A roundup of the ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 12 November to Sunday 18 November 2012.
Monday, 12 November 2012
BTC completes 4G network upgrade
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has completed another phase of its mobile network upgrade… more
BTC ownership negotiations ‘fruitful’
Bahamas – Negotiations between Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) and the Bahamian government over the future of incumbent Bahamas Telecommunication Company (BTC) have been ‘fruitful’ reports the Nassau Guardian… more
Presentation CTEX_Hypercloud
Curacao – Curacao Technology Exchange NV N.V. (CTEX) together with VCE (a joint venture between CISCO, EMC, VMWARE, and Intel) and Zuora recently launched the region’s most advanced cloud solutions called CTEX_Hypercloud… more
Government launches unified window to streamline investments
Dominican Republic – The Government launched on Monday a unified window platform to expedite the to investments in the country, in a National Palace ceremony headed by attended president Danilo Medina… more
Tuesday, 13 November 2012
Cell phone porn investigation extended
Antigua & Barbuda – Investigators probing the cell phone porn scandal – apparently showing uniformed school students taking part in graphic sex acts – have been given more time to complete their enquiries… more
Business Process Industry Association Launched In Montego Bay
Jamaica – The City of Montego Bay is now home to the new Business Process Industry Association of Jamaica (BPIAJ)… more
Online Viewer For High Resolution Caribbean Aerial Photos Released
Jamaica – West Indies Aerial Survey, an innovative provider of aerial photos and 3D models, today announced the release of an online viewer with geo-referenced aerial data of Kingston, Jamaica. This data is of the highest resolution ever captured of the area… more
Digicel launches Huawei Media Pad 7 Lite tablet
Regional – Digicel and Huawei Technologies have partnered to introduce the Huawei Media Pad 7 Lite tablet across the Caribbean… more
Wednesday, 14 November 2012
Annual ICT Fest Launched
Antigua & Barbuda – ICT Fest 2012 is underway in Antigua & Barbuda, with Information Minister Dr Edmond Mansoor declaring that the country is well positioned to lead the digital age in the Caribbean, and is effectively penetrating the wider world with innovations and skilled personnel… more
ICTfest 2012: Educational, Entertaining, Intriguing
Antigua & Barbuda – ICTFEST 2012 was officially launched on Tuesday 13th November and judging from the opening ceremony, and VIP viewing of the Exhibition Center it will not be business as usual at the country’s largest technological exhibition… more
Regional online resource facility to empower vulnerable women
Barbados – An online resource facility has been launched to assist poor and vulnerable women in Barbados and the OECS seeking an access point for knowledge and assistance on how they can start and develop successful micro-businesses… more
Flow reports high J’can viewership of the US elections
Jamaica – More than half of Flow’s cable customers in Jamaica watched the US presidential elections on November 6, with CNN dominating the 9:00 pm to midnight peak viewing hours, the company has revealed… more
Thursday, 15 November 2012
“Cue cards and chalkboards will not cut it ” – PM
Antigua & Barbuda – A plea for Antiguans & Barbudans to grasp a technological vision for the future was repeated throughout the night at the launch of the eighth annual Information Communication Technologies (ICT) Fest at the Multipurpose Center, Perry Bay… more
Spencer Sides With Mansoor
Antigua & Barbuda – Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer has thrown his weight behind the iPad -for-students initiative, dubbed a private/public partnership between the government of Antigua & Barbuda and telecommunications giant Digicel… more
Teachers Empowered Through CXC Notesmaster Training
Antigua & Barbuda – The Ministry of Information, Broadcasting, Telecommunications, Science and Technology in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) and Notesmaster has trained dozens of teachers in the use of an online learning platform, designed to empower both teachers and students… more
Teachers Urged To Bridge Digital Divide
Jamaica – Professor Gossett Oliver, vice-president of the University of Technology (UTech), has said the inability of some educators to master modern technology is adversely affecting the decision of students to pursue studies in vocational areas… more
UWI med students save big with ebooks
Jamaica – Students in the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of the West Indies (UWI) can now access electronic medical texts at a fraction of the cost for the printed material, saving them hundreds of thousands of dollars each year… more
Digital Alert Systems’ DASDEC(TM) Advanced Emergency Alert Equipment Deployed in Four Caribbean Nations
Regional – Digital Alert Systems today announced that it has supplied DASDEC-II emergency messaging platforms to enable radio stations across Anguilla, Aruba, Montserrat, and Sint Maarten to provide their communities with timely emergency alerts… more
Digicel confirms 16 November for HSPA+ launch
Regional – Pan-Caribbean mobile group Digicel has confirmed that customers of its unit in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) are likely to experience ‘4G’ connectivity for the first time within the next month… more
Caribbean Cable Communications explains Internet Issues
St. Kitts & Nevis – Caribbean Cable Communications today announced that it has resolved the technical issues that have caused intermittent interruptions to its Internet and telephone service over the past few days… more
Cable and Wireless Communications Plc : CWC installs maritime safety system for St. Vincent & the Grenadines
St. Vincent & the Grenadines – Cable & Wireless Communications’ Caribbean business, LIME, has introduced a Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to improve coastguard services… more
TT represented at UN Internet Forum
Trinidad & Tobago – Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean were represented at the important global gathering – the seventh International Internet Governance Forum (IGF) held last week in Baku, Azerbaijan… more
Friday, 16 November 2012
ICTfest 2012 A Success
Antigua & Barbuda – Educational, entertaining and intriguing are just some of the words that were used to sum up ICTFEST 2012. Now in its eighth year the 2012 ICTFEST featured live demonstrations of technological innovations; seminars in different aspects of information technology; and representation by different educational establishments to include the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC)… more
Tappin marries technology with music
Antigua & Barbuda – “You may see three guys standing up here but you are going to hear 100 musicians. This is an experience that would not be possible without technology.” … more
Cable Pushes US Fast Track On ‘Substantial Break-Up Fee’
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas is seeking ‘fast track’ approval for one of its US acquisitions by December 15, Tribune Business can reveal, on the grounds that it would be exposed to “a substantial financial loss” if the deal failed to close by that date… more
LIME set to become player in television
Cayman Islands – The Cayman Islands could soon see a new player in the cable television marketplace… more
Govt. suspends legal reform of telecoms sector
Guyana – The government has suspended its efforts to pursue liberalization of the telecoms sector in Parliament, opting for more talks with the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) and Digicel… more
GT&T, Internet cafes lock horns over call-blocking on cheap DSL
Guyana – Internet cafés are threatening to take the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) over the phone company’s refusal to allow cheaper Internet calls on applications other than one that has been specially installed for the cafes…more
Better IDs needed to fight scamming
Jamaica – The lack of a system that allows remittance companies to cross-reference identification cards (IDs) has made the fight against lottery scamming difficult… more
BUSINESS: LIME blames telecoms tax for $1.3b loss
Jamaica – LIME Jamaica posted a J$1.3 billion loss for its second quarter ending September 2012, despite a 21 per cent growth in mobile revenues following the slashing of cell phone rates over the summer… more
More Jobs to be provided in ICT and BPO Sectors
Jamaica – The Government is actively pursuing an additional line of credit for provision to the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ), to facilitate expansion in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Business Process Operation (BPO) sectors, which can yield significant employment… more
Phone rivalry heats up for Christmas
Jamaica — Telecommunications companies Digicel and LIME have given hope to Jamaicans as the rivals rolled out their respective Christmas promotions today… more
Smartphones need smart users
Jamaica – Twenty years ago, the first GSM network was born, allowing people to have secure connections via manageable hand-held mobile phones… more
US telco wants legislation on Jamaica lottery scams
Jamaica – The head of FairPoint Communications – an American telecommunications company, is stepping up efforts to get authorities in the United States to clamp down on the Jamaican lottery scam… more
Google denies TT government request
Trinidad & Tobago – Google has denied a request from the Trinidad and Tobago government to remove 10 videos currently posted on YouTube featuring Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar and Attorney General Anand Ramlogan… more
Saturday, 17 November 2012
GT&T should revisit its decision to block VOIP on their DSL lines
Guyana – Dear Editor, Many Guyanese were happy that GT&T were successful in launching their submarine cable allowing access to affordable bandwidth… more
13 arrested in Lottery scam raid
Jamaica – Thirteen people were taken into custody following a joint police/military operation at Tortuga Drive, Greenwood, St James on Friday… more
Sunday, 18 November 2012
GT&T pulls plug on Internet cafes
Guyana – Many Guyanese were happy that Guyana Telephone and Telegraph was successful in launching its submarine cable that allowed for affordable bandwidth… more
Is my phone wire-tapped? I know it is
Guyana – Immediately after the funeral service for Mr. Clarence Hughes was finished, after a small chat with Andaiye outside the church, I made a frenzied rush to Kitty to do an urgent favour for my nephew… more
Sale of GT&T’s 20% shares…Luncheon confirms money gone to fund Marriott – AFC
Guyana – Government has confirmed that it received a significant portion of the money from the sale of its 20 per cent stakes in the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T). The amount was touted to be US$25M… more
Is buying on the internet cheaper?
Jamaica – Shopping online can save you money, especially when accounting for time and cost associated with in-store purchasing… more
Image credits: RambergMediaImages (flickr); Wikipedia; Brands of the World; The West Indian News; Wikipedia
________
