The Bahamas is rapidly changing in terms of the internet: Mobile data is becoming common place with LTE on the way in December and landline services (Internet, Telephone, TV) improving as well. But what happens when all of this isn’t being used to better the country on a whole?
So far mobile technology is mainly used for two things: Mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and USB modems along with the passive tracking of ankle bracelets. There’s also talk about CCTV, but that’s probably best on landline systems.
Landline systems are used by a majority of technology ranging from TV, telephone systems, and of course internet services. Internet of course is the most versatile of all since it can also be used for TV, telephones, video conferencing, medical systems, banking transactions, and numerous other things that are what we’d think as standard or becoming standards and that’s awesome.
What worries me, is the lack of innovation; the lack of people trying to share data; the lack of becoming one country.
Let me explain. For starters, why is it that the majority of apps here in the Bahamas for mobile devices are either news, radio or apps for a resort or hotel? There’s a few out there that try to really take a different approach like Bahamas College Zone which allows users to buy and sell new and used books for college, and as much as I don’t like the tracking software built in it Verde’s DiveIN app is also pretty good at providing general info albeit sometimes a bit spammy.
It’s also a little surprising at how few hotspots there are in comparison to what you’d find in the US or other countries. Then again, perhaps we look too much at the US as a source of inspiration and ideas instead of using our own country to build that inspiration. Find what’s wrong about it and work towards filling that gap.
It’s said time and time again that the Bahamas is one of the best countries for technology, even if it’s just because of our legal system (which is really lax). Yet, we don’t push forward with a lot of technological advances. There’s no NFC, no TRUE banking app (not an app that leads you to a site), no transport assistance or tracking, no simple solution to report a problem (outage/pothole/accident/robbery/etc.), and the list can go on.
Also, tell me this: Why is it that so many things about the Bahamas and its major companies or people are either missing, and have outdated or very little information on the web and even on Wikipedia? Online articles still pull from our 2000-2002 Census data and for the longest time the iPhone’s Siri (which uses WolframAlpha as a source) told me Hubert Ingraham was still the Prime Minister of the Bahamas.
We as a people need to do better with technology.
