A roundup of ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 10 June to Sunday 16 June 2013.
Monday, 10 June 2012
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Tuesday, 11 June 2013
BTC Confident Of Retaining Fixed ‘Lion’s Share’
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) yesterday said it welcomed the imminent arrival of number portability on September 3, adding that it had retained “the lion’s share” of fixed-line customers despite Cable Bahamas’ market entrance… more
URCA Unveils Consumer Protection Regulations
Bahamas – THE Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) yesterday released its draft consumer protection regulations, which seeks to address contracts and services, customer complaints handling ands billing and credit management… more
Number Portability To Launch Sept. 3
Bahamas – THE Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) said yesterday that number portability for landline services would be launched on September 3, creating a “strong competitive enabler” in the telecommunications sector… more
URCA pushes awareness on number portability
Bahamas – The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) is launching a public awareness campaign leading up to the implementation of number portability in September… more
Mobile madness
Barbados – Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ronald Jones, has lashed out at Barbadians he says have Facebook and other social media “plastered with death and mayhem”… more
Wednesday, 12 June 2013
BTC Files Complaint Against CBL With URCA
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has lodged an official complaint by filing a Dispute Report with The Utilities Regulation & Competition Authority (URCA) over Cable Bahamas’ (CBL) refusal to air BTC television advertisements whilst contracted to do so from June 15th 2012 through June 14, 2013… more
‘Unions Must Fight For BTC’
Bahamas – IF union leaders want BTC re-Bahamianised they will have to fight for it themselves, Labour Minister Shane Gibson said yesterday… more
Going with the FLOW
Barbados – A local company’s bid to stop another Barbadian entity and associated organisations from using the business name “FLOW” while they battle it out in court has failed… more
McDonald ‘quits’ LIME
Barbados – Telecommunications company Cable & Wireless’ latest restructuring of its Caribbean business and management has reportedly reached Barbados… more
GT&T takes Cellular Service to North Rupununi
Guyana – GT&T has again broken ground with the installation of a Cellular site in the Aranaputa Valley, North Rupununi District… more
Exporting Jamaican Television
Jamaica – Some years ago as the General Manager of Television Jamaica (TVJ) a senior technocrat told me that news did not count as a local TV programme… more
Gov’t to establish Cyber Emergency Response Team
Jamaica – THE Jamaican Government, in an effort to boost the island’s cybercrime fighting capabilities, is moving to establish a Cyber Emergency Response Team (CERT) to deal with an emerging global threat… more
Jamaica gov’t working with hackers; moves to boost cyber security
Jamaica – Government has formed an alliance with a group of ‘ethical hackers’ as part of efforts to beef up the country’s resistance to cybercrimes… more
‘Monitor your kids on the Internet’
Jamaica – HEAD of the Constabulary’s Forensic and Cybercrimes Unit, Inspector Warren Williams, is urging parents to monitor their children’s use of the Internet to protect them from cyberbullying and paedophiles… more
Latin America – Mobile Voice, Data and Forecasts
Regional – Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue… more
New Market Report: Caribbean Telecommunications Report Q2 2013
Regional – Our Q213 Caribbean report analyses latest industry, regulatory and macroeconomic developments in the telecoms markets of 10 countries… more
Thursday, 13 June 2013
BTC Blasts Cable On Alleged $150k Contract Breach
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) yesterday accused Cable Bahamas of anti-competitive behaviour intended to cause it “loss of market share” in broadband Internet, claiming its main rival had breached their $150,000 advertising contract… more
Belize Takes Steps to Improve Internet Service
Belize – After ranking dead last in a recent survey of Internet pricing and speeds in English-speaking Caribbean countries, Belize is taking steps to improve… more
Digicel Guyana introduces the new Blackberry Q10
Guyana – Digicel, the leading mobile communications provider in Guyana, today announced that the sleek BlackBerry Q10 will be available to Guyanese consumers from Friday, June 14… more
Gov’t must liberalise telecoms – Urling
Guyana – GCCI president Clinton Urling is calling on government to liberalise the telecommunications industry as the chamber is taking steps to develop ICT as a productive sector critical to the nation’s long-term economic development… more
Digicel launches new plans with ‘increased freeness’
Jamaica – Digicel Jamaica today unveiled six new plans, which the telecoms company says offer customers the “lowest rates and increased freeness.”… more
JUST IN: Digicel announces new call rates
Jamaica – Digicel has unveiled a range of new plans less than a week after its competitor, LIME, slashed its rate to $2.99 across network and to US and Canada plus UK landlines… more
LIME Promo Lures 20,000
Jamaica – Lured by the offer of a free cell phone with the purchase of J$1,000 of credit, just over 20,000 persons descended on LIME Jamaica stores during the two-day promotion, the telecom said Tuesday… more
LIME Launches New BlackBerry Q10 Smartphone in Saint Lucia!
St. Lucia – LIME yesterday launched the new BlackBerry® Q10 smartphone powered by BlackBerry® 10 in Saint Lucia… more
Friday, 14 June 2013
Cable Hits Back At BTC’s Own Alleged ‘Anti-Comp Actions’
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas yesterday hit back at the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) with its own accusations of alleged “anti-competitive behaviour”, as the battle for broadband Internet market dominance heats up… more
Fear for future of LIME employees
Barbados – The Barbados Workers Union said today it fears for the future security of the rights and interests of LIME employees now that its two top executives have been separated from the company… more
LIME wins interconnection dispute
Barbados – The Fair Trading Commission (FTC) has ruled in LIME’s favour regarding the dispute which arose earlier this year over landline termination rates with Digicel… more
Still going with the FLOW
Barbados – COLUMBUS Communications Ltd can continue trading as FLOW in Barbados, at least for the time being… more
Sweet victory for LIME
Barbados – LIME is claiming victory over Digicel… more
Dominicans could have a 911 emergency system by yearend
Dominican Republic – The government on Thursday announced a call for tenders for radios, ambulance, surveillance cameras and systems to identify and locate first response vehicles, among other equipment, to start operating an integrated emergency system, including 911 calls… more
Customs Dept To Overhaul It System
Jamaica – The Customs Department is planning a complete overhaul of its information technology system, which will be replaced by technology with the capability of interfacing with the overseers of border trade in overseas markets… more
Digicel Hits Back – Mobile Provider Reveals New Cross-Network Rates As Low As $2.49
Jamaica – The price war in the mobile telephone market became sweeter for consumers at the start of this morning as Digicel introduced sharp cuts in its call rates across networks… more
Digicel’s new call plans are confusing, says LIME
Jamaica – Telecommunications Company LIME has responded to rival company Digicel’s introduction of a new suite of low cost call plans for prepaid mobile customers… more
Digicel St. Lucia intros ‘Be Extraordinary’ brand platform
St. Lucia – Digicel has launched its ‘Be Extraordinary’ brand platform in Saint Lucia. Digicel has already introduced its new ‘Be Extraordinary’ tagline and brand identity in Panama, Bermuda, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands… more
OECS on course towards implementing integrated labour market information system
Regional – Labour commissioners and permanent secretaries from ministries of labour in the OECS have been applauded for their high percentage turnout and participation at a recently held unprecedented two day meeting in St Lucia from June 6 to 7, 2013… more
LIME’s new rates are anything but sour
St. Vincent & the Grenadines – Despite the current impasse in negotiations between the two mobile network operators over the local Mobile Termination Rate, LIME SVG has ploughed full steam ahead to bring significant savings to its customers, by lowering its call rates… more
Saturday, 15 June 2013
BTC lodges complaint with URCA against Cable Bahamas
Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has lodged a complaint with the Utilities Regulation & Competition Authority (URCA) against Cable Bahamas Limited (CBL), claiming that the firm did not air BTC television ads while contracted to do so from June 15, 2012 through June 14, 2013… more
Sunday, 16 June 2013
Sir Roy: Let down by LIME
Barbados – SIR ROY TROTMAN says he is disappointed that telecommunications giant LIME is still to tender an apology to workers, four months after promising to do so… more
Buchanan touts Vision 2050 ICT programme
Jamaica – THE Vision 2050 ICT programme in West Rural St Andrew is ready for take-off, according to Member of Parliament for West Rural St Andrew Paul Buchanan… more
The new world — secrecy and digital tyranny
Jamaica – AT long last, rhetoric about the existence of a ‘Big Brother’ state can no longer be denied or treated as excessive paranoia by a public fearful of any intrusion into their private and personal lives by what Tea Party activists and arch-Republicans opposed to the policies of the Obama Administration are fond of calling ‘Big Government’… more
Image credit: NS Newsflash (flickr); The Eleutheran; Wikipedia; Wikipedia;
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