Trinidad and Tobago has made significant improvements in their network access infrastructure in the last several years.  A government run program called Fast Forward focused on ensuring that the network infrastructure was in place to reach nearly all of the country with wired access for phones and internet connectivity, as well as cellular coverage.  They succeeded in this goal, but a large majority of citizens do not take advantage of this progress and still do not have computers or internet access.

 Information Infrastructure (Stage 3)

          Trinidad and Tobago has made great strides in the development of their ICT infrastructure in the last decade, but they are still in stage 3.  Although cellular coverage is available on 100% of the island and analog phone service is also nearly always available, access to other services such as cable and wireless are limited to the major metropolitan areas. 

          Trinidad currently boasts approximately 23 phone lines per 100 people, while cellular adoption is at nearly 124 phones per 100 people.  Satellite services are currently unavailable, as the 2 providers that had tried to establish themselves in the country were unsuccessful and pulled out by 2007.

Internet Availability (Stage 3)

          Internet service is available to most of the country’s citizens through a relatively small number of providers.  While there are more providers for home users than businesses, those companies have relatively limited offerings.   There are only 2 or 3 major providers of internet services for businesses, and the lack of competition limits pricing competitiveness, flexibility of speed/service offerings, and service delivery times.

          As of 2008, only 17% of the population were internet users, and only 13% had personal computers.  Most of those are using dial up connectivity, and 6.2 percent of the population had fixed internet access in their homes.  By 2010, however, the number of internet users had grown to nearly 40% which shows the country’s dedication to improving and increasing access.

Note: Per Capita GDP in US dollars, source: International Monetary Fund.

Internet Affordability (Stage 2)

          Internet users in Trinidad and Tobago have a relatively limited number of vendor choices, and home users outside of the major population centers are further limited to dial-up access options.  Research shows a price range from as low as $79.35tt (approximately $13 U.S.) per month for the most basic, 56k dial-up option to $460tt plus options (approximately $75 U.S.) per month for 256k cable or DSL type services.  Businesses can chose options as high as full T1 connectivity, but that will cost up to $4327tt plus options (approximately $715 U.S.) per month.

Network Speed and Quality (Stage 3)

          Network quality for both voice and data are reported to be mostly reliable for the country.  Speed remains the primary concern.  For most home users, 56k is the standard and most accessible solution.  Increases for those users, if they aren’t in a major city, involve ordering additional phone lines and combining them for higher bandwidth. 

          For businesses, the highest throughput option is either a full T1 circuit or, in some metropolitan areas, a wireless network connection.  The overall backbone capacity of the country is roughly 355MB, so a wireless solution may be able to exceed T1 speeds in some circumstances, but no clear evidence of this was available.

Hardware and Software  (Stage 2)

          Trinidad and Tobago has a growing number of computer and software stores, but they are primarily acting as local sales centers for foreign systems and applications.  The majority of IT systems and applications for the country are purchased from abroad and must be cleared through customs before they can be used.  The customs process can be quite time consuming, and this can increase expenses for companies while they wait for equipment or software to clear the customs process.

Service and Support  (Stage 3)

          Most of Trinidad and Tobago is dependent on the government owned Phone Company for delivery and support of all voice and data circuits to their locations.  This means that often times individuals and businesses can experience longer wait times, although this isn’t a major issue for the country. 

          There isn’t yet a major software or hardware development center in the country, so most systems and applications continue to be imported.  Support for those systems and applications is primarily outsourced to local vendors, but the level of expertise can vary greatly.