A roundup of ICT/technology news from across the Caribbean region during the period Monday 6 January to Sunday 12 January 2014.

Monday, 6 January 2014

URCA publishes new consumer protection regulation

Bahamas – Bahamian telecoms watchdog the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) has published its final Consumer Protection Regulations for the Electronic Communications Sector (ECS), ECS 19/2013, which was enacted on 30 December 2013… more

LIME donates tablets to GIS, DBS & Telecoms Ministry

Dominica – LIME Dominica has responded positively to a request from the Ministry of Information & Telecommunications to support their efforts to improve efficiencies at key departments within the Ministry… more

TT must shape tech path

Trinidad and Tobago – TRINIDAD and Tobago (TT), the nation which invented the only new acoustic instrument of the 20th Century, the steel- pan, cannot be a country that is transferring and applying technology… more

Tuesday, 7 January 2014

– Nil –

Wednesday, 8 January 2014

Cable Bahamas Gains 3,000 New Landline Clients

Bahamas – CABLE Bahamas yesterday said it was expecting a number of businesses to switch to its REVOICE offering this month, telling Tribune Business it had attracted “well over” 3,000 new landline subscribers due in large part to its mortgage giveaway promotion… more

Dominica union seeks CARICOM support on severance packages for soon to be retrenched LIME workers

Dominica – Thomas Letang general secretary of the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) have revealed his intention to seek Caribbean Community (CARICOM) governments’ support for assistance in its industrial impasse with the telecommunications company, LIME… more

LIME talks break down in Dominica

Dominica – The Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) today warned it was prepared to “do something about the situation” as it seeks Caribbean Community (CARICOM) governments support for its ongoing industrial problem with the British telecommunications company, LIME… more

Thursday, 9 January 2014

BTC Meeting To Seal Agreement

Bahamas – PRIME Minister Perry Christie said yesterday he will meet with Cable and Wireless executives and members of the Cabinet next Tuesday to “cross the t’s and dot the i’s” on their new agreement… more

E-Passport Provider In IT School Venture

Bahamas – The former Bacardi plant’s owners yesterday pledged to “move forward” with establishing a high-end IT school, having enlisted the company responsible for the Bahamas’ e-passport and border control systems as its project partner… more

CTEX Gets ‘Facility’ Certification

Curacao – Curacao Technology Exchange (Ctex) will receive the facility certification from the only institute that issues this certification, the Uptime Institute… more

Dominica to get USD 360 mln from sale of Tricom, Orange

Dominican Republic – The Dominican Republic expects to receive USD 360 million in taxes from the sale of Tricom and Orange to Altice, reports Diario Libre… more

Dominican court confirms access to wholesale capacity

Dominican Republic – The cost of long-distance calls and internet services could be reduced in the Dominican Republic, after the Higher Administrative Court ratified a resolution from the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (Indotel)… more

Digicel, Columbus Communications blame vandals for network outage

Jamaica – TELECOMS companies Digicel and Columbus Communica-tions Jamaica Limited, operators of Flow, are offering a $1-million reward for the arrest and conviction of vandals who damaged their fibre routes, causing a network outage yesterday… more

Digicel customers get rebate following network outage

Jamaica – Telecommunications giant Digicel on Thursday issued a release saying that 4G mobile customers who were unable to use the Internet on Wednesday morning during a network outage, started receiving data rebates on Wednesday night… more

Mobile data war set to intensify

Jamaica – THE explosion in the use of social media and mobile applications in recent years has dictated what will largely be in store for the telecommunications sector this year… more

Microsoft TT announces Office 365 donation programme

Trinidad and Tobago – Microsoft Trinidad and Tobago last month announced the local availability of Office 365 for Nonprofits for qualifying nonprofits and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) through its software donation programme… more

T&T to host regional Internet Governance school

Trinidad and Tobago – Trinidad and Tobago will host the 2014 edition of the South School on Internet Governance (SSIG), an annual programme aimed at raising a generation of leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean … more

Technology makes SME’s the new super achievers

Trinidad and Tobago – HERE are over 18,000 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in TT… more

Friday, 10 January 2014

Cryptic Christie to announce secret CWC deal next week

Bahamas – Prime Minister Perry Christie has announced that he will meet with executives from Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC) early next week to sign a new agreement regarding the Bahamas Telecommunication Company (BTC), the details of which are yet to be announced… more

LIME wins bid for telecoms solution at Falmouth hospital

Jamaica – LIME has won the bid to provide a new telecommunications solution to the Falmouth Regional Hospital, the firm announced yesterday… more

Cable & Wireless Swaps Rice For Bentley

Regional – Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), the parent company for LIME, has hired Phil Bentley as its new chief executive officer, replacing Tony Rice. Bentley took office on January 1, 2014… more

More action needed on cybersecurity

Regional – Two year ago I suggested in this column that few Caribbean Governments or companies were taking seriously the threat posed by cyber attack and cyber crime… more

Saturday, 11 January 2014

How Haiti earthquake launched ‘digital humanitarianism’

Haiti – On the anniversary of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, it is remarkable to see what was learned about ‘crisis mapping’ from social media during the natural disaster… more

Destruction of fibre optics cable, hotel robbery may be attempts to intimidate witnesses, police say

Jamaica – The police have launched a probe into an incident of robbery and another of malicious destruction of property, which they believe are geared towards intimidating witnesses in a particular case now before the court… more

CARICOM science and technology committee launched

Regional – Prime minister of Grenada, Dr Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister responsible for science and technology (S&T) in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), has signaled his intention to strengthen the S&T capacity in the region so that it can, in the shortest possible time, assist with economic and social development… more

Cell phone tips for a better 2014

Regional – Whether we knew it or not, the digital revolution happened and we’re all a part of it… more

Sunday, 12 January 2014