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