AI-assisted passenger processing system also planned for 2027
ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, Aug. 27,
2026 - Grenada has approved a licence for a new mobile telecommunications
operator that is expected to introduce 5G service to the country, according to
Chairman of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC), Vincent
Roberts.
Roberts made the disclosure
during a media conference on Tuesday but did not identify the company or
provide a date for the start of its operations.
“I wouldn’t be saying anything
out of form if I say that Grenada has just approved a licence for a new mobile
operator,” he told reporters. “It is not in the public domain as yet, but we
will be having a 5G operator in Grenada very soon.”
The announcement was made on the
sidelines of the 22nd Caribbean Internet Governance Forum, held from August
24–26 at the Radisson Grenada Beach Resort.
Roberts also outlined plans for
the introduction of an Advance Passenger Information System and AI-assisted
processing of arriving travellers.
Under the system, Grenadian
authorities would receive passenger information before a traveller arrives in
the country. Roberts said facial-recognition technology could then be used to
match an arriving passenger with the information already received, allowing
those cleared by the system to move through immigration more quickly.
He said the technology could also
provide a personalised greeting to returning travellers as they pass through
the arrival area.
Roberts indicated that work on
the system could begin before the end of 2026, with implementation expected
during 2027.
“When you book a flight, and
you’re coming to Grenada, we will receive the information beforehand,” he
explained. “As you’re walking through the corridor to go to immigration, they
will use a photograph to match it with the advance information.”
The Advance Passenger Information
and Passenger Name Record Bill, which went before Parliament earlier this year,
provides a legal framework for the collection, processing, sharing, and
protection of information relating to people travelling to, from, or through
Grenada.
It also provides for the
establishment of a Passenger Information Unit and the appointment of a Data
Protection Officer.
Roberts said the passenger system
forms part of a wider digital transformation programme that includes digitised
civil, land, birth, and death registries.
He said greater
information-sharing among government departments should eventually remove the
need for citizens to obtain documents from one agency to present to another.
Using a passport application as
an example, Roberts said applicants should not have to produce a birth
certificate when that information is already held by the government.
He also pointed to the recently
approved Digital Transformation Agency legislation, which is intended to
coordinate digital projects across government and reduce separate ministries
developing incompatible systems.
Roberts said considerable
technical and legal work had been required before implementation could begin.
“Grenada is on the cusp of big
things happening,” he said. “It took a lot of foundational work, making sure
that the technical and legal framework is in place so that implementation can
start.”
No further information was
provided about the new mobile operator’s coverage plans or commercial launch.
Details on the cost, procurement, and final operation of the proposed
AI-assisted passenger processing system were also not disclosed.
