Conference Theme:

"Innovation, Demand, & Competitiveness in Telecommunications: Implications for the Caribbean Region and Beyond"

June 23 - 26, 2009
Montego Bay, Jamaica

In the past several years, ITS conferences have provided an international forum for practitioners and researchers to focus on all aspects of telecommunications and related technologies. This conference seeks to continue that tradition. Its objective is to provide an opportunity for the dissemination and exchange of information on innovation, demand, and competitiveness related to the deployment and use of information and communications technologies for a variety of applications, particularly in the Caribbean region, but also in other areas of the world with similar profiles. See flyer...

Papers are invited on the list provided below; however, it is not intended to be exclusive. If you are interested in submitting papers on other topics related to the theme of this conference, we invite you to do so. They will be considered for inclusion in the appropriate section(s).

In the first instance, an abstract of 500 words should be submitted to msbsecretariat@uwimona.edu.jm by 15th January 2009. Authors will be advised of the suitability of their proposed topic by 15th February 2009 and invited to develop the full paper.

List of Topics:

1. E-Government and e-commerce
2. Mobile applications and m-commerce
3. Regulation and Spectrum Management
4. ICT and Innovation for Entrepreneurship
5. ICT for Disaster Management
6. Applications of Free and Open source technologies for the Developing World
7. Indigenous technologies for the Global South
8. The issue of the Digital Divide
9. E-learning and the virtual classroom
10. Methods and measurements in ICT4D
11. ICTs in the Creative Industries
12. Next Generation Technologies and Beyond
13. National Innovation Systems
14. ICTs for Hospitality
15. ICTs for Sustainable Development
16. New innovations in Information Systems for the Caribbean
17. Policymaking and Regulations for ICTs
18. Demand-driven ICT Applications
19. Enabling competitiveness through ICTs
20. Tele-medicine and e-health

Process of Submission/Review: The timetable for the process will be as follows:

THE HOST INSTITUTION

• The University of the West Indies, Mona School of Business

The Mona School of Business (MSB) is an Institute within the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of the West Indies (UWI) - the leading research institution in the Caribbean. The mission of MSB maintains an unwavering commitment to the economic, social and, environmental development of the nation and the Caribbean region. In August 2008, the MSB launched a Centre of Excellence (CoE). At its very heart, the MSB-CoE aims to promote research on technology, innovation, and competitiveness.

The MSB has its genesis under the USAID/UWI Management Education Project in 1987, a rather humble beginning for what is now one of the premier post-graduate institutions in the Caribbean. Apart from nurturing some of the greatest minds in both the private and public sectors, MSB contributes to nation-building by operating as a "Think-Tank" for both national and regional policy creation and decision-making. MSB plays an active role in research projects such as, the World Economic Forum (WEF) Executive Opinion Survey and, the World Bank project titled "Building Local Capacity for ICT Policy and Regulatory Research, Training, Expert Assistance and Advocacy in Africa, The Caribbean and the Pacific: A Needs Assessment". MSB also enjoys educational links with internationally renowned institutions such as the Harvard Business School, Harvard University; Penn State University; University of Michigan; and Aston Business School, Aston University, all of which assist in concretising its global educational reach and support network.

THE HOST COUNTRY

• Jamaica: "Land of Wood and Water"

Jamaica is the largest English-speaking country in the Caribbean. The name Jamaica originates from an Arawak (aboriginal Indian) word "Xaymaca", which means "Land of Wood and Water". The country lives up to its name, as it boasts many world famous "water retreats" such as, Dunn's River Falls in Ocho Rios, St. Ann, the most popular visitor attraction in Jamaica and, Lover's Leap in St. Elizabeth, a 1,500-foot cliff which holds numerous romantic stories. Jamaica is also home to the famous Blue Mountain range where, arguably, the best coffee in the world is grown. Jamaica is also well-known for its breath-taking scenery, coffee, rum and, reggae music. Nonetheless, the country also enjoys a vibrant commercial sector. In fact, the island is classified as a middle-income country that engages in a wide variety of commercial activities, ranging from bauxite mining to tourism. It also hosts an active stock market which has been in existence since 1968 and, attracts the interest of both local and foreign investors.

• Telecommunications in Jamaica: "Highest Mobile Penetration Rates in the Region"

Prior to the year 2000, both fixed line and wireless telephone services in Jamaica, were monopolized by the then Telecommunication of Jamaica (TOJ), subsequently Cable and Wireless Jamaica Limited (C&WJ). This market constraint resulted in limitations of service offerings and, the overpricing of the services provided. After becoming a signatory to the World Trade Organization's Basic Agreement on Trade in Telecommunication Services in 1999, the Jamaican government commenced phased liberalisation in the industry. By 2002, this process was complete and, it was evident that the Jamaican Telecommunications industry had undergone a fundamental change. Liberalisation gave birth to the early formations of a competitive Telecommunications environment, especially in the wireless telephony sector, due to wireless operators such as Digicel, part of the Irish-owned company Mossel, Claro (formerly, MiPhone), owned by American Móvil and, Freedom Wireless, a Jamaican-owned company. To date, Jamaica prides itself on being among an elite group of countries - whether developed or developing - who boast a cellular subscribership of over 100%. Moreover, the country's Telecommunications infrastructure is one of the most advanced in the Latin America and Caribbean region.

General Guidelines for ALL Submissions

Only online submissions will be accepted for the Jamaica conference.

Deadline: Submissions must be completed online on or before 15th May, 2009. To avoid delays, early submission is strongly recommended.

Please read the instructions carefully prior to submission.

Conference Registration: Submitting your paper does NOT register you as an ITS member, nor does it automatically register you for the ITS Montego Bay, Jamaica conference. If your paper is accepted for presentation at the conference, you will be notified and must then register for the conference and pay the requisite conference fee. ITS membership is available via the ITSworld.org website (www.itsworld.org).

We will only accept FULL papers (maximum 40 pages including graphs, tables, and references).

Submitting a Paper

1. Preparing the file: Please ensure that you have your full paper ready to upload as a single document (maximum 40 pages including graphs, tables, and references). All online submissions must be in one of the following formats: MS Word for Window; MS Word for Mac; WordPerfect; PDF; or Rich Text Format.

 

2. Author identification: Names must be removed for blind reviewing of all submissions. Hence, before uploading your paper, remove all author identification from your paper.

 

3. Additional information: Title, author(s), a 500 word abstract, and any other information (e.g. student status, etc.) must be entered online when you submit your paper.

 

4. Tracking number: Each paper submitted is automatically assigned a unique tracking number. During the peer review process, submissions will be identified by tracking numbers only. Each paper submitted will receive an acknowledgment email, which will include the paper tracking number.