A roundup of ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 7 January to Sunday 13 January 2013.
Monday, 7 January 2012
Digicel opens network up to CCT customers after serious outage
British Virgin Islands – According to a report by Virgin Islands News Online, Digicel BVI has opened up its voice and data networks to customers of its locally-owned rival Caribbean Cellular Telephone (CCT) following the smaller company’s ongoing network outage… more
DBJ to On-Lend US$20 Million for ICT Projects
Jamaica – The Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) has put aside US$20 million for on-lending to investors to finance and support the construction of information and communications technology (ICT) facilities… more
Gov’t to sign off on number portability
Jamaica – The technology minister Phillip Paulwell says the government is close to signing off on an agreement to have number portability introduced in the telecommunications market… more
Tuesday, 8 January 2013
Deadline for LIME
Barbados – Telecommunications giant LIME has until tomorrow to return to the negotiations table or it will trigger an island-wide work stoppage… more
LIME: Strike would be irresponsible
Barbados – A strike is the last thing this country needs… more
Strike threat
Barbados – LIME has until tomorrow to withdraw the severance letters and return to the bargaining table or else moves will be taken towards island-wide industrial action… more
1010data to Participate in Retail Orphan Initiative at NRF 2013
Dominican Republic – 010data, Inc., a market leader in the analyzing, managing and sharing of big data, today announced the company will be participating in the Retail Orphan Initiative (RetailROI) at the National Retail Federation Annual Convention & EXPO from January 13-16 in New York City… more
Telecom sector to meet on number portability
Jamaica – A critical meeting is to be held today with stakeholders in the telecommunications sector to work out the final details for the introduction of number portability… more
Wednesday, 9 January 2013
BTC Seeks Public Help To Stop Copper Thefts
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company called on the public to do its part in maintaining land and cell phone services by helping stop the copper thefts at BTC sites… more
CWC’s Accounting Requirement For BTC Control ‘Not Black And White’
Bahamas – A leading Government negotiator yesterday suggested Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) may not necessarily need to retain a majority 51 per cent stake in the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) to consolidate the latter’s performance in its overall financial results… more
LIME/BWU talks break down
Barbados – Talks between the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) and LIME have broken down and there is the possibility of a national strike… more
LIME knocks BWU
Barbados – Barbados’ largest telecommunications company, LIME, has taken the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) to task for threatening to call a national strike over job redundancies at that company… more
LIME to meet Labour Minister today
Barbados – LIME has been summoned back to a meeting with Minister of Labour Esther Byer-Suckoo scheduled for 2 p.m. today following a more than three hour-long meeting yesterday evening… more
Laptops for teachers highlight bidding process
Guyana – Guyana Improving Teacher Education Project (GITEP) under the Ministry of Education, received six (6) bids for the purchasing of laptops… more
LIME presses for number portability
Jamaica – Telecommunications company LIME hopes there will be no obstruction to local number portability (LNP) which it hopes will come into effect this year… more
LIME To Upgrade Network, Says Sinclair Via Live Chat On Facebook
Jamaica – Telecoms firm, LIME Jamaica has spent US$12 million (J$1.2 billion) to fortify its network to absorb the influx of 150,000 new subscribers… more
More Than Just A Telecoms Firm
Jamaica – Today, we continue to profile companies that have been nominated for the prestigious 2012 Gleaner Honour Award. Digicel has been nominated in the category Science and Technology… more
Thursday, 10 January 2013
Bahamas Needs ‘World Class’ IP Protection
Bahamas – The Bahamas needs “a world class intellectual property rights system”, a leading private sector executive said yesterday, as the Government unveiled a seven-strong Bill package designed to bring this nation in line with “international best practices” and World Trade Organisation (WTO) requirements… more
LIME ‘disappointed’
Barbados – Telecoms giant, LIME said it is “disappointed that the Barbados Workers’ Union would escalate to a national work stoppage to press for a bigger separation package to replace an already enhanced and generous redundancy pay-out for displaced colleagues”… more
OUR begins consultations with mobile providers
Jamaica – The Office of Utilities Regulations (OUR), is now holding consultations with mobile service providers, as it seeks to settle on mobile termination rates… more
The road to ICT – Part 2
Trinidad & Tobago – Information communication technology (ICT) competency and readiness in Trinidad and Tobago is no longer a far-reaching goal, but rather the natural next step in its development journey… more
TTPost using tech to harness power of many into one focus
Trinidad & Tobago – Inter office communication in large expanding companies is always a challenge. For TTPost, with over 1000 employees and several corporate offices and franchise outlets across the country, the same was true… more
Friday, 11 January 2013
CMC manager to resign to fill APUA post
Antigua & Barbuda – After spending the last three years restructuring the operations of the Central Marketing Corporation (CMC), General Manager Dalma Hill has made public his intention to move on to greener pastures… more
BTC To ‘Leverage Internet Market Lead’ Through TV
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is aiming to use its new TV product “to gain a market leading Internet position”, its chief executive yesterday saying the company should never have let its broadband share drop to 25 per cent… more
PM hits out at BTC
Bahamas– Negotiations regarding the re-nationalization of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) are far from over, said Prime Minister Perry Christie, who also expressed concern yesterday over Cable and Wireless Communications’ (CWC) decreasing market share in other parts of the world and the impact it could have on CWC’s performance in The Bahamas… more
BWU’s wrong, says employers’ union
Barbados – The union which represents local private sector bosses thinks the Barbados Workers Union planned national strike against one of its members is unwarranted… more
Definite strike action
Barbados – “I know when, but only I know when. There will be industrial action but we will determine where, how and when. The time and the hour will be decided when the General Secretary announces.” … more
The Cable: Rate Increase Publication
St. Kitts & Nevis – In 1984, The Cable commenced operation on St. Kitts with only twelve (12) channels…. more
Saturday, 12 January 2013
Computer Tablets Set For Distribution
Antigua & Barbuda – In anticipation of the implementation of the computer tablet initiative to secondary school students, Acting Education Minister, Sen Winston Williams Jr convened a meeting with project teams from the Ministries of Education and Technology to get an update on the status of the initiative… more
LIME issue ‘can be settled’
Barbados – The door of Minister of Labour Dr Esther Byer-Suckoo remains open to warring factions LIME and the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU)… more
Haiti – Technology : Launch of electronic declaration system by internet
Haiti – Marie-Carmelle Jean-Marie, Minister of Economy and Finance, proceeded Thursday at the launch of the e-declaration, an electronic system that allows taxpayers to make online their income declaration electronically (e-declaration) from the website of the Directorate General of Taxes (DGI) www.dgi.gouv.ht … more
OUR head leaves next month
Jamaica – Ahmad Zia Mian, the Pakistani-born director general of the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) since February 2009, is to demit office in a month’s time… more
Telesur Launches Broadband Telephony Internet Calling With Net2Phone In Suriname
Suriname – Telesur, a full telecommunications service provider for the South American nation of Suriname, announced that it will expand its existing offerings by executing a partnership with Net2Phone to act as its hosted provider of broadband phone service… more
Sunday, 13 January 2013
Jamaica wants more partners to develop Information Communication and Technology sector
Jamaica – Jamaica is encouraging private-public partnerships as it seeks to develop the island’s information communication and technology (ICT) sector, said Sharon Ffolkes Abrahamas, junior minister in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce… more
Image credits: Gary Thomson (flickr)
