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**Proud ANU Queen** » 2011-10-17 13:53

If we want to compete globally, we should elevate our technology capabilities; I believe that Jonas agreed with that logic. As I understand it, he was only critical of the manner in which Senator Mansoor was advocating the change which he called unprofessional. He may have exaggerated a bit when he said that all the phones would have to be changed; otherwise, I thought that it was constructive criticism.

**tenman** » 2011-10-13 22:01

John French II very well said. As someone who works in and has benefited from the same IT field, I have come to the same conclusion you have. We truly need to get back to the basics. What we are doing is simply giving persons a calculator before they even know how to count. Garbage in, garbage out. Many times I have gone to government offices to query a bill and the only explanation given is that its correct because the computer says so. I have worked at hotels which have great inventory software in place yet at the end of the month there is always a discrepancy between the physical count and whats in the system. I recall, my experience at customs in about 1995 when we all were told that customs now has computers. What struck me was after Luis those computers stood covered for almost a year. We now hear that even though moneys has been expended on buying software that customs operates worse than it did before they tried to computerize things. Technology in an environment with bad policies solves nothing and may end up making things worse (another hint: 2009 elections).
..

**John French II** » 2011-10-13 21:18

Notes From A Native Son Of The Rock. Since the 90's, when lecturing on MIS and IT, Being The Low Cost Producer was the Goal. Did not Need the WB to suggest that a decade later. This effort though noble is on the path to failure for A&B just as the FTZ. It will make some filthy rich but does nothing for Human Capacity Development. What is the "SHARED VISION"?
My experience in the Academy has taught that you could have the latest and best hardware and software, but would not be at the optimum capacity without the human ability, capabilty and Skill. It not only begins with A Shared National Vision but a successful Primary, Secondary & Higher Education System with English, Math & Sciences at levels above and beyond 59%(English Success Mark). Speaking of 4G is a good game when the basic building block and infrastructure is not in place. Where is the Education Plan? You have been distracted. If you viewed the video in PT1. What are your thoughts on improving bandwidths and radio transmitters? When will the Hon Min. publish the Cell Tower Report? What Recommendations will be Implemented in the short & Long Term? Heaven Help The Nation Of Antigua & Barbuda.

**John French II** » 2011-10-13 20:36

Notes From A Native Son Of The Rock. Let me begin with an Inspiration for our Youth. Please go and enjoy this teachable moment on this link:
www.passingthetorchtv.com/russell.htm
It all begins with A Vision. As much as I hate doing this, let me quote The World Bank. "From productivity improvements to global panacea, ICT have been hailed as the "next great thing" for the Caribbean. This view, unfortunately, is inadequate." Technology Clusters, have "been attempted frequently in the Caribbean, with almost universally poor results." Here they refer to Free Trade Zones and Cyber Parks specifically noting A&B's Failure.
"The software industry is another ICT cluster that has not taken off in the Caribbean." "At their root,ICT allow for increased learning and more cutomized service. Whether regional firms and goverments use them to become smarter - or merely cheaper - will determine whether ICT are the key to increasing wealth or simply slowing the decline into poverty"
For Full reading:
siteresources.worldbank.org/INTLAC/Resources/Chap5_bckgr_Role_ICT.pdf
Always keeping JFII's Dictum in mind. Follow The Money.

**kirikho kona** » 2011-10-13 18:38

Guru, 4G is just a data transfer protocol, mobiles use a different frequency set for voice/sms services (hence in all 3G/4G phones you can actually switch off the 3G/4G receiver to save battery power with no effect on voice calls...just data speed).

voice/sms is always transmitted on the GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 frequency band -
3G/4G transmits data on the CDMA2000 1xEV-DO/ HSDPA 900 / 2100 frequency band (the actual frequencies vary slightly from network to network)

whether a network is 4G/LTE or not will not affect voice call quality (unless you are using a VoIP service)

**Cool Ruler** » 2011-10-13 17:39

2G? Tests like living in the days of the dinosaurs. I had to laugh when I learnt sometime ago that blackberry curve and pearls were the big thing in Antigua. Hardly anyone uses blackberry anymore, its iPhone, HTC evo and the various android phones. I shudder to think how much they would sell those for in Antigua if they could have had the ability too offer 4G, anyway from my exoerience the 4G not much faster than 3G.

**SMH** » 2011-10-13 16:57

I was wonder how come all of a sudden it was no longer called TECHFEST. . . . . Lord have MERCY! :sad:

**Fed Up** » 2011-10-13 16:43

Jonas, as usual, is full of manure. Mansoor is bang on target. Why shouldn't we have 4G technology, the rest of the world has it, we have the phones capable of using it, so let's get it. Right now the mobile networks in Antigua are poor at best, especially when trying to download a ridiculous page like Caribarena's own, sometimes my phone just gives up, the network cannot handle it.

**Blogger** » 2011-10-13 16:05

kirikho kona and Educated National that's correct you do not have to dump any of the 2G to 3G phones unless the providers will be shutting down those capabilities and they will not because those older phones will still provide a revenue stream. 4G phones are plentiful on eBay for those who want cheaper phones at a bargain so upgrading to 4G will allow providers to offer more plans for those who can afford and need the advanced capabilities. If the providers can bring the cost close to existing 2G and 3G most users will eventually graduate to 4G.

**GURU** » 2011-10-13 16:04

The move from GPRS to 4G(LTE) is a costly move. Most of the phones we have here are at the most EDGE ready. The problem with (LTE) is, it is not SMS and voice friendly. SMS and voice is the life blood for the carriers. There are protocols which are being currently being used to integrate into LTE so that it can carry voice and sms. What use is just data when you can't make a call? My opinion is EVERYONE should offer 3G. We not ready for 4G (LTE). ;-)

**tenman** » 2011-10-13 15:47

This man who thinks Antigua began in 2004, who renamed TechFest started in 2001 (see www.antigua-barbuda.com/news_archive/newsletter59.asp#s17) to ICTFEst, needs to be told that the world does not revolve around him. As has been stated by others, if he wants 4G, he should start it through APUA which is owned by the government. I could recall in about 2006 this same Eddie Mansoor told this country that we would get 3G that same year at the same TestFest.I can't understand how Mansoor intends to get private sector owned companies to follow his dictate yet is not prepared to have APUA set the example. The only conclusion I can come to as was stated in the article by Mr. Pompey (see www.caribarena.com/antigua/opinions/opinion-pieces/rawlston-pompey/98618-when-constitutional-powers-collide-part-ii.html), we basically have government fighting government showing there truly is no real unified vision
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**Ipp On Upp** » 2011-10-13 15:17

Dr. Mangoose why stop at 4g demand 5 and 6g while your at it. Then tell them to deliver to your Ministry a unicorn, you know how easy those are to find. SO LET IT BE WRITTEN SO LET IT BE DONE!!

Not holding my breath is all I am saying :-x

**kirikho kona** » 2011-10-13 13:40

yep all the phones currently out there will be usable...they won't be shut out, they just won't be using the 4G data speeds that the network supports (they'll be just tied to UMTS(3G)/EDGE(2 .5G)/GPRS(2G) depending on what the phone is capable of). at any rate, despite what these phone companies advertise - in practice 4G/LTE isn't much faster than 3G's maximum in its current iteration - it just has the capability to expand its bandwidth even further than 3G as the technology improves over the years (maximumPC has an article on it)

**Grenaz** » 2011-10-13 13:40

IT is not just about phone and ISP services,its also about Hardware, Software and networking computers, servers and printers to share data to run an effective govt system. All the Govt Ministries are behind in that technology - (Networking). The Govt Ministries are at -0G why the minister of information don't get that upgrade first?

**kirikho kona** » 2011-10-13 13:35

the sim-card has nothing to do with the network standard the phone uses - its just an identity chip...its the phone's physical hardware (specifically the radio module/s) that makes the difference...yo u can have the same phone type with different sub variants (with different radios) to use different network standards to suit the operator and/or users.

there are some newer phones that use whats called a mini-sim card but that's no different from a normal sim-card except for the size.

**politricking again!!** » 2011-10-13 13:15

jonas you are deliberately politricking here. the problem with you politicians is that you are way back in the stone age. Firstly, you argue that we need to go with newer technology. Now, that Minister Mansoor addressed the carriers, you playing bu ha and politics with it. Mr. Jonas some of us was part of the ALP, but we grew up, we listened, we added 2 + 2, we read, both locally and internationally and after all that we left because we realized that the way you Antigua politicians do business will kill us some day.

So please, appraise Mr. Mansoor for stepping up to the base and demanding the service providers give us better and on par with the rest of the world cause for far too long LIME/Cable and Wireless under the ALP was sucking our blood out for over 30 years whiles they had better technology in other and different countries. Give jack eh jacket man!!

**nonesense** » 2011-10-13 12:47

all that would have to happen is that the chip in the phones would have to be changed. They would just have to be upgraded.This is what have to happen, chips compatable to the upgrade.

**Educated National** » 2011-10-13 12:25

@kirikho kon, I totally agree with you. We will not have to REPLACE phones on the 4G network. Although new phones will be necessary to use the FULL CAPABILITIES of the network, I'm sure that non-4G phones which people own will be fully usable.

I DO partially agree with Jonas' statement about using APUA/INET. Why does he have to demand Imobile to upgrade to a 4G network when he is the substantive minister?

**kirikho kona** » 2011-10-13 12:04

even if a network offers 4G (HSDPA), if i remember right (from t-mobile and at&t at least) the 3G is part of the setup - as is EDGE...going to 4G would keep the EDGE (2.5G) and UMTS (3G) as well...so those phones without the 4G bandwidth capability won't be out of the market at all...it just means that only 4G capable phones can use its full potential.

**My 2 Cent** » 2011-10-13 11:49

The UPP needs a proper plan to transition the technology upward. But Dean offer empty criticism but no alternative better plan. This BS has to stop Dean. Tell us what is better not just what is wrong.

**Verb Ova Noun-** » 2011-10-13 11:33

3G i can understand but 4G i dont think we are ready for that upgrade, it will not only be costly 2 the providers but also for the consumers..do these ppl realize how expensive a 4G phone is?

lets give for example Blackberry(whic h is the hottest thing since sliced bread in antigua). most ppl in antigua have the 8520 or pearl which is not even 3G ready so whats gonna happen to these ppl, and i'm not gonna even mention 4G because the only 4G ready BBs will run u 700us up which mean u will be paying well over 2000ec for it here in antigua.

my 2 cents

**DadliMan** » 2011-10-13 08:37

I wonder if this will mean more work for ACT. Seems like ACT is the glue that holds Mansoor together.

**Ipp On Upp** » 2011-10-13 08:17

Chupzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzz. Suppose you cant even afford internet!! :lol:

**Seriously** » 2011-10-13 07:35

4G?

Is that a new breed of carrier pidgin?

**Blogger** » 2011-10-13 05:48

He is a little blunt but sometimes in technology you just have to be blunt because some providers in general do not like costly changes that reduce their profits. Why move to 3G then 4G? At least the minister seems to have some vision. If you move to 3G, it will take some years to recuperate those costs so moving to 4G or 5G which is reasonably current is the best move. In technology you have to plan 5-10 years ahead and in 5-10 years everyone would be looking on moving up to 5G to 10G etc. So when buying technology - even in Antigua, you have to study the trends down the road and plan for tomorrow’s technology today. You would also have to think about who will continue to make and support products for 2Gs, 3Gs and even 4Gs. The question asked by the ALP spokesman “what would happen to the 2G system” the answer - it is long obsolete. However, Antigua is about 7 years behind in terms of G technology. While we are talking about moving to 4G visionaries in 2005 were planning for 5G and higher technology. Click and read the article below for details.
www.daniweb.com/software-development/computer-science/threads/35959

**Herby** » 2011-10-13 04:09

If they providers up to 4G whay is there an issue about people replacing phones. When the providers switched from TDMA didnt everything happen seamlessly. Further given the spending pattern of people in Antigua they will do anything to have the latest gadgets so the writer is gasping at straws to make issue with the statement.

**Dominic** » 2011-10-13 04:07

Dean Jonas give me a break. Everything is done becomes a critical issue. A few months ago you were on ZDK criticising the very telecommunicati ons provider saying that they need to increase the speed for internet services etc. You and EB are simply on the same ship to nowhere void of any communication.

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