GUYANA Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT), has promised to roll out an array of products and services many of which will provide business solutions using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). This is according to GTT’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Justin Nedd, who was at the time delivering remarks at the company’s Business Solutions Cocktail at the Guyana Marriott Hotel on Wednesday. Though not stating explicitly what those products and services are, Nedd hinted that ICT will play an even bigger role in GTT’s operations as it seeks to meet the demands of the business community. “For Guyana, I see a country where you will be able to take your desk phone anywhere, and answer it anywhere, because we will provide solutions that will enable you to be connected all times, anywhere in the world once you have a broadband connection…I see a country where you will be able to access your security footage from your phone because it is stored securely on the cloud,” he posited.
In alluding to Public Telecommunication Minister Cathy Hughes’ announcement that the Telecommunications Sector will be fully liberalized by mid-year, Nedd said GTT will not wait until then to activate its new services.
According to him, internet services within the capital city will be significantly improve this year, noting that GTT is currently executing a US$30M project to get high speed fiber optic networks through Georgetown. He said at a minimum the company will be able to connect 50, 000 homes and businesses.
This project will be completed within two years. Since the landing of its $30M cable in 2010, Nedd said internet services have improved and demands for the service have jumped significantly.
Meanwhile, Managing Director of Innovus Claudio Querol delivered an intriguing presentation themed “Digital Transformation on the Urban Platform.”
In his presentation, Querol showed how technology is dominating the world. He explained that among other things, there are two major global changes that are happening – the movement of people into cities and urban areas, and widespread connectivity.
Querol said research has shown that there are more people living in cities than in the country side. This movement, he noted, is putting tremendous pressure on existing infrastructure and services, in addition to the environment and the economy.
Additionally, he pointed that there has been widespread connectivity. “Around 2004 we had around 300 million devices around the world connected to the internet…but it was basically computers, PCs and some phones. Today we have about 20 billion things connected to the internet…and some predict that by 2020, 50 billion devices will be connected to the internet,” he pointed out.
According to him, these transformational changes as it relates to ICTs can have positive impacts on the environment, the economy and Small Business Enterprises (SMEs), in addition to improving people’s standards of living while fostering social inclusion. In this regard, he highlighted how companies can use ITCs to provide business solutions.