Kim I. MallalieuDIRSI Plenary
andDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, UWI
DIRSI Stakeholders’ MeetingTrinidad and Tobago
March 4 2008
POVERTY AND ACCESS TO TELEPHONY
IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
DIRSI Stakeholders’ Meeting
2007 Mobile Opportunities Research
• IDRC funded DIRSI investigation of telephony perceptions, access, use and barriers for the poor in 7 LAC countries
• T&T research in collaboration w/ Dr. I. Cambridge
• CDS applied survey in poor communities in T&T
• Study considers fixed lines, mobile and the Internet but focuses primarily on mobile because:
• Impact of mobile on developed country economies is significant
• Impact of mobile on developing country economies estimated as twice that in developing countries
• High mobile penetration among poor in developing countries
Trinidad and Tobago (Dec ‘06) Background
• Population = 1.3 m
• 17% estimated as poor1 (Kairi 2007)
• Internet penetration = 6.2 % (TATT 2007)
• Total phone subs = 151 / 100 inhabitants (TATT 2007)
• Mobile subs = 126 / 100 inhabitants (TATT 2007)
• Mobile subscription rates overtook fixed 02/03
• Acquisition peak straddled liberalization and launch of new entrant, March 2006
1“households with adult equivalent per capita expenditure values less
than TT$653.99 per month”
Findings: Perceptions of Poor Surveyed
• Telecom services generally physically accessible
• Service quality and availability generally favourable for mobile and fixed, somewhat less for pay phone service
• Mobile coverage in vast majority of homes
• Those with no service live on average less than 15 minutes away from a pay phone
• Mobile usage rather inelastic• 44% would maintain current usage if cost 2• 36% ………………………………… if cost x 2• 66% ………………………………… if income x 2• 40% ………………………………… if income 2
Findings: Access among T&T Poor
0
10
20
3040
50
60
7080
90
100
Urban Rural OVERALL
Mobile
Fixed
Public
Internet
Mobile use dominates strongly
Findings: Mobile Users
• 86.4% of surveyed are mobile users
• # males = 2 x # females among users surveyed
• A number of mobile users below national poverty line, many do not have piped water
• 1/3: no high school education
• 3/4: had not worked the week prior to interview
86.4
13.6
010
2030
405060
7080
90100
Yes No
Vali
d P
erc
en
t
Findings: Mobile Users Comparative
Findings: Mobile Use
• Mobile used primarily for voice: > 3 calls / day avg
• More than half surveyed mobile users do not use SMS: < 2 msgs / day avg
• Some ring tone download and games
• Virtually no other services used (banking, government etc.)
• Social comms predominates
Findings: Mobile Use Comparative
Barriers to Mobile (Non-users: 13.6% of surveyed)
39.235.4
1.3 3.8 1.3 3.810.1
5.1
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
I cant affordit
I dont thinkhaving amobile ofmy own isnecessary
There is nocoverage
where I live
None of mycontacts
has aphone
I dont needto use a
telephone,my contactslive nearby
I cantbecause
there is noelectricity inmy home
Because Ihave a land
line athome
Other
Val
id P
erce
nt
Planned Uptake by Non-Users (13.6% of surveyed)
Prepaid(80%)
Postpaid(6.7%)
Doesn’tKnow
(13.3%)
Cheaper(66.7%)
Other(33.3%)
Cheaper(12.5%)
ControlSpending(87.5%)
Yes(18.4%)
No(60.5%)
Doesn’tKnow
(21.1%)
Are you planning to get a mobile phone during the next year?
What kind of connection are you planning to get?
What is the reason for your choice?
Prepaid(80%)
Postpaid(6.7%)
Doesn’tKnow
(13.3%)
Cheaper(66.7%)
Other(33.3%)
Cheaper(12.5%)
ControlSpending(87.5%)
Yes(18.4%)
No(60.5%)
Doesn’tKnow
(21.1%)
Are you planning to get a mobile phone during the next year?
What kind of connection are you planning to get?
What is the reason for your choice?
Recommendations for Impact
• Engagement of traditionally marginalized communities in planning and development
• Development of innovative culturally-relevant
technologies, services, applications and enabling environments
• Policy, and perhaps regulatory, interventions
• Further empirical as well as analytical research
Interventions that have Impacted
Observations
• In T&T, mobile empowers poor along socio-cultural lines: social inclusion, dignity, self-respect, security
• In some developing countries mobile has additionally enabled expanded business opportunities and employment, increased efficiency and productivity, lower transaction costs and wealth generation
• Deep penetration levels in Trinidad and Tobago suggest the opportunity for impact
• Intervention strategies (policy, regulatory, projects, innovations) should be guided by perceptions, access, use, barriers and of course culture and values
Purpose-driven research
Thank You
• Perspectives of• Policy and regulatory institutions• Today’s wider audience
• As we contemplate• Building critical mass in local and regional
research• Tying into broader regional initiatives such as
Connect the Caribbean / Connected Caribbean initiative/s
Mobile / Fixed Comparative
