NTRC adds open category to 2017 I2 competition

The National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC) has this year added an open category to their Ideas and Innovation/I2 Competition.

And as a result, the competition is now welcoming members of the public, in addition to students, to present ideas and mobile applications designed to improve the functionality of the various public and private sector entities.

The fifth I2 competition was launched last Friday at the St Vincent Community College (SVCC) Villa campus and speaking at the launch, Universal Service Fund (USF) administrator at the NTRC Kyron Duncan announced that this year, the initiative has embraced several changes.

He said the first I2 competition was held in 2013 and for the first three years, the competition was focused on ideas and mobile applications for the public sector, but based on feedback from the public, the competition has been expanded to include the private sector.   

“This year’s competition will also be focused on the development of mobile apps and ideas that can facilitate the implementation of new systems or improve existing systems within both the private and public sectors of St Vincent and the Grenadines. The aim of this focus is to improve the efficiency of their services and to increase their profits, which will subsequently lead to national development,” Duncan told the launch.

This year, the I2 Competition runs up to November 15, 2017 and Duncan noted that additionally, the competition has been restructured to obtain entries from the public.  

“This restructuring came about once again following feedback from the public and from persons who are not students and want to take part in the competition,” Duncan explained.

Previously, the competition only accepted entries from students who attend the secondary and post secondary schools, but now, the categories of the competition consist of the secondary and open categories.

The secondary category will consist of entries for both ideas and mobile applications from students attending secondary schools, whereas the open category will consist of entries for mobile applications only.

The open category will consist of anyone from the public, 35 years old and under, students attending the post secondary level schools and students from the secondary schools who wish to enter this category.

“One of the main aims of the I2 competition is to develop the entrepreneurial skills of the younger generation by looking at the needs in our society and finding ICT solutions for them,” explained Duncan.

He said the mobile phone penetration rate here is over 110 per cent, and this means statistically, that every Vincentian has a phone.

“Noting this simple fact, the dependency on the use of mobile apps is on the increase. Participants can use this competition as a stepping stone for the development of the next big mobile app or idea. The NTRC’s role in this regard is to lay the platform to facilitate this dream for anyone interested,” Duncan said.

The launch was attended by, among others, Minister of Telecommunications Camillo Gonsalves, Minister of Transport and Works Julian Francis and Marketing and Communications officer at FLOW Nikala Williams.

The deadline for all competition submissions is September 29, 2017 and preliminary judging will begin October 10, 2017 and will come to an end on October 12, 2017.

The grand finale will take place on November 15, 2017 and the winners will be given cash and other prizes.(LC)