Trinidad and Tobago has progressed well over the past several years in their advances in technology and acceptance.  As more and more people have been informed of the technological advances that are available to them, the country has grown in terms of its IT infrastructure. 

          Despite the advances and educational material available to the citizens of the country, there still lacks a solid infrastructure in place for Trinidad and Tobago as a whole.  Many remain behind the times when it comes to technology, which has led to a slow increase in ICT’s within the country. 

People and Organizations Online (Stage 3)

          When it comes to the Internet, most of the current population is aware of the Internet and its capabilities, but not many have used it.  Recent studies indicate that roughly 17 of every 100 citizens are using the Internet in some capacity with the majority of the usage coming from younger users and businesses.  Of those 17 per 100 users, only 5 use a broadband connection while 12 use a dial-up connection. 

          There are many places, especially in the country’s larger cities, which also offer access to Internet for the people of Trinidad and Tobago.  Libraries, cafes and schools all offer some form of Internet to users.  With the number of businesses offering public Internet increasing, the number of users has increased as well.  This has also helped make people aware of the Internet and how it is used and how accessible it can be for all. 

          The advance in technology has hit the area and the number of people that use the Internet continues to increase in the region.  In addition to that, marketing has slowly increased although much work still needs to be done in order to allow the country to have truly successful ICT’s. 

Locally Relevant Content (Stage 2 moving into Stage 3)

         With English being the official language of Trinidad and Tobago, most websites are in locally relevant text.  The people of Trinidad and Tobago use two distinct versions of English, both of which are common on internet sites, Trinidadian Creole English and Tobagoeon Creole English.  Both are derived from the Spanish language and also some of French and Hindi.  An important factor of the proposed optimization for internet usage within the country is the locally relevant content.  With content in languages common to the people of the country, more citizens have been receptive to understanding and learning how and why to use the internet. 

          With the recent launch of FastForward II, many advances in local content have been made or proposed.  Several chat discussions, focus group discussions, and online bulletin board material have been made available to all internet users.  This has enhanced the country’s receptiveness to using computers and the internet, even in the short time since the launch of the FastForward II program.   The program is aimed to make internet usage available to each person living in Trinidad and Tobago, and this goal has been advertised and spread locally via the internet and newspapers. 

ICT’s in Everyday Life (Stage 3)

          Many people in the country use technology in their everyday life.  Despite the funding and resources available to many people, telephone, computer, cell phone and television usage is widespread within the region.  Over 80% of the population use some type of mobile phone, 50% own televisions, 50% have a hard telephone line and 35% have regular access to computers.  Costs for these products and services remain relatively low, which has allowed many people to take advantage of all the options available to them. 

          If a person does not have a telephone available at their home, many public businesses have telephones for public use (cost involved).  Internet cafes and libraries are available in metropolitan areas for those who want to use a computer or access the Internet.  All in all, Trinidad and Tobago has many options for its people of when it comes to technology use.  Whether it is for Internet usage, typing up a paper, making a phone call or faxing a document, options are available throughout the country for public use (often for a fee). 

ICT’s in the Workplace (Stage 2)

          ICT adoption in Trinidad and Tobago workplaces still is lacking, however a strong push by the government is being made now to change that.  The country lacks the use of City's in businesses today and very few businesses allow all their employees to have access to phones and computers.  Much of business is done via fax or in person, but there is a small percentage of local companies that have ecommerce stores.  Despite this improved presence, online shopping traffic is very low and the use of electronics communications still remains minimal.

          As the number of internet and phone users grows, ICT’s will increase in the business place.  Without a local market for ecommerce business, companies have had less of a need for ICT’s in the workplace.  As people become more accustomed to the Internet and are able to fully learn its capabilities, ecommerce business will become more prevalent and widespread.  This is expected to occur in the coming years with the implementation of the FastForward II program.  Not only will more users be using the Internet, they will also begin shopping on the Internet, driving the need for ICT’s in Trinidad and Tobago.