatics. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25980698

[20] Chloe Taylor. 2018. “Drones deliver vaccines to one-month old baby in remote island of Vanuatu .” CNBC, 19 December. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/19/drones-deliver-vaccines-to-remote-island-of-vanuatu-.html

[21] http://www.reform.gov.bb/index.php/7-news/latest-news/141-barbados-electronic-single-window-2

[22] https://www.itu.int/pub/D-PREF-EF.BDR-2018

[23] https://www.itu.int/pub/D-PREF-EF.BDT_AM-2019

[24] https://www.itu.int/pub/D-PREF-EF.BDT_AFR-2019

[25] To be launched in November 2019

[26] World Bank. 2015. Project Appraisal Document: Pacific Regional Connectivity Program Samoa Connectivity Project. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/813211467999714829/pdf/PAD1264-PAD-P128904-IDA-R2015-0150-1-Box391454B-OUO-9.pdf.

[27] Ibid.

[28] See: https://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/cs/singapore/singapore.html and https://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/cs/mauritius/index.html

[29] “Vanuatu – A Rising Center of Finance and Technology in the South Pacific.” Reuters, 22 March, 2018. https://www.reuters.com/brandfeatures/venture-capital/article?id=31484

[30] https://broadbandcommission.org/Documents/publications/wef2018.pdf

[31] https://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Digital-Transformation-The-Role-of-Mobile-Technology-in-Papua-New-Guinea.pdf

[32] For example see the ITU’s “Definitions and Standards” at: https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/definitions/default.aspx