A roundup of ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 25 November to Sunday 1 December 2013.
Monday, 25 November 2013
Human Rights Commission: UK, Cayman must justify wiretap plan
Cayman Islands – Neither the Cayman Islands nor United Kingdom government has properly justified the exclusion of the judiciary in the issuance of investigative warrants allowing local police to intercept phone calls, emails and other private communications, according to the Human Rights Commission… more
LIME launching faster mobile data service
Cayman Islands – LIME Cayman Islands announced 4G LTE services will be available from the end of November… more
Opposition leader says police tapped his phone
Cayman Islands – United Kingdom-ordered police investigations led to phone taps and email snoops against former Cayman Islands Premier McKeeva Bush, according to allegations now-Opposition Leader Bush made in Legislative Assembly last week… more
Columbus and BrightPath collaborate on tech education
Grenada – A new education initiative is seeking to change how Internet users across the Caribbean take advantage of technology… more
‘Teching’ Life To A New Level
Jamaica – Founder and CEO of the multimillion-dollar technology firm CyberSynchs LLC Amos Winbush III made his first visit to Jamaica as the guest speaker at the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), biennial fundraising gala in Montego Bay… more
Tuesday, 26 November 2013
Belize gets millennium development goals database system and training
Belize – In order to support the member countries of the Central American Integration System (SICA) in the provision of an established millennium development goals (MDG) information system, on December 5, 2011, the ministry of foreign affairs of Mexico and the SICA countries, signed onto a project called “Institutional Capacity Building for Mesoamerican Governments on Monitoring and Evaluation of Millennium Development Goals (MDG)… more
New ICTA boss appointed
Cayman Islands – Cabinet has approved the appointment of Mr. Glen Daykin as Acting Managing Director of the Cayman Islands Information and Communications Technology Authority… more
Cuba to let citizens rent out their home phones
Cuba – Cubans have a new private enterprise opportunity — acting as “telecommunications agents” by essentially turning their homes into phone booths and charging neighbours by the minute to use their telephones… more
Dominican court rules against Indotel, telcos in breach of consumer rights appeal
Dominican Republic – The Dominican Republic’s Supreme Administrative Court (Second Chamber) has ordered the country’s telecoms watchdog the Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones (Indotel) to revise within 30 days the contracts of telecoms companies Claro Dominicana (Codetel), Tricom, Trilogy Dominicana (Viva), Wind Telecom and Orange Dominicana in order to eliminate those clauses that violate consumer rights… more
Creating a Bright Path for Technology Education
Grenada – There are many positive advances on the Caribbean technology scene, but at times it seems there is an equal amount of confusion… more
ICT Competition Remains Uneven Across the Caribbean
Guyana – The Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) is gearing up for its big ICT week in Jamaica on December 2 to 6, with the event’s main focus being Internet governance and spectrum management… more
LIME’S Top Regional Boss Visiting Turks and Caicos Islands to make Major Announcement
Turk and Caicos Islands – Employees of LIME Turks and Caicos Islands are waiting with bated breath to hear what news will emerge from Mr. Jan Remmelg, the CEO for LIME’s Northern Caribbean Cluster who will be having critical meetings here and a very important press conference at the company’s Leeward Highway headquarters on Monday November 25th… more
Wednesday, 27 November 2013
Orange sells Dominican Republic unit to Altice for €1.1B
Dominican Republic – Orange has agreed to sell its unit in the Dominican Republic to Luxembourg-based Altice for a total value of US$1.435 billion (€1.1 billion), bringing to an end a process that has lasted for several months… more
GT&T is not what it promises to be
Guyana – Dear Editor, If GT&T is not interested in maintaining its services to customers in Mabaruma, then please pack your traps and leave… more
Digicel helps public sector to optimise efficiency
Jamaica – TELECOMS giant Digicel has helped the public sector to cut capital expenditure, optimise efficiency and develop a more flexible and productive workforce… more
ILLUMINAT to equip classrooms with smartboards
Jamaica – ILLUMINAT has inked a deal to equip 180 classrooms with new Smart Technologies Interactive White Boards… more
LIME’s $50-m upgrade of Carlton store kick-starts 2-year renovation project
Jamaica – LIME has spent $50 million to upgrade its Carlton retail store — which officially reopens today — as it looks to more effectively reach customers by offering a cutting-edge shopping experience… more
Thursday, 28 November 2013
Cable Bahamas’ Summit Vista Inc completes acquisition of Orlando-based provider
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas Ltd today announced that on November 26th, 2013 its wholly-owned subsidiary, Summit Vista Inc, successfully completed the acquisition of Summit Broadband Inc, (Summit), an Orlando-based telecommunications provider for US$53,426,935 in cash… more
Digicel launches 4G LTE
Cayman Islands – Digicel is due to officially turn on its 4G Long Term Evolution network Thursday. The company was awarded the LTE Spectrum license 11 weeks ago… more
BUSINESS BYTE: Digicel unveils its latest Android smartphone
Dominica – Building on the runaway success of its own affordable Android smartphone, the DL600, Digicel is introducing the latest version to join the range, the DL700, which delivers an even bigger and better Android experience… more
Landmark local investment to create well needed space for ICT, BPO expansion
Jamaica – Local investor Mark Kerr-Jarrett, owner of the Barnett Tech Park, officially signed a contract with International firm Kier Construction Ltd to build new commercial office space for local and foreign investors seeking to set up Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) operations in Jamaica… more
Columbus, BrightPath start revolution
Trinidad and Tobago – A new education initiative is seeking to change how Internet users across the Caribbean take advantage of technology… more
Useful skills to be a better online marketer
Regional – THIS article has two broad audiences: (1) students and early-career marketers, and (2) business owners doing their own marketing… more
Microsoft: Why are more Government services not online?
Regional – Governments around the world and in T&T can generate greater productivity and efficient services in the economy by more online services, said Eduardo Núñez Parodi, head of Microsoft’s strategy for Latin American and Caribbean markets… more
More Extraordinary Digicel Customers Each Win US$1,000
Saint Kitts and Nevis – Captain Tony Powell was returning to St. Kitts from a private boat charter when he received an extremely special phone call from the Digicel Marketing Team… more
Friday, 29 November 2013
Cellular Monopoly Push For Cable’s $100m US Deals
Bahamas – Cable Bahamas yesterday confirmed its inability to go head-to-head on cellular services with the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) influenced the $100 million Florida expansion, the final acquisition for which closed yesterday… more
Digicel Cayman to launch 4G LTE on 6 December
Cayman Islands – Digicel Cayman Island, the country’s second largest cellco in terms of subscribers, is reportedly planning to commercially launch its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network on 6 December 2013, with exclusive access provided to participants in its ‘Early Adopter’ LTE programme from 29 November to 5 December, local news agency Cayman Compass reports … more
Digicel launches Christmas promotion
Dominica – Digicel Dominica launched its Christmas promotion dubbed ‘Brighten Someone’s Christmas’ on Thursday, November 28, 2013 outside their Roseau store… more
Digital Jam 3.0 launched in Dominica
Dominica – A new mobile apps competition and a series of hands-on training and workshops seeking to link Caribbean youth to digital work opportunities around the globe has been launched in Dominica… more
DOMLEC pulls plug on Marpin in Morne Daniel
Dominica – Dominica’s electricity company DOMLEC has disconnected services to cable company Marpin’s office at Morne Daniel, DNO was reliably informed… more
New Law creates agency to protect personal data
Dominican Republic – The Personal Data Protection Law recently passed by Congress creates the Dominican Data Protection Agency (ADPD), which will regulate and set policies on personal data protection, with functions independent from the Government… more
Service, Shop And Play At The New LIME Store
Jamaica – On Wednesday, LIME Square was awash in aquatic blue for the opening of their flagship Carlton avenue store… more
Digicel growth slows in its core markets
Regional – Total group revenues at Digicel, the mobile phone company owned by businessman Denis O’Brien, fell by $7 million to $691 million in the three months to the end of September, according to financial statements sent to the company’s bondholders… more
Accessorize your Mobile Device at Digicel
Saint Kitts and Nevis – The Digicel Store, located at the Circus in Basseterre, St. Kitts has officially launched its “MAS Madness” Promotion for the month of December… more
UWI to host network design boot camp
Trinidad and Tobago – CelPlan Technologies, Inc (CelPlan) and The University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine Campus, have signed an Academic Programme Courseware License Agreement by which CelPlan will provide training materials on radio communications and Radio-Frequency (RF)-based systems, standards and technologies to The UWI… more
Saturday, 30 November 2013
Government places high emphasis on ICT sector
Dominica – The Dominica Government has placed much emphasis and importance on supporting the growth of the information communication technology (ICT) sector, Parliamentary Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister has said… more
Marpin 2k4 sacks its general manager
Dominica – A major telecommunications company has sacked its general manager… more
Digicel T&T sales grow by 13 per cent
Trinidad and Tobago – Digicel sales in T&T grew by 13 per cent to US$64 million in the three months to the end of September, the apparent highest in all of the company’s markets worldwide, according to a report in the Irish Times newspaper yesterday… more
Sunday, 1 December 2013
URCA certifies BTC readiness for number portability
Bahamas – Confirming its readiness for number portability, the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) granted the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) a certificate of readiness last week, ahead of the December 2 deadline for number portability… more
The power of ‘wearable’ technology
Regional – Despite predictions and market research studies, two decades ago no one imagined that a device could be so convenient that it could be used in all facets of everyday life… more
Jobs Slashed At LIME To Reduce Operating Costs
Turks and Caicos Islands – UP TO 20 staff members at Lime have lost their jobs just before Christmas as the telecoms company cuts back on operating costs… more
Image credits: Salvatore Vuono (FreeDigitalPhotos.net); Wikipedia; Bahamas Local; Wikipedia; Bahamas Weekly
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