A roundup of the ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 29 October to Sunday 4 November 2012.
Monday, 29 October 2012
BTC: ‘No Full Assessment Of Disruptions Until All Power Is Restored’
Bahamas – A full assessment of how Hurricane Sandy contributed to the disruptions of the country’s telecommunications services cannot be completed until the Bahamas Electricity Corporation restores full electrical power, a BTC official said yesterday… more
Cable’s $65m Florida Deals ‘Catalyst For More’
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas believes its combined $65 million acquisition of two Florida-based communications providers “could really be the catalyst for further growth opportunities”, as it moves to expand beyond a ‘mature’ local market and into one containing 18 million persons… more
CBL expands to U.S. market
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas Limited (CBL) has pulled the trigger on a $65 million deal that gives the company access to more than 18 million potential customers in Florida… more
Investor: ‘My Gut Says’ No Cellular Licence For Cable
Bahamas – A well-known Cable Bahamas shareholder doubts whether the Government would award the company a cellular licence to compete against the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), while giving cautious backing to its $65 million Florida expansion… more
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
Union to meet with BTC over fired manager
Bahamas – The Bahamas Communications and Public Managers Union (BCPMU) hopes a planned meeting today with executives of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) will lead to the reinstatement of fired senior manager Elizabeth Thompson… more
ECTEL’s Council of Ministers sign declaration
OECS – Ministers responsible for telecommunications in the Member States of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) have agreed to work towards the creation of a single telecommunications space among the members of the OECS Economic Union… more
Carolyn wants an e-friendly Govt set-up
Trinidad & Tobago – Voting by mobile phone? If Public Administration Minister Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan has her way that’s how citizens would be able to vote in the future… more
Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Digicel service disrupted by super storm Sandy
Antigua & Barbuda – Several of Digicel’s corporate customers remain without Internet access after service was disrupted when Hurricane Sandy crashed ashore on the eastern seaboard of the United States… more
Cable Restored Almost 100% On New Providence
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas yesterday said it had restored services to almost 100 per cent of its customers on New Providence, Eleuthera, Andros and Bimini by Tuesday afternoon… more
Breaking Through Barriers to a Stable Internet in Haiti
Haiti – On a hill towering above Port-au-Prince is an array of sky-high antennas visible from much of the city… more
Haiti – Security : Protection of Haitian Cyberspace
Haiti – On Tuesday, the National Council of Telecommunications (Conatel), in collaboration with the e-governance unit of the Primature, under the patronage of CICTE, of the Organization of American States (OAS), has opened a two-day workshop, on the cybersecurity in Haiti… more
Haiti – Technology : Important meeting to the OPH on e-governance
Haiti – Earlier this week was held in the premises of the Post Office of Haiti (OPH) an important meeting between the General Directorate of Post Office, the Coordination Unit of the e-governance of the Primature and executives of the Foundation Network of Sustainable Development in Haiti (FRDDH)… more
ICT Enhancing how Government Functions – Paulwell
Jamaica – Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Minister, Hon. Phillip Paulwell, says significant strides have been made in efforts to transform the manner in which government and, by extension, the public sector functions and delivers services, through the incorporation of information and communication technology (ICT)… more
Jamaican Lawmakers To Be Allocated Tablet Computers
Jamaica – Parliamentarians on both sides have agreed to cut paper waste in exchange for a tablet computer… more
LIME offers free calls to US following Sandy
Jamaica – Telecommunications company LIME is offering postpaid residential landline customers 15 minutes of free talk time from noon today to midnight to call their relatives in the United States, following the passage of Hurricane Sandy… more
Thursday, 1 November 2012
Telephone Cables Stolen During Hurricane Sandy
Bahamas – Although the Bahamas Telecommunication Company fared well during Hurricane Sandy with minimal damage to its equipment, a large quantity of telephone cables were stolen by thieves during the storm… more
Bandwidth Breakthrough: BTL Doubles Up Internet Speeds
Belize – A recent survey of the Caribbean showed that Belize’s internet rates were the among the highest and its bandwidth among the lowest. Telemedia, the nationally owned phone company has been roundly criticized and condemned for it… more
iPhone5 available today
Trinidad & Tobago – The iPhone5 is here… more
Friday, 2 November 2012
BTC Clarifies Reasons For Terminating Manager
Bahamas – Bahamas Telecommunications Company has assured the public that it does not “disengage staff for trite or unjustifiable reasons” as it gave further details for the dismissal of a senior manager whose immediate reinstatement her union has demanded… more
Cable Dismisses Tying Rate Rise To Florida Deal As ‘Unfounded’
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas yesterday described as “completely unfounded” claims that its proposed basic cable TV rate rise was only intended to finance its $65 million Florida expansion, adding that the increase was necessary to meet Bahamian regulatory requirements… more
Unions storm BTC headquarters
Bahamas – Hundreds of members of organizations which fall under the country’s two largest umbrella unions, yesterday stormed the Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) headquarters on John F. Kennedy Drive in an attempt to have a fired Bahamas Communications and Public Managers Union (BCPMU) vice president reinstated… more
URCA to host regional conference in GB
Bahamas – The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) will host the 10th Annual Conference of the Organisation of Caribbean Utility Regulators (OOCUR), from Wednesday, November 7 to Friday, November 9 at the Grand Lucayan Resort in Freeport, Grand Bahama… more
Is liberalisation always good?
Jamaica – Let me use this opportunity to state unequivocally, telecommunications is not a simple industry… more
LIME beats Digicel in court
Jamaica – LIME scored a victory over its telecoms rival Digicel in the court on Friday… more
Saturday, 3 November 2012
Cable Bahamas still having issues with service
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas is still experiencing problems with some of its products during the recent passage of Hurricane Sandy… more
Cable services are back on after fiber optic was damaged
Bahamas – Cable services were restored to many customers on the island yesterday, who had been without services since the passing of Hurricane Sandy on Saturday… more
BTL To Cut Down Internet Prices By Half
Belize – Well, isn’t this the best news you have heard this entire year. Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL), Belize’s biggest internet provider, will be cutting their internet prices by half… more
Fibre optic cable links Guyana, Brazil – Mid-year Report
Guyana – A total of 560 kilometers of fibre optic cable has been deployed from Lethem to Georgetown as part of Government’s quest to transform and modernise the society… more
Updated: GT&T’s mobile phone service restored
Guyana – The mobile phone service of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) was restored after a three-hour shutdown Saturday night that left thousands of customers without service… more
Haitian TV network launching in South Florida
Haiti – A new Haitian TV network is debuting in South Florida, broadcasting mainly in Creole to fast-growing Haitian communities from Delray Beach to Florida City… more
OUR a beneficial experience, says Simpson Miller
Jamaica – Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller says that the Office of Utilities Regulations (OUR) has allowed Jamaica to be more knowledgeable about utilities… more
Sunday, 4 November 2012
Guyana Telephone and Telegraph blames hardware failure for mobile service disruption
Guyana – Telecommunications service provider GT&T says equipment failure is to blame for the disruption in mobile service Saturday night… more
Hardware failure to blame for disruption – GT&T
Guyana – Telecommunications service provider GT&T says equipment failure is to blame for the disruption in mobile service Saturday evening… more
Sint Maarten Numbering Plan
St. Maarten – The Numbering Plan for Sint Maarten is the first ever and addresses the allocation and management of numbering resources, including but not limited to numbers, carrier codes, short codes, 1-800 numbers etc. … more
Image credits: NS Newsflash (flickr); Bahamas local; Wikipedia; Wikipedia
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