People seeking emergency treatment may soon have direct access to the emergency ambulance call centre in Tobago.
The Telecommunication Authority of Trinidad & Tobago (TATT) is currently working with the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA), the Global Medical Response of T&T and call operators to provide better access to emergency ambulatory services.
This was revealed by TATT networks and standards manager Dexter Boswell-Inniss on Monday (May 18, 2015) during his keynote address at the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Exposition at the Gulf City Mall in Lowlands.
The event was organised by the Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) in conjunction with a number of other agencies, organisations and private companies as part of its observances for World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2015 and the 150th Anniversary of the International Telecommunication Union.
According to Boswell-Inniss, the authority recently granted a concession to a new operator for fixed-line telephone, broadband internet access and cable TV and other services from which Tobagonians will benefit.
He said the TATT is also providing technical advice to the TRHA to improve the radio frequency coverage for its ambulance radio system. In addition, it is currently licensing the maritime radios used by Tobago fishermen for Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).
“The addition of this new facilities-based operator will result in an improved competitive landscape for the people of Tobago. TATT is also continuing to work with another operator to provide service in Tobago,” Boswell-Inniss said.
The entire national community is benefitting from the implementation of an Internet Exchange Point (IXP) facilitated by TATT, he stated. The IXP provides a meeting point for all Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to exchange Internet traffic originating and terminating within Trinidad and Tobago.
The new IXP means Internet traffic does not have to go out to a foreign exchange point before being routed back to its local destination, which lengthens the transaction time.
Boswell-Inniss said all ISPs operating locally commenced exchanging Internet traffic on the IXP from March 15.
Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Orville London delivered remarks at the event while Chief Administer Raye Sandy deputised for him in declaring the accompanying exposition open.
In addition to TEMA and the TATT, agencies such as the Tobago Information Technology Limited, Fire Services, the National Operations Centre, the Civil Aviation Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, the Community-based Emergency Response Team (CERT), the Trinidad and Tobago Air Traffic Controllers Association (TTATCA) and the Radio Emergency Associated Communications Team (REACT) hosted displays at the event.
Also on the list are the Meteorological Services of Trinidad and Tobago, the Trinidad and Tobago Amateur Radio Society, blink/bmobile, Digicel, and Pulse 89.5FM.