Roundup: for the week ending 9 December 2012

A roundup of ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 3 December to Sunday 9 December 2012.

Monday, 3 December 2012

Ministry plans info sessions on schools’ tablet distribution programme

Antigua & Barbuda – Parents, who have been in the dark about how the government’s distribution of tablet computers to students will be administered, will have their questions answered this week… more

Digicel increases data limit to 50 MB between 6AM to midnight

Guyana – Digicel (Guyana) Monday announced that the data limit for mobile users between the hours of 6am to midnight has been increased to fifty megabytes (50MB) while unlimited data will continue to be provided from midnight to 6am… more

Apple confirms iPhone 5 launch in 50 more countries

Regional – Apple has announced that the iPhone 5 will be available in South Korea beginning 7 December, with more than 50 additional countries being added in December, including… more

Ignition Achieves Silver Competencies for SharePoint

Regional – Ignition Ltd., a leader in off-shore IT services, announced it has achieved SharePoint Silver competencies, showcasing its ability to meet Microsoft’s customers’ evolving needs in today’s dynamic business environment. With this status, Ignition is part of an elite group of Microsoft providers world-wide… more

These Are The 61 Countries Most Vulnerable To An Internet Shutdown

Regional – For 52 hours last week, Syria joined the unfortunate club of countries whose governments have chosen, however briefly, to return their citizens to the digital dark ages… more

Tuesday, 4 December 2012

Cable Bahamas launches holiday home phone promotion

Bahamas – Building on its great success to date, Cable Bahamas, providers of the REVOICE telephone service, has launched its intensive end-of-year campaign to promote the service. David Burrows, head of marketing at Cable Bahamas, says that the level of satisfaction among its subscribers has been tremendous… more

Cybercrimes legislation under review due to rapid tech development

Jamaica – The Jamaica government says it increased efforts will be made to speed up parliamentary debate on the Cybercrimes Act… more

CWC joins pan-American cable consortium

Regional – Cable & Wireless Communications has become one of the founder members of a consortium to build a new submarine cable system that will increase access to fast broadband and pay TV in the Caribbean, Central and South America… more

UTS CEO: Sint Maarten ‘Not Left Out In The Cold’ By PCCS

St. Maarten – United Telecommunication Services (UTS) CEO Glen Carty has denied that Sint Maarten has been ‘left out in the cold’ by the recently announced Pacific Caribbean Cable System (PCCS) submarine link, TodaySXM.com reports… more

Wednesday, 5 December 2012

4G Service For Cat Islanders

Bahamas – Ever since the Bahamas Telecommunications Company launched 4G in Nassau less than 12 months ago, the company has been working to upgrade its infrastructure countrywide… more

Implementation of ICT programme underway in public schools

Bahamas – The Ministry of Education has spent $2.2 million over the past four months to improve the technological infrastructure of 76 Primary and Secondary Public Schools throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas… more

PM Considers BTC Rivals

Bahamas – Prime Minister Perry Christie said yesterday the government is not satisfied with the level of service from Cable and Wireless and are in negotiations with another telephone company to provide telephone services… more

LIME delivers OTT video with a Caribbean flavor

Regional – Cable & Wireless Communications’ Caribbean division, LIME, has introduced a new over-the-top (OTT) video service with a lineup of over 130 linear channels as well as a VOD library, based on technology from US firm Entone… more

OECS Agriculture Stakeholders advance ICT skills through Web 2.0 Learning Opportunities workshop.

St. Lucia – Agriculture stakeholders in Saint Lucia have advanced their knowledge and application OECS in ICT through the first OECS Web 2.0 Learning Opportunities workshop… more

Thursday, 6 December 2012

E-books take a bite out of local paperback sales

Antigua & Barbuda – A local bookshop representative is crediting e-books with a slump in sales – but remains philosophical about the future of the industry… more

Youth worker calls for new porn laws

Antigua & Barbuda – With the proliferation of pornographic videos involving young people being circulated island-wide, there is a call for new laws to address the issue… more

BTC To Gov’t: Stick To Existing Cellular Liberalise Timetable

Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) ha “no problem” with opening up the Bahamian cellular market to competition provided it takes place in accordance with the timetable set out when it was privatised, Tribune Business was told yesterday… more

Digicel in talks to enter Bahamas market

Bahamas – Prime Minister of The Bahamas, Perry Christie, said on Tuesday he has had talks with regional mobile phone service provider Digicel about entering the Bahamian market once the Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) monopoly on cellular services ends… more

Telemedia to launch Digicell 4G Network

Belize – Telemedia is amping up the ante as they get ready to launch the much touted Digicell 4G network… more

Dominica improves E government ranking

Dominica – Dominica has been ranked 73 in the region, E government development ranking, according to the United Nations… more

Lotto scamming a natural product of conman culture, says Dunn

Jamaica – Director of the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication (CARIMAC) Professor Hopeton Dunn reckons that the lottery scam is a sequel to the culture of conning and harassment of tourists which have been prevalent in the resort city of Montego Bay for many years… more

Friday, 7 December 2012

BTC gives pre-paid customers a price break and plans bounty of Christmas goodies

Bahamas – Pre-paid BTC customers are in no rush to hang up their mobile these days, instead, enjoying the free ten minutes of chat that automatically kicks-in after five paid minutes… more

BTC promises better service by Christmas

Bahamas – Customers who are frustrated with the Bahamas Telecommunication Company’s (BTC) cellular phone service should see an improvement before Christmas, company senior vice-president Marlon Johnson said yesterday… more

Mitel and LIME offer business communications solutions

Cayman Islands – LIME recently invited members of the business and information technology community to an informative presentation on Mitel communications solutions at the Westin on Wednesday, 28 November… more

C&W Communications Praises LIME For Mobile Fight-back

Jamaica – London-based Cable & Wireless Communications (C&W Communications) lauded its Jamaica subsidiary LIME for its mobile ‘fight-back’ campaign which bolstered mobile subscriber growth by 20 per cent in the latest quarter… more

LIME bemoans resurgence in copper cable theft

Jamaica – Telecommunications firm, LIME, is reporting that there has been a resurgence in the theft of its copper cables and other articles of metal over the past 6 months… more

Lime Recruits Carlo Redwood

Jamaica – LIME Jamaica has appointed former marketing manager at Pepsi-Cola Jamaica, Carlo Redwood, as its head of marketing, effective November 26… more

Richard Fraser appointed COO at Digicel Jamaica

Jamaica – Digicel Jamaica has promoted Richard Fraser to the role of chief operating officer… more

Columbus Business Solutions Positions Itself To Expand Cloud-Based Services In Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico – Columbus Business Solutions (“CBS”), the business services brand of Columbus International (“Columbus”) is pleased to announce the promotion of Felix Lugo to the position of Country Manager for its Puerto Rico operation, positioning itself to fulfill its cloud expansion plans in the country… more

Saturday, 8 December 2012

First Set of Samsung Galaxy Tabs Purchased for Students

Antigua & Barbuda – The first tranche of Android tablets secured as part of the GATE Program are on their way to Antigua and Barbuda, according to Digicel’s marketing manager Troy Byrne on Friday… more

Consultations For Allocation Of Computer Tablets Ongoing

Antigua & Barbuda – A parent/guardian information session on the Government Assisted Technology Endeavour (GATE) was held at the Antigua Girls’ High School and the St Mary’s Secondary School this week… more

Digicel Guyana cuts phone prices by 70% this Christmas

Guyana – Digicel Guyana will cut prices on selected handsets by up to 70 percent for the Christmas holidays… more

bmobile powers Digital Pan expansion

Trinidad & Tobago – Bmobile, the mobile division of Telecommunications Services of T&T (TSTT), has powered the launch of an application dubbed ‘Digital Pan’. The Digital Pan Mobile App was developed by Caribbean software application development company Digital Business… more

Sunday, 9 December 2012

GT&T introduces ‘Call Home Card’ for the holidays

Guyana – The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) is promising crystal clear, reliable and cost effective connections, through its recently introduced Guyana Call Home card… more

Teachers told: Don’t fear technology, use it

Jamaica – Thaddeti Tulloch and Tousan Royal are convinced that traditional teachers will not be replaced by technology… more

 

Image credits:  NS Newsflash (flickr);  Marketing Magazine;  The Eleutheran;  Wikipedia;  Wikipedia

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