A roundup of the ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 31 December to Sunday 6 January 2013.

Monday, 31 December 2012

Communications Sector Rebounds Through 3.7% Growth In Turnover

Bahamas – The Bahamian communications industry saw its total turnover increase 3.7 per cent year-over-year to hit $444 million in 2011, regulators have estimated, despite cellular phone subscribers falling by 90,000 since 2009… more

Caribbean Journal’s Entrepreneur of the Year 2012: Jamaica’s Tyrone Wilson

Regional – Caribbean governments often mention the need for the region to go digital… more

Tuesday, 1 January 2013

Cloud Carib Becomes First In Latin America & Caribbean To Achieve Vmware “Cloud Infrastructure-As-A-Service” Solution Competency, Launches Offshore Cloud Iaas

Bahamas – Nassau-based Cloud Carib is announcing the immediate availability of hosted virtual datacenters, delivered securely as a service on VMware’s (NYSE:VMW) market-leading vCloud platform… more

Wednesday, 2 January 2013

Lovell Assigned Information and Broadcasting Portfolios

Antigua & Barbuda – Having now been assigned the portfolio of Minister of Information, Harold Lovell says he has requested from the Prime Minister a Minister of State to assist with the workload… more

Consultant: Potential for thriving e-commerce sector locally

Bahamas – The e-commerce sector has the potential to be a ‘significant player’ and contributor to The Bahamas’ gross domestic product (GDP), according to Damien Forsythe, manager of e-commerce at MWF Group Bahamas… more

Previous owners say no offer for Telemedia compensation

Belize – In his New Year’s Message, Prime Minister Dean Barrow said that the government is proposing to transfer to the previous owners of Telemedia, fifty million dollars of proceeds from the re-sale of shares.. more

Thursday, 3 January 2013

Mansoor Retains IT Portfolio

Antigua & Barbuda – Having now been removed from the post of Minister responsible for Information and Broadcasting, Minister of State within the Office of the Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Edmond Mansoor still retains most of his prior responsibilities… more

CEO says BTC will better service ‘across the board’ in 2013

Bahamas – Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) CEO Geoff Houston said today he expects BTC service to improve strongly in 2013 as the Company’s new and upgraded, nation-wide telecommunications infrastructure is completed replacing the 30-year-old obsolete system… more

BTC Outage Report’s Veiled CWC Criticism

Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) breached a key condition of its licence during last June’s island-wide network outage, regulators said yesterday, levelling implicit criticism at majority shareholder Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC)… more

URCA: BTC breached condition 27.1.1 (a) of its individual operating licence

Bahamas – Following its investigation into the Bahamas Telecommunications Company Limited’s (BTC) network outage on June 18th of 2012, the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) made a preliminary finding that BTC breached Condition 27.1.1 (a) of its individual operating licence, … more

LIME cuts retail operations

Barbados – Industrial unrest could be brewing at Cable and Wireless (Barbados) Limited, also known as LIME… more

LIME sends 97 workers in Barbados offline

Barbados – Cable and Wireless (Barbados) Limited, also known as LIME has announced that it will be severing 97 of its 648 workers.. more

LIME workers meeting with union

Barbados – Affected LIME workers who have been laid off are now locked in a meeting with officials at the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) at its headquarters at Solidarity House in St Michael… more

New Telecoms law could be passed today

Guyana – The government is looking to get new legislation for the telecoms sector passed in the National Assembly today in hopes of putting an end to the so-called telephone monopoly held by the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company, GT&T… more

Friday, 4 January 2013

BTC appeals for help in stopping copper theft from their service centres

Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is appealing to the general public to do their part in maintaining their land and cell phone service by helping stop the copper thefts at BTC sites… more

BTC Enjoys 28,751% Mobile Data Growth

Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) yesterday said it was committed to investing “more than $100 million” in upgrading its communications infrastructure, adding that its mobile data traffic had increased 28,751 per cent since its 4G network launched in December 2012… more

BTC ‘failure’ attacked

Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has been heavily criticised for the events which led up to the national network outage on June 18… more

BTC responds to URCA draft report on system-wide shutdown

Bahamas – In the wake of the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) draft report that found Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) in breach of its operating license, BTC CEO Geoff Houston vowed that service will improve “across the board” this year… more

BWU: Apology owed

Barbados – The Union representing 97 LIME workers sacked on Wednesday is demanding that their termination letters be immediately withdrawn and an apology made by managing director Alex McDonald for “unfair” comments on the workers’ performance… more

BWU wants severance letters withdrawn

Barbados – The action by LIME to put 97 of its workers on the breadline has left a sour taste in the mouths of those affected… more

Saturday, 5 January 2013

Government advised on ABS

Antigua & Barbuda – Government is being urged to give more independence to the state-owned media house Antigua Broadcasting Service – ABS… more

New date for tablet distribution to students

Antigua & Barbuda – The Telecommunications Ministry has set a second date for distribution of hundreds of computer tablets to students… more

Cubans See Internet As Crucial To Future Development

Cuba – The Cuban government’s economic reforms must consider the myriad opportunities offered by the Internet, a key platform of the dominant economic model on the planet, according to interviews with both experts and average people… more

Sunday, 6 January 2013

LIME ‘squeeze’

Barbados – Telecommunications company LIME’S outlets in Warrens, St Michael,  and Sheraton Mall, Christ Church, reopened to a hive of activity yesterday following the sacking  of 97 employees across  the network… more

Montego Bay Trumps Kingston In Tweets

Jamaica – Jamaica has a Twittter capital, and, no, it’s not Kingston. Within Jamaica’s slice of the ‘twitterverse’, the core demographic of the popular microblog reflects thin usage by local businesses… more

 

Image credit:  Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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