Telecommunications Minister reports on consultations with Huawei International

Sep 18, 2016 AFC Column, Features / Columnists

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Two weeks ago, a delegation from the Ministry of Public Telecommunications and the Citizens Security Programme, (Ministry of Public Security) began what can only be described as an exceptionally successful fact-finding mission to China.

It revealed the most advanced, state-of-the-art technologies in the field of ICT. The official delegation included Floyd Levi, Head of the E-Government Unit, and Clement Henry, Manager of the Citizen Security Strengthening Project.
We had accepted an invitation from Chinese technology giant, Huawei Technologies, the company that some years ago built Guyana’s Coastal fibre optic network. The visit afforded us several opportunities:
* To meet with the key officials of this reputable global Company
* To discuss all aspects of the ongoing maintenance and expansion of Guyana’s fibre optic and 4G LTE networks
* To explore opportunities for training, for creating new skills e.g. in ICT engineering, and upgrading existing technological talent.
This is the system that the Government of Guyana is currently utilizing to provide internet access to schools and government’s agencies along the coastal plain. The inter-connectivity programme is progressing well and the ultimate objective is to have every single public service entity connected to the national network.
The Ministerial team had fruitful meetings with Huawei’s principals on possible areas of cooperation at their Shenzhen (Guangdong Province) headquarters. We also toured their factories, universities and installations in Shanghai and Beijing.
In addition, the team participated in “Huawei Connect 2016”, a three-day global integrated technology conference held in Shanghai. This conference attracted some 20,000 ICT leaders and experts from over 120 countries, and it provided a platform for the leaders in the ICT industry around the world to view the latest technological developments in action. The conference included information workshops on cutting-edge solutions such as Cloud Computing & big-data management.
China’s development has been amazing and our tour allowed our Ministry, especially the EGovernment unit, to explore new directions for Guyana’s development from an ICT perspective. Our experiences in China have added substance to the plans and strategies we already had to propel the creation of a newer model of a green, smart, information-driven Guyana.
It is clear to me today that we cannot solve Guyana’s problems in the traditional way. We have to go technical and utilize high tech digital solutions for everyday life, for commerce, for education, for healthcare and law enforcement. What is exciting is that with the technologies we already have, we hold in our hands numerous opportunities to truly connect, to transform, to innovate.
We are talking about establishing an inter-connected digital platform that will provide government services to citizens in an efficient, cost effective and time saving manner. It is about establishing 21st Century systems that can manage all government and private sector data in a safe and secure manner.
There will be no more collecting file cabinets full of paper; no more disposal of mountains of paper by shredding; and no more disposal of tons of files into the community dump sites. There will be no more loss of important information that was only available on paper.
However and most importantly, this is about increasing bandwidth and improving levels of internet accessibility. It is about better telephone and other kinds of communication services between communities and among our citizens.
It is an undisputed fact all over the world that improved bandwidth access by citizens has a corresponding positive effect in their rate of development, their level of education and the country’s per capita income.
So interconnectivity is the foundation upon which we will build this integrated, cross-sectoral platform.
What does that platform look like? It offers citizens the benefits of tele-medicine, i.e. having a doctor at a hospital in Georgetown connect with a patient in Mabaruma or Nappi Village, seeing and communicating with the patient and healthcare worker in real time and recommending treatment options.
In the area of tele-education it’s about having lessons delivered in a high school in Georgetown being received in interactive format in far flung hinterland regions where teachers are limited. It’s about the use of e-books to reduce the imbalance between those who can and those who cannot purchase textbooks. In short, it’s about online training and education.
There’s also the exciting opportunity for e-Commerce. As you have been hearing in the media recently, the use of digital technology will soon allow you to apply for a passport or driver’s license wherever you live. E-commerce will impact business and trade – imports, exports, industry, finance, social services, tourism. It will also develop a new green energy sector and implement new, innovative ways for Agricultural endeavours. The technology already exists to make this change.
So we have to change the focus, identify our own priorities as a nation. This is the time for Guyana to think big but act in a manner reflecting our small country. It’s about implementing strategies to bridge the digital/technological and economic gaps we have today. And it IS about creating smart cities, safe cities and a smart nation – A Smart Guyana.

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