LONDON/CARIBBEAN (October, 7 2014) – More than 15 million people in the Caribbean had reliable Internet access by the end of 2013, representing 35% of the 43 million people living in the region.
Caribbean Internet users represent 0.66% of the world’s total Internet users. The data compiled from a number of sources including the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) 2014 Report is illustrated in an infographic created by Caribbean & Co. a digital platform promoting Caribbean lifestyle and luxury brands.
The data is of particular importance for visitors to the region who want to stay connected with work, family or friends, as well as people looking to relocate to the Caribbean but want to make sure that they are still connected. Reliable connectivity is also helpful to Caribbean businesses who wish to expand their products and services globally.
“What this data shows is that the Caribbean has made great strides in making reliable Internet and phone services accessible throughout the region. This not only enables Caribbean people to keep in touch with loved ones overseas, but plays a greater role in facilitating relationships between the businesses in the region and their global partners,” says Ursula Petula Barzey, founder of Caribbean & Co.
The island of Bermuda continues to lead with 95% Internet penetration, followed by St. Kitts and Nevis with 80%, and the Dutch island of Aruba which has 79%. 75% of the population in Barbados have Internet access, while the Cayman Islands and Puerto Rico both have 74%. They were followed by the Bahamas with 72%, Anguilla with 65%, Trinidad & Tobago 64%, and Antigua & Barbuda 63%.
Meanwhile, the social networking site Facebook now has 6.7 million users in the Caribbean, representing 15% of the region’s residents. The Dominican Republic recorded the highest number of Facebook users with 2.8 million, however the tiny island of Curacao has the highest penetration of Facebook users with 59% of its 146,000 population.
In the mobile phone market, subscriptions grew to 29 million subscribers in 2013, representing a 42% growth since 2008. No surprise that islands with larger populations like Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico and Jamaica lead with the number of people with mobile phone subscriptions. It should be noted that during this same five-year period of growth for mobile phones, landline subscribers declined by 4% to 4.56 million, representing just 11% penetration in the region.