A roundup of ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 15 April to Sunday 21 April 2013.
Monday, 15 April 2012
Cell phone blocking system could be headed for HMP
Antigua & Barbuda – Government is in discussion with a company for the acquisition of a new cellular phone blocking system that would render the device useless inside Her Majesty’s Prison (HMP)… more
Cable Bahamas changes Internet landscape with 500% speed increases for all customers
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas announced a quantum leap forward for its REVON Broadband Internet subscribers and for The Bahamas, with the launch of a dramatic increase in speeds of more than 500 per cent… more
Cable Bahamas changes Internet landscape
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas announced this past weekend the launch of a dramatic increase in speed of more than 500 percent… more
Cable Hits ‘Fantastic’ 17k Voice Subscribers
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas has attracted more than 17,000 subscribers to its ReVoice fixed-line service since it introduced the offering just over a year ago, its marketing head describing this level of market penetration as “pretty fantastic”… more
Cable Putting ‘Final Piece’ In On $89m Us Purchases
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas is putting together the “final piece” in its $89 million acquisitions of three Florida-based telecommunications providers, a senior executive telling Tribune Business that the deals now only await approval by the Bahamian government… more
CWC Chief Executive praises BTC for a successful first two years
Bahamas – BTC has had a highly successful two years, in which it reduced calling rates for customers, introduced mobile data services and a full range of smartphones, and improved their experience, according to its majority shareholder Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC)… more
CWC Worried Over Christie’s Criticisms
Bahamas – Prime Minister Perry Christie revealed that the head of Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) expressed concerns about public criticisms he made about the quality of service being provided by the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC)… more
Cell phone use in the workplace
Guyana – Concerns have been raised by the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association about cellular phone usage affecting productivity in the workplace… more
Prepaid customers robbed of credit – Overseas calls used in latest phone scam
Jamaica – A fairly new scam in which credit is being taken from the phones of Digicel prepaid customers has been uncovered by the telecommunications company… more
Tuesday, 16 April 2013
BTC’s Majority Shareholder Praises ‘Highly Successful’ First Two Years
Bahamas – BTC has had a highly successful two years in which it reduced calling rates for customers, improved their experience, and introduced mobile data services and a full range of smartphones, according to its majority shareholder Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC)… more
BTC sees voice, data traffic increase since privatization
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is celebrating two years since its privatization. Back in April 2011, Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) acquired a 51 percent stake in BTC from the Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas for USD 210 million… more
Cable Bahamas Announces ‘A Quantum Leap Forward’
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas announced a “quantum leap forward” which will see REVON broadband Internet subscribers enjoy an increase in speeds of more than 500 per cent… more
Avaya collaboration pod speeds Cloud deployments for enterprises and Cloud service providers
Dominican Republic – Now available, Avaya Collaboration Pods for Avaya Aura® Virtualized Environment deploy in hours to accelerate the path to the Collaborative Cloud… more
Comment… The hijacking of radio and cable in Guyana
Guyana – A country’s airwave is a national resource, and in today’s world one of its most valuable resources… more
Scammer charged by Anti-corrupton Task Force
Jamaica – The Major Organised Crime and Anti-corruption Task Force (MOCA), is reporting that a 21-year-old customer care representative, Kareem Weeks, has been charged for obtaining goods by false pretense… more
Wednesday, 17 April 2013
Moving Past The BTC Issue
Bahamas – The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) said in its manifesto that it would seek to return the majority stake in the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) to the Bahamian people. The party, however, did not give a detailed and plausible plan to achieve that aim… more
Telecom prices expected to fall
Barbados – increased competition in the telecommunications sector is expected to result in lower costs for business and household customers… more
Radio/Cable licences protests reach State House…It’s deception at its best – AFC Leader
Guyana – The continued picket demonstration carried out by private media operatives and concerned supporters, against the glaring disparity in and discriminatory manner of distribution of radio licences, was yesterday taken to State House, Main Street. The protest action attracted the support of the Alliance For Change (AFC)… more
Telecommunication tower…Govt. eyes Industry as alternative location – Alexei Ramotar
Guyana – Government is considering erecting the contentious telecommunication tower meant for the community of Plaisance, East Coast Demerara, in the neighbouring community of Industry, says Alexei Ramotar, Project Manager of Government’s E-governance Unit… more
Jamaica To Tender 700 MHz Licences In May
Jamaica – Government plans to earn a minimum of US$85 million (J$8.5b) from auctioning two bands of high-speed 4th generation spectrum aimed at increasing internet mobile penetration… more
Thuraya expands its GSM roaming coverage across the Americas
Regional – Thuraya Telecommunications Company, a leading Mobile Satellite Services operator announced that it has extended its GSM roaming coverage to 11 additional countries across the Americas in partnership with leading telecommunications providers, Claro and Telefónica… more
Thursday, 18 April 2013
Presentation for IT managers
Barbados – Intermedia Inc., an IT solutions-oriented firm, recently hosted a number of IT managers from major corporations across the island at a presentation on Dell KACE K Series… more
Jamaica demands $$$$ millions, for cable frequencies
Guyana – As the Guyana Government continues to face questions over embarrassing disclosures that it gave itself and close friends several licences to build radio and cable television services countrywide, at least one Caribbean country has publicly indicated that it is preparing to auction some of these limited resources… more
Radio licences protest continues
Guyana – Protest against former President Bharrat Jagdeo’s granting of radio and cable licences shifted gear yesterday when it moved to the East Coast of Demerara in an attempt to highlight the issue before members of the Diplomatic Community… more
Haiti – Security : Cybersecurity, subject of a seminar of CONATEL
Haiti – The National Council of Telecommunications (CONATEL), which works in concert with the European Union and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for the realization of HIPCAR Project (Enhancing Competitiveness in the Caribbean through the Harmonization of ICT Policies, Legislation and Regulatory Procedures), put an end yesterday Wednesday, to a 3-day seminar on the Transactions and electronic evidence ; Cybercrime and interception of electronic communications… more
Digicel Jamaica accepts pre-orders for BlackBerry Z10
Jamaica – Digicel Jamaica is now accepting pre-orders for the new BlackBerry Z10 smartphone. The phone will be available from 23 April. Customers can pre-register by visiting Digicel’s Facebook page… more
Don’t jail scammers!
Jamaica – Montego Bay, St James – Lady Allen, wife of Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, is urging the authorities to utilise the talents of some persons involved in the lottery scam, instead of throwing then in jail… more
LIME To Stream Its Blackberry Z10 Launch
Jamaica – Taking the experience online, telecoms company LIME will be streaming its official launch of the highly anticipated BlackBerry Z10 ‘the smarter phone’ planned for today, live at Facebook.com/LIMEJamaica – the company’s Facebook page… more
More than a phone – your mobile can be a lifesaver
Trinidad & Tobago – The Easter holiday blackout brought home for many of us, how important it was to have a functioning mobile device in the event of a national emergency… more
Friday, 19 April 2013
AG promises law to police social media content
Bahamas – The Office of the Attorney General is working on legislation that will police information posted on the Internet, Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson told reporters… more
More for Cable Bahamas to do in Eleuthera, even as it celebrates expansion to Weymiss Bight
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas Ltd announced on Thursday April 18th the expansion of digital TV, broadband Internet and telephone service to residents in Wemyss Bight, who through their own initiative, after years of being neglected, lobbied to have the Cable company come to the settle with the needed services… more
Columbus To Develop Us$60M Network In B’dos – Niall Sheehy Named Country Manager
Barbados – Columbus Communications will invest US$60 million to provide telecoms services in Barbados, according to the firm’s president and chief executive, John Reid… more
Ignition acquires assets of Cayman-based Blue Bison
Cayman Islands – Bermuda’s Ignition Technology Group has acquired the assets of Blue Bison Software Consultants in the Cayman Islands, further strengthening its offerings in the offshore market… more
Pressure mounts on Guyana to review radio licenses granted to pro-govt persons
Guyana – The Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) on Friday called on the Guyana government to overhaul the system for granting radio and television licenses, as condemnation intensifies that most pro-government and ruling party persons were issued licenses a few short months before Bharrat Jagdeo departed the presidency… more
Spectrum Steal
Guyana – We continue with the discussion of the implications of the cable spectrum arbitrarily issued by former President Jagdeo to two of his close associates, Vishok Persaud, son of the late PPP long timer Reepu Daman Persaud, and to Brian Yong… more
LIME launches Blackberry Z10
Jamaica – Telecoms company LIME has officially launched the new BlackBerry Z10 smart phone powered by BlackBerry 10 in Jamaica… more
St. Kitts offering free WiFi
St. Kitts & Nevis – A new Skyway in St. Catharines will provide a route to free Internet access at some city facilities… more
Cell Phones And Campaign Materials May Soon Be Outlawed At Polling Stations
St. Maarten – Voters and political parties will have to contend with some changes to the campaigning landscape come time for the next general election thanks to a motion tabled by independent Member of Parliament Frans Richardson and passed unanimously when it was voted on in Parliament after 2:00am Thursday… more
bmobile launches BlackBerry Z10
Trinidad & Tobago – The Telecommunication Services of Trinidad & Tobago, under the brand name bmobile, will launch the new BlackBerry Z10 at all bmobile locations and authorised dealers next Tuesday. The new BlackBerry Z10 is the first smartphone to launch with the re-designed, re-engineered and re-invented BlackBerry 10 platform, giving customers a powerful and unique new mobile computing experience… more
Saturday, 20 April 2013
Bahamas to police online social media content
Bahamas – The Office of the Attorney General in The Bahamas is working on legislation that will police information posted on the internet, Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson told reporters… more
LIME launches Blackberry Z10, says product will be available for sale on April 23
British Virgin Islands – It was a launch like none other. There was food; there was liquor, music, special prizes and main reason everyone turned up – Blackberry Z10… more
All broadcasters must confirm with Broadcast Act – Dr. Luncheon
Guyana – “It is not an easy task,” said Cabinet Secretary, Dr Roger Luncheon, of the mandate of the Broadcast Authority to ensure that all licensees who fell under the former Post and Telegraph Act to now conform to the Broadcast Act of 2011… more
Jagdeo’s radio license issuance challenged in court
Guyana – The constitutionality of the granting of 22 radio and television licenses by then President Bharrat Jagdeo is being challenged in the High Court on grounds that he handed them out largely to his political and close associates in breach of an agreement with the opposition… more
Missing OLPF laptops…Lie-detector tests fail to identify the culprits
Guyana – Lie detector tests to determine who stole 100 laptops from a special government programme have failed to find the thieves, Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon said on Thursday… more
100 Teachers Enriched By Digicel Foundation
Jamaica – Ocho Rios, St Ann: Digicel Foundation and the Ministry of Education chose Ocho Rios, St Ann, as the location to continue its enrichment initiative for primary-school teachers with a two-day seminar recently… more
Sunday, 21 April 2013
Radio frequency give away is to control the minds of Guyanese – AFC Leader
Guyana – Leader of the Alliance for Change, Khemraj Ramjattan, says that the main reason that the Jagdeo administration gave out radio frequency licences to friends, families and cronies was so that they could dominate the airwaves with their Propaganda… more
LIME Launches Blackberry Z10
Jamaica – Telecoms company, LIME officially launched the new BlackBerry Z10 smartphone last Thursday and announced an offer that will see three lucky customers from across the region jetting off to see Alicia Keys in concert in Prague, Czech Republic… more
Image credits: NS Newsflash (Flickr); The Eleutheran; Wikipedia; Wikipedia
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