This is a roundup of the ICT/technology news across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 9 January to Sunday 15 January 2012.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/garyth123/Monday, 9 January 2012

LIME looks forward to competition and 4G

Antigua & Barbuda – The general manager of telecommunications company LIME Davidson Charles said the company won’t be daunted by increased competition when its exclusive license to market international direct dialling (IDD) telephone calls runs out in July… more

Tuesday, 10 January 2012

LIME Supplies Videoconferencing Services to Caricom

Regional – Cable & Wireless Communications’ Caribbean business, LIME has been chosen to implement videoconference facilities for the Caribbean Community Secretariat (CARICOM) – the Caribbean’s main inter-governmental grouping… more

St Kitts begins issuing epassports

St. Kitts & Nevis – Authorities have begun issuing a new passport that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security said will help prevent fraud and identity theft… more

Wednesday, 11 January 2012

Better financial access needed for Jamaicans

Jamaica – More than three out of every four Jamaicans have limited access to safe and low-cost payments channels, said US Economist Dr. Dawn Elliott at the Mobile Financial Services Conference 2011 at the University of the West Indies, Mona, on 12 December 2011… more

Thursday, 12 January 2012

Prison launches computer education

Cayman Islands – Inmates at Her Majesty’s Prison at Northward are receiving training and participating in computer literacy and personal computer support and maintenance… more

Digicel called to meeting to explain Claro issues

Jamaica – The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) has summoned Digicel to a meeting tomorrow to have the company provide a status report on the transfer of control of the Claro network and assets to Digicel…more

St Kitts looking to make money from mobile apps

St. Kitts & Nevis – With mobile phone applications growing as a lucrative product across smart phone platforms, the St Kitts and Nevis government wants to bring some of that business to its shores… more

St. Maarten Cable TV Schedules Outage For Fiber Relocation

St. Maarten – St. Maarten Cable TV today announces another step in the final phase of the upgrade to an all-digital platform. On Saturday, January 14, 2012, both Cable TV and CableNet customers will experience periodic service interruptions between the hours of 1:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m… more

Friday, 13 January 2012

Bahamas Telecommunications Company to go on recruitment drive in 2012

Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) intends to hire up to 80 people over the course of the year as the company seeks to “refresh” its operations, according to BTC CEO Geoff Houston… more

Was it really nationalization?

Belize – Belize Telecommunications Limited has been the center of controversy for the past three years and sadly it continues… more

Business: Claro Customers Can Transfer Numbers To Digicel

Jamaica – Telecommunications provider Digicel Jamaica said that as of next week customers on the Claro network will be able to transfer their telephone numbers to the Digicel system… more

Digicel To Shut Down Claro Jamaica

Jamaica – The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) is set to meet with telecommunications firm Digicel today following revelations that the previous administration had removed a key condition it had imposed in approving the company’s merger with Claro… more

eMedia launches online TV in Jamaica

Jamaica – eMedia Interactive headed by founder and CEO Tyrone Wilson will be launching Jamaica’s first indigenous online television platform. It is Jamaica’s first new media company and connects with audiences via a number of products… more

LIME launches exclusive iPhone 4s experience

Jamaica – An intelligent assistant which sends text messages by voice command, lifelike photographs and video footage that’s editable on the phone. These are just some of the features of the iPhone 4S experience which telecoms company, LIME will start offering to in all its markets in the region today, Friday, January 13… more

Our Plan Spells Out 10-Digit Dialing, Energy Savings And Big Water Investments

Jamaica – The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) has revealed plans that will force 10-digit dialing for local and overseas phone calls, in its Business Plan and Budget 2012 released this month… more

OUR To Set Mobile Call Rates

Jamaica – Former Prime Minister, Andrew Holness has revealed that as part of his decision to change the condition of the Digicel/Claro merger, there was an agreement with the phone company to allow the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) to set call rates… more

Saturday, 14 January 2012

Holness defends reversing two-network decision in Digicel/Claro deal

Jamaica – Opposition Leader Andrew Holness has stoutly defended his decision to reverse the two-network requirement for the proposed Digicel/Claro merger last year… more

I Should Have Informed The Nation, Says Holness

Jamaica – Former Prime Minister Andrew Holness has moved to clarify his controversial decision to change the terms of the merger between telecommunications entities Digicel and Claro… more

St Kitts mobile app workshop to open world of possibilities

St. Kitts & Nevis – Officials at the Department of Technology are finalizing arrangements for the first mobile application development workshop in St Kitts, which is expected to open a world of possibilities to locals… more

Sunday, 15 January 2012

Fight for Claro customers

Jamaica – Telecommunication firms Digicel and LIME both moved on Friday to lure Claro customers in limbo as word spread about Digicel’s plan to shut down the Claro network which it acquired last year… more

LIME blasts Holness, urges emergency overhaul of telecoms regulation

Jamaica – Telecoms giant LIME yesterday accused former Prime Minister Andrew Holness of betraying Jamaican consumers when he reversed a requirement that Digicel maintain both networks as a condition of its proposed merger with Claro… more

Image courtesy of Gary Thomson, flickr

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