NTRC launches ‘Connect’ mobile app

Since the introduction of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission’s (NTRC) Ideas and Innovations/i2 competition three years ago, none of the winning ideas or applications have been implemented within the public service.

And according to Director of the NTRC Apollo Knights, the organisation which he heads is hoping to change that with the launch last Tuesday of their mobile application ‘NTRC Connect’.{{more}}

“…We have not seen the take up of these apps being done in the public service to date for whatever reason, … so we thought that if we did one ourselves and show that it could be done without having to hire any high priced consultants … we can inspire some of the departments,” Knights said on Tuesday at the launch of NTRC Connect at the National Insurances Services (NIS) training room.

NTRC Connect was developed in house by information technology technicians Chadwick Douglas and Cyron Cyrus among others.

During the launch, Douglas briefed persons on the cartography aspect of the app while Cyrus spoke about the development of app on the Android platform.

The mobile application is designed to assist users to find various wireless connectivity hotspots in St Vincent and the Grenadines such as schools and community centres as well as the assorted cell towers used by the providers FLOW and Digicel. The app also allows users to report problems with these hotspots.

The target group for this app is the general public as well as tourists who visit the island. It uses cloud services to save space on mobile devices and needs only 26Mb of storage space.

According to Douglas, NTRC Connect has three different maps that users can use to view this information depending on their preferences. There is a road map that shows the road network as well as any points of interest on the island; a satellite map that shows the user images of the island that were taken by satellite and plane, so they can have a better idea of how the location in question will look and a hybrid map that combines both the road map and satellite map so that users will get all of the information possible about the island.

There are additional features such as directions to the various wireless hotspots and the NTRC plans to add more information about the business Wi-Fi hotspots in the island as well as release an iOS version of this mobile app.

The app can be obtained from the Google Play Store.

Knights said that he is hoping that this app can encourage students to push for the completion and proper functioning of their apps that were created for the i2 competition. He noted that the next i2 competition will also focus on the private sector as that sector can assist students in bringing their apps and ideas to life.

“We cannot keep being consumers of software from external developers and companies. We have to start developing our own software for both our own peculiar context and also for the regional and international market,” Knights said.

The NTRC currently runs a pilot programme at the Thomas Saunders Secondary School where at the Form 3 level, students are taught how to write programming code using a new technique to overcome a mental block some students have.

The organization has also implemented a mobile app development program at the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College which is a certificate level program. Plans are underway to upgrade that program to an associate degree in software development from September. The NTRC also holds a summer program for secondary school students that speaks to app development.

Knights noted that to make sure that we have visionaries, skilled workers, coders and designers, funding is necessary as most of the young persons don’t have any source of income.

“There is need for special funding programs. We are seeing some fruits but we need more,” stressed Knights who spoke about local app developer Cenus Hinds of Konservi.

He said that Hinds just returned from an app competition in the Dominican Republic and he was able to build his app with grant funding and help from FLOW.

“Mobile companies can help, apps drive data usage and can affect bottom line of these companies so it is also in their interest”, stressed Knights.